Reno ICO Mission and Goals

Reno ICO Mission

 

Reno Inspiring Connections Outdoors (ICO) promotes individual growth through group activities, environmental and outdoor skills education, and leadership development for youth and young adults.   We partner with schools, community groups and mission-driven organizations to provide safe and enjoyable outdoor adventures and experiences and to create a local youth-centered outdoor and environmental community. We are focusing on providing targeted equitable access to the natural world so that all young people in our community appreciate and care about our natural environment. 

To get a sense of what this mission looks like in action, read Mari's Snowshoe Trip, a fictional story about Maricella, a student from Proctor Hug High School in Sparks, Nevada. While Mari is not a real person, Hug High School is a real school in the Washoe County School District that has an Adventure Club which partners with ICO. Students of color make up 87% of Hug High School, and 100% of students come from families that are economically disadvantaged.  Hug High School seniors' College Readiness Ranking is in the top 25% in Nevada and the US, according to US News and World Report. 
 

Goals/Outcomes

 

  • Develop a Sustained Youth-Serving Organization That is Part of a National Network.  Reno ICO is one of 43 regional organizations with the Sierra Club ICO organization
  • Volunteer Training: Trip Leaders receive safety, first aid, and Sierra Club certified outings leader training and must pass a background check
  • Introduction to Nature. Most of the youth on ICO outings have never been to our mountains, deserts, rivers, lakes, canyons and other parts of the natural world that surround Reno. Many young people in Reno have never been to Lake Tahoe! They are thrilled to see deer, coyotes, lizards, turtles, and birds. They learn how Native Americans survived on indigenous flora and fauna.
  • Experiencing Wilderness Environments. Through hiking, backpacking, and snowshoeing, young people will learn the value of wilderness, gain a sense of harmony with the earth and increase their interest in preserving and protecting our planet.
  • Conservation Ethics and Experiences: Through engaging in conservation projects within our region and community, participants will build a lifelong action-oriented commitment to improving our natural world.  
  • Inclusion. Provide a supportive physically and emotionally safe social experience in which all feel that they belong… in nature, relationships, and the world. Reno ICO promotes inclusion, equity and a celebration of difference and strives for racial, gender, socio-economic, and experiential equity.
  • Youth Development and Leadership Development. Intentionally promote the social and emotional capacities and skills of participants and volunteers. Provide a leadership pathway for participants and volunteers, including experiential training and support to promote exceptional leadership practices.
  • Health. Youth are physically and mentally challenged by hikes and other activities and increase their appreciation for a healthy lifestyle.
  • Self-Actualization and Self Esteem. Crossing streams, hopping boulder to boulder, completing long walks, young people accomplish things they never thought they could. Trips also provide a contemplative setting for getting to know one’s self. 
  • Fun! ICO leaders provide games and activities, along with giving participants time to just have fun, explore, and soak in nature.

Click here to see our detailed 2023-2024 Mission, Goals, and Metrics.