Upward Bound is the country’s first federal program to prepare low-income, first-generation students for college. Here in Northern Nevada, Upward Bound has been in existence at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) since 1967. Upward Bound currently serves 246 students at eight high schools in Washoe and Lyon counties.
Reno ICO and Upward Bound have been working for the past year to forge our partnership, and the March 21st snowshoe trip to Chickadee Ridge was Upward Bound’s first ICO trip.
Kendragrace Reyes is coordinating ICO trips for Upward Bound and she has completed all requirements to become an ICO Trip Leader. As Kendragrace is continuing to grow her outdoor leadership skills, she called on veteran ICO Trip Leader Alberto Rodriguez Garcia to lead this snowshoe trip.
Seventeen youth, three Upward Bound Staff, and five ICO volunteers were on the trip. 25 people!!!
It was a beautiful day. Students and all participants were enthusiastic and all had the time of their lives! Kendragace wrote the following in her trip report:
"When students received their gear in the morning they were shocked at the high quality of the gear and shared how stylish and comfortable they felt throughout the day. At the end of the trip, they also shared how grateful they were for the staff and ICO volunteers who made them feel so safe throughout the entire hike... "
"Reno ICO volunteers jumped right into interacting with our students and were so knowledgeable about proper gear usage and different aspects of the trail. I am incredibly grateful for their presence on the day of our trip."
This partnership is the result of the work of many people. Along with Kendragrace and Alberto, we express our thanks to Upward Bound Assistant Director Francisco Barbosa and Project Coordinator Lesley Lechuga Gomez who did so much to make the trip happen, and joined on the trip. Gratitude for helping out on the snowshoe trip goes to ICO volunteers Bo Meng, Jean Lau, Laura Elmore, and Rob Schamberg.
The Upward Bound/ICO partnership is profoundly grateful to the Sierra Club and the Outdoors Alliance for Kids (OAK) for funding half of the transportation costs as part of the One Million Kids Outdoors Campaign. The charter bus cost approximately $1,300 and this grant funded $650. That’s how we get more kids outdoors!
