- How can I become an ICO leader?
ICO invites individuals to apply to become new leaders during the spring and summer.
A written application is made available on this Web site starting in May.
Interested applicants should send an email to seattleico@yahoo.com.
New leaders must attend the fall weekend training activity. For
more details about becoming a certified leader, refer to the section that appears
in this Web site under the title "How to volunteer."
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- Who is a typical ICO leader?
Seattle ICO is an all-volunteer organization founded in December 1991. We work
through volunteers who represent a wide range of experiences and interests. We
are nurses, day care providers, foresters, students, engineers, small business
owners, doctors, teachers, managers, publishers and more. Some of us came to
ICO through our work and play with children, others came through our work and
play in the wilderness. All come with a commitment to youth and a concern for
the environment. All come ready to learn and prepared to donate time, skills,
and other resources.
Regardless of background, ICO leaders participate in extensive training. Each
completes a training course that covers outdoor skills and concepts (including
low-impact camping, map reading, and wilderness survival), trip planning and
packing, interpersonal problem-solving skills, environmental education, and
ICO policies and procedures. Leaders also receive CPR and first aid training,
and attend monthly ICO educational workshops. ICO also completes background
checks on each potential leader and checks references to make sure that we have
the highest-quality volunteers.
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- How does ICO select the schools or agencies it serves?
ICO reviews requests regarding new partnerships from schools or nonprofit agencies
in the Seattle area. Contact Sherry Johnson at shjohnson@seattleschools.org if you have questions
or want to explore a future opportunity.
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- Does ICO need used gear?
ICO does accept donations of selected used gear or clothing that is in very good
condition. Contact Jed Dunkerley, ICO's equipment coordinator, at jdunkerley@hyphen9.com
to learn if ICO can make use of your gear or outdoor clothing.
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- How does ICO raise money?
As an all-volunteer organization, Seattle ICO welcomes contributions from individuals
and organizations interested in helping us take youth on outings. Most of our
financial needs are focused on food, gas, entrance fees, equipment rentals,
and other direct expenses of outings. We also support an
annual leader training activity. The cost of each youth outing varies greatly
based on the number of youth, type of outing, and distance of the trip. More
extensive trips such as backpacking or car camping outings can run several hundred
dollars due to food costs.
We currently receive about 1/3 of our budget from grants and gifts, about 1/3
from our auction and calendar sales, and 1/3 from Earthshare donations.
Preparing for and
conducting outings with youth is only one aspect of our volunteers' jobs.
Volunteers also help with the annual event, sell calendars, and invite contributions
from friends, employers, and family members.
We've been steadily expanding our volunteer leaders and have great potential to
serve an ever-increasing number of youth. We can assure that contributions will be
directly applied to taking youth on outings. Because we need to plan outings at
least six months in advance, it is important that we maintain ample resources so
that we don't promise more than we can deliver. Plans for expansion are tied to
new sources of revenue. We hope you will join us in bringing youth to the
wilderness.
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- Does ICO conduct special field trips on a one-time basis?
ICO does not typically conduct special field trips from schools or agencies that are not
established partners.
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- Can another group borrow ICO's equipment?
ICO does not loan its equipment.
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- How long has Seattle ICO been around and how many youth does it typically serve?
Seattle ICO began conducting outings in 1992. It serves several hundred youth
each year.
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