On an ICO outing it is not enough that the children have a good time; the ICO program is motivated by the urge to offer urban youth an adventure they would be unlikely to experience otherwise. ICO provides these activities in order to:

1. broaden the children's exposure to the world,
2. imbue a sense of the natural environment to the children,
3. improve the children's self-confidence and experience in achieving success by introducing them to challenges such as: navigation in the wilderness, stream crossing, rock scrambling, and exposure to an outdoor climate; challenges that they can overcome essentially on their own.
4. teach the children the importance of conservation and love of the outdoors,
5. provide education on facets of natural history,
6. encourage the children, by our example, to develop an ethic of giving back to the community.
7. expose ICO volunteers to a community with whom they otherwise would have little contact.

Overview of How We Operate

Typical ICO procedure for conducting an outing is:

1. Discuss the scheduling, transportation, and other logistical details with a representative of the sending agency; [Some of the agencies with which we currently work are: Hoboken High School, Tri-cities Peoples Corp., and the Elizabeth Coalition for the Homeless].

2. Once the event is scheduled, if the youth group is new to ICO, a meeting among the children, participating sending agency personnel, and an ICO leader is arranged during which the ICO leader will provide pertinent details about the outing, such as the location of the outing, what to bring, what to wear, precautionary measures, etc. A major portion of this meeting will be a dialog during which the children are encouraged to express any particular interests and to ask questions. Checklists and other materials will be distributed at this meeting.

3. When the children and sending agency personnel arrive at the location of the outing, they will be greeted by the ICO leaders, who will provide last minute information and reminders. During the outing the ICO leaders will provide guidance and instruction, as necessary, and will encourage questions from the children.

4. Children are grouped by age so that the level of strenuousness of the activity can be appropriately chosen. Multiple age groups can be accommodated on the same day and using the same transportation. ICO provides leaders and other volunteers experienced in the outdoors, and specially trained for the ICO program. The sending agency is expected to provide one or more adult supervisors familiar with the children. Transportation is mainly the responsibility of the sending agency, although ICO is prepared to subsidize a portion of such costs if necessary.

5. Physical requirements - While ICO hikes are well within the capabilities of the average child of the given age group, unfit children and adults will find such activity demanding, and should not participate unless special arrangements have been made.

FAQs

Who are we? ICO volunteers are members of the Sierra Club and, as such are outdoors people, experienced in hiking, canoeing, camping, and conservation. All ICO leaders are First Aid certified, have passed a personal background check, and have completed a training course specially developed for the ICO program.

What do we do? ICO leaders work with teachers, social workers and other adults associated with youth groups and assist them in planning and running outdoor adventures which are usually one-day trips. ICO leaders plan the itinerary and other logistics, provide outdoor leadership, supply equipment, explore transportation alternatives, and provide an educational program; all in order to put together a successful outing .

How does the ICO program work? Each year ICO coordinators contact participating agencies to arrange day hikes and other outings for the period April through November. (ICO runs limited winter programs as well). Once a date is agreed, a get-acquainted pre-hike meeting may be arranged with the participating children and supervisors at the agency to discuss what to bring, what to expect, etc.

Are there any costs involved? ICO is an all-volunteer public service program that charges no fees for its services. Usually, the only cost the agency encounters is for transportation.

Where do ICO outings go? ICO outings usually take place in north or central New Jersey, or just over the border in southern New York state.

Can we do an overnight outing? Currently NJ ICO does not do overnight outings.

How many children can participate? Hikes can accommodate anywhere from 4 to 40 children, but the optimal number of children per hike is 15. Depending on leader availability larger groups may be divided into several smaller hikes using the same transportation.

How do we get to the trailhead? Agencies need to provide their own transportation to the trailhead, usually a bus or van. ICO will provide directions, and should a vehicle rental be needed, may be able to provide a subsidy for a portion of the rental cost.

Is special equipment needed? We find that children already have all equipment needed for a day hike: comfortable shoes or sneakers, play clothes, and day packs. Children are asked to bring a bag lunch, water, and snacks for day hikes. ICO will coordinate supplementary items, if needed, with the agency.

What if children have special needs? ICO’s mission is to enable all children to enjoy the wonder of the outdoors. With special supervision from the participating agency, as needed, all children are welcome to participate.

You must be a Sierra Club member to be a leader with our ICO program.

For further information, contact our ICO program chair(s) at ICOchair@newjersey.sierraclub.org.