Un Mar de Colores · San Diego, CA
From Homework to Wave — Free After-School in San Diego
Every Thursday is a beach day — surf instruction at The Strand, Tamarack, or Moonlight reinforcing the week's science.
Un Mar de Colores opera su programa estrella Ocean Stewards After-School para adolescentes de San Diego de 13 a 17 años, en asociación con San Diego Unified School District. Los estudiantes se reúnen tres tardes a la semana para tutoría, alfabetización ambiental y exploración de carreras, con un día de playa los jueves en La Jolla Shores y Tourmaline. Nuestro grupo de San Diego proviene principalmente de Kate Sessions Elementary, Mission Beach Elementary, Pacific Beach Middle. El transporte, las comidas, la tutoría y las clases de surf son completamente gratuitos.
Horario — programa en San Diego
Tuesday–Thursday, year-round · Completamente gratis
Quizás sientes esto
- —Bilingual support matters at home, but most San Diego-area after-school programs default to English-only staff.
- —Your teen is curious about environmental justice but school curriculum skips why San Diego beaches close after storms.
- —Mental health stress is real for San Diego teens — but therapy waitlists are long and surf-as-healing sounds inaccessible.
Lo que cambia cuando los jóvenes entran al agua
- Alumni coaches and scholarship recipients mentor Thursday surf sessions — representation changes belonging.
- Small cohort sizes keep mentorship personal — not 50 teens in a gym with one supervisor.
- Healthy snacks and meals every session — no packing stress for working San Diego families.
Por qué operamos este programa en San Diego
San Diego is the second-largest city in California with a 30% Hispanic/Latino population and the 2nd-largest school district in the state. Our San Diego programming spans La Jolla Shores, Tourmaline Surfing Park, Mission Beach, and OB Pier, serving San Diego Unified's 98,000 students — with particular focus on Title I middle and high schools in PB, Mission Bay, and Point Loma.
- Población
- 1,386,932
- Residentes BIPOC
- 55%
- Hogares hispanohablantes
- 30%
- Distancia a la playa
- En la costa
After-School Program en San Diego — Lo que debes saber
College prep in San Diego through after-school should include career exposure to marine science and coastal jobs — not generic resume workshops. Ocean Stewards connects teens to professionals and alumni pathways.
Representation in mentorship changes retention. When San Diego teens see staff who share their language and background, engagement rises — they're not guests in someone else's program.
Por qué San Diego importa para nuestra misión
With 1,386,932 residents, San Diego is one of the communities where a single free surf cohort can change dozens of lives per season. Our shuttles and school partnerships make distance (on the coast) a logistics problem we solve, not a barrier families carry alone.
The ocean off San Diego belongs to everyone. Un Mar de Colores exists because San Diego has spent decades telling BIPOC youth otherwise — and we're changing that story one cohort at a time.
Socios comunitarios locales en San Diego
En asociación con el San Diego Unified School District y organizaciones comunitarias locales, reclutamos jóvenes de 5+ escuelas Título I.
Distrito escolar y escuelas Título I
- San Diego Unified School District
- •Kate Sessions Elementary
- •Mission Beach Elementary
- •Pacific Beach Middle
- •Mission Bay High
- •Point Loma High
Socios comunitarios
- ◆San Diego Unified School District
- ◆San Diego Junior Lifeguards
- ◆Scripps Institution of Oceanography
- ◆San Diego Public Library
- ◆Mission Bay Aquatic Center
Currículo del programa
The Ocean Stewards After-School Program is Un Mar de Colores's flagship year-round offering for BIPOC teens ages 13–17. Three afternoons a week, students meet at partner school sites for academic tutoring, environmental literacy modules aligned with the California NGSS standards, career exploration, and college preparation. Every Thursday is a beach day — students head to The Strand, Tamarack, or Moonlight for water programming that reinforces the week's environmental science curriculum. The program runs during the full school year, connecting academic outcomes with coastal stewardship and career pathways in marine science.
- →Academic tutoring (math, reading, writing)
- →Environmental literacy and watershed science
- →Surf instruction (Thursday ocean sessions)
- →Career exploration in marine science and coastal conservation
- →College preparation and counseling
- →Mentorship pairings with Un Mar staff and alumni
Qué se incluye — Gratis para cada joven de San Diego
- ✓Three afternoons per week (3pm–6pm)
- ✓Weekly Thursday ocean session (beach day)
- ✓Healthy snacks and meals
- ✓Homework support with certified tutors
- ✓Round-trip transportation from partner schools
- ✓Parent/guardian engagement sessions
- ✓Annual leadership retreat
Por qué Un Mar de Colores
Federal EIN 85-2947340. Mailing: PO BOX 232471, Encinitas, CA 92024. We operate on the ancestral lands of the Kumeyaay Nation with respect and community accountability.
Lo que dice nuestra comunidad
“"He used to approach new activities with extreme anxiety — to the point where sometimes we couldn't even get out of the car. Now he goes much deeper into the water."”
Preguntas frecuentes — After-School Program en San Diego
What days does after-school run in San Diego?+
Ocean Stewards runs Tuesday through Thursday during the school year, 3pm–6pm. Tuesday and Wednesday are at partner school sites. Thursday is a beach day at local breaks near La Jolla Shores and Tourmaline. We publish cohort calendars early for San Diego families.
Is transportation provided from San Diego?+
Round-trip shuttle transportation runs from partner Title I schools. If San Diego is inland (on the coast from the coast), weekly Thursday beach days are possible because we solve transport — not your family.
Are after-school programs in San Diego bilingual?+
Yes — all programming is bilingual. In San Diego, where 30% of households are Spanish-speaking, bilingual staff lead every session and parent communications arrive in both English and Spanish.
¿Los programas de After-School Program en San Diego son realmente gratuitos?+
Sí. Todos los programas de Un Mar de Colores en San Diego son 100% gratuitos. Proporcionamos trajes de neopreno 3/2mm, tablas de surf, transporte desde escuelas asociadas como Kate Sessions Elementary, Mission Beach Elementary, Pacific Beach Middle, e instrucción bilingüe certificada. El financiamiento proviene de la San Diego Foundation, subvenciones comunitarias y donantes individuales.
¿Dónde se realizan exactamente las lecciones en San Diego?+
Las lecciones principales se realizan en La Jolla Shores. Todas las sesiones de agua ocurren dentro de las zonas salvavidas de la bandera.
¿Qué edades son elegibles en San Diego?+
Servimos a jóvenes de 13–17 años. Nuestra Beca One Ocean cubre las edades 6-12, Ocean Stewards After-School sirve a 13-17, y las Becas Atléticas de Surf están disponibles para jóvenes competitivos a través de nuestras asociaciones con San Diego Unified School District.
¿Cómo inscribo a mi hijo/a?+
Contáctenos a través de nuestra página de contacto. La inscripción prioritaria se otorga a estudiantes de Kate Sessions Elementary, Mission Beach Elementary, Pacific Beach Middle y otras escuelas de Título I en San Diego Unified School District. Los grupos de verano suelen llenarse con 3-4 semanas de anticipación.
¿Listo para entrar al agua?
Every San Diego child deserves the ocean. Start with a single conversation — we'll handle the rest.
Todos los programas de Un Mar de Colores son gratuitos para jóvenes de San Diego. Contáctanos para inscribirte, hacer voluntariado, o apoyar el movimiento.
Un Mar de Colores es una organización sin fines de lucro 501(c)(3) liderada por personas BIPOC, basada en Oceanside, California. Ofrecemos programación gratuita de surf, océano y educación ambiental para jóvenes en San Diego y Tijuana — conectando culturas, costas y comunidades desde 2018.
Web platform architecture and development by Codinito.