Volunteers / Trip Leaders

You are encouraged to join us at the third annual:

Reno Inspiring Connections Outdoors

Retreat and Outdoor Leadership Training 

November 15-17, 2024

at the

Historic Clair Tappaan Lodge

Soda Springs (Donner Summit), California

Come join kindred spirits as we engage in the Sierra Club’s Outdoor Leadership Training with a focus on getting young people outside. Learn how to facilitate safe and engaging youth hiking, backpacking & snowshoeing trips as we hang out, eat, play, hike, & sing around the campfire!

Food, lodging, training and fun are free! (Donations are encouraged.)

  • Interest, commitment & great attitude required. No experience needed. We encourage folks with little outdoor experience to come and learn with us. 
  • Participants are requested to attend two trips in 2025.

Click here for more details about the Retreat and Outdoor Leadership Training.

For further information about the Retreat, to volunteer, or to register, please contact ICO Chair, Rob Schamberg at robschamberg@gmail.com.


Volunteering for Inspiring Connections Outdoors (ICO) will enable you to play a role in introducing a generation of young people to the joys and wonders of the outdoors. You will make it possible for them to experience nature, go on adventures with their peers, and gain passions and skills that will last a lifetime. Also, you will hang out with other like-minded people, perhaps making friends that will last a lifetime. (Little known fact: Our Chair, Rob, met his wife of 40 years, Suzy, as they were both volunteering for San Francisco Bay ICO!)

Experience is not needed! We will provide training and make sure that you are prepared for whatever role you choose.
 

Volunteer Roles

  • Trip Volunteers: You will join a day trip or a multi-day trip, supporting the Trip Leader, leading activities for small groups of youth and helping individuals as needed.
  • Assistant Trip Leader: Complete a variety of tasks delegated by the Trip Leader, for example, holding pre-trip meetings with parents, buying food, seeking permits, leading a hike, guiding participants in meal preparation, helping youth with their gear, arranging a campfire, filing a trip report.
  • Trip Leader: You will plan and execute an adventure for 5-30 youth, connect with the school or agency to arrange a safe and fulfilling trip, provide for a welcoming, inclusive and supportive culture on the trip, provide for all aspects of a successul trip (see "Assistant Trip Leader" for examples), and complete all post-trip reports.
  • Event Volunteer: We need folks who are willing to come help out on one time-events, including equipment procurement, equipment maintenance days, training support, and community events (ie. being at a table promoting ICO.)

  • ICO Leadership Team:  We currently have seven members of the Reno ICO Leadership Team and are looking for four more folks to join us in the areas of social media, trip coordination, record keeping, and donor relationships. Click here to learn more about the Leadership Team and volunteer opportunities that don't require outdoor experience.

Click here to become an ICO Volunteer. 

 

Join the Reno ICO MeetUp Group!

The Reno ICO MeetUp is where you will find out about upcoming trips, monthly meetings, trainings, and events. If you are a certified ICO Volunteer, our MeetUp group is where you will join on trips - This is where the most fun happens! Whether it is backpacking, snowshoeing, hiking or whitewater rafting, we will list all available slots for ICO volunteers on MeetUp. Click here to go to the Reno ICO MeetUp Group and sign up! (This is a private group which requires approval to join. It should take less than one week to get approval.)

To get on our mailing list or to volunteer, please contact Reno ICO Chair, Rob Schamberg at robschamberg@gmail.com 

 

News and Forms for Volunteers

Volunteer Guidance Reno Inspiring Connections Outdoors recognizes that the process of becoming an ICO Volunteer or Trip Leader can be confusing! If you need any help or are feeling lost in the system, we encourage you to email ICO Volunteer...