Get Kids from Low-income Longmont Families Outdoors!

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Inspiring Connections Outdoors (ICO) is an all-volunteer outreach program of the Sierra Club that provides free nature outings and wilderness adventures to children and families who would not have these opportunities any other way. We connect people to nature and, in so doing, enrich their lives (and ours!) and build a new and more diverse generation of environmental stewards.

Boulder Valley ICO, itself a spin-off of an ICO group in Denver, is excited to pay it forward by using its experience, infrastructure, and other resources to incubate an ICO group that will serve Longmont, a community we know to have a great many people in the demographic served by ICO. At this kick-off meeting, we will describe how the ICO program works, explain what is needed of volunteers and program leaders, and explain how Boulder Valley ICO is prepared to help Longmont ICO get off the ground.

Please RSVP by going here:

https://sierra.secure.force.com/events/details?formcampaignid=7010Z000001PGcGQAW&id=70131000001Lp1FAAS

If the link doesn't work you can RSVP by Googling "Colorado Sierra Club" and finding this event on the Chapter Calendar. Note that you need not sign a waiver in order to attend but we do ask that you RSVP.

To contribute meaningfully to this project, one need not be a master mountaineer. Indeed, a successful ICO group is a collaboration of people with a wide variety of skills. You may have something valuable to contribute (perhaps, even, critical!) if you have (or are willing to acquire) skills in any of the following areas:

Backpacking | Snowshoeing | Cross-country Skiing | Fly fishing | Hiking | Orienteering/Geocaching
Nature Art & Journaling | Nature Photograph | Birding | Computers (Drupal) | Fundraising | Project Management | Financial Management | Team Leadership | Teaching | Graphic Design

We will also be looking for a place to store the equipment that we lend to participants on outings. Thus, even if you see yourself as unable to help with program operations but have access to suitable storage space, you are encouraged to attend this kick-off meeting.

Finally, if you work with a community of people who would benefit from the ICO program, you are also encouraged to attend this kick-off meeting. We normally partner with schools, community associations, churches, and other organizations that work with the underprivileged, who refer children and families to our outings. Our program is free to participants and to our client organizations. We provide everything from gear to food to transportation. Our goal is to completely eliminate any barriers to outdoor adventure that participants would otherwise face.

We strongly encourage those who are excited to help found an ICO group in Longmont to attend this kick-off meeting. However, you are unable to attend but still wish to contribute, please let us know by sending an email to Michael at boulderico@gmail.com. We’ll be sure to keep you informed as things get rolling.