
Un Mar de Colores · Vista, CA
Environmental Literacy Meets Surf — Free for Vista
Pathways to surf therapy, ocean stewardship, and scholarships — after-school is the long arc, not a semester fad.
Un Mar de Colores opera su programa estrella Ocean Stewards After-School para adolescentes de Vista de 13 a 17 años, en asociación con Vista 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 nuestra playa más cercana (Oceanside Pier (7 miles)). Nuestro grupo de Vista proviene principalmente de Alamosa Park Elementary, Breeze Hill Elementary, Monte Vista Elementary. El transporte, las comidas, la tutoría y las clases de surf son completamente gratuitos.
Horario — programa en Vista
Tuesday–Thursday, year-round · Completamente gratis
Quizás sientes esto
- —Bilingual support matters at home, but most Vista-area after-school programs default to English-only staff.
- —Your teen is curious about environmental justice but school curriculum skips why Vista beaches close after storms.
- —Surf culture in Vista still looks like a club with unwritten rules — your teen doesn't see themselves in the lineup.
Lo que cambia cuando los jóvenes entran al agua
- Mentorship pairings with Un Mar staff and alumni provide consistent adults who reflect Vista communities.
- Citizen science and cleanup participation connect academics to real advocacy — teens become stewards, not consumers.
- Small cohort sizes keep mentorship personal — not 50 teens in a gym with one supervisor.
Por qué operamos este programa en Vista
Vista is the second-largest inland city in North County San Diego with a 44% Hispanic/Latino population. Our Vista cohorts travel by shuttle from Alamosa Park Elementary and Rancho Minerva Middle to The Strand in Oceanside — a 15-minute drive. Vista Unified's Title I schools are one of our largest feeder populations for both the Ocean Stewards After-School Program and our One Ocean summer cohorts.
- Población
- 101,638
- Residentes BIPOC
- 59%
- Hogares hispanohablantes
- 44%
- Distancia a la playa
- 7 mi
After-School Program en Vista — Lo que debes saber
Sign-up friction keeps eligible Vista teens out. We prioritize counselor referrals from Vista Unified School District and partner org introductions — contact us to route your teen to the right cohort.
Parents searching after-school programs near Vista, CA often find paid tutoring centers first. Ocean Stewards is different: a 501(c)(3) BIPOC-led nonprofit prioritizing Title I referrals from Vista Unified School District with bilingual staff, transportation, and coastal programming built in.
Por qué Vista importa para nuestra misión
Vista sits inside San Diego County's coastal equity gap — 59% of residents identify as BIPOC, yet beach access has historically been gated by cost, transportation, and culture. Un Mar de Colores closes that gap with free programming and school-based recruitment.
From Vista's Title I schools to the sand, our pipeline is built on real partnerships — not generic 'serving the area' language. Every cohort names the schools, beaches, and community orgs involved.
Socios comunitarios locales en Vista
En asociación con el Vista Unified School District y organizaciones comunitarias locales, reclutamos jóvenes de 5+ escuelas Título I.
Distrito escolar y escuelas Título I
- Vista Unified School District
- •Alamosa Park Elementary
- •Breeze Hill Elementary
- •Monte Vista Elementary
- •Rancho Minerva Middle
- •Rancho Buena Vista High
Socios comunitarios
- ◆Vista Unified School District
- ◆Vista Library
- ◆Boys & Girls Club of Vista
- ◆MiraCosta College Vista Campus
- ◆North County Lifeline
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 Vista
- ✓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
Un Mar is a member of the surf equity ecosystem across California — connected to Surf Justice Collective, Native Like Water, and cross-border watershed coalitions.
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 Vista
Who can enroll from Vista?+
BIPOC teens ages 13–17 with priority for Title I students and referrals from Vista Unified School District counselors and partner organizations. Contact us to confirm current cohort availability in Vista.
How do parent engagement sessions work?+
We host parent and guardian engagement sessions throughout the year — bilingual updates on curriculum, safety protocols, college prep timelines, and opportunities for family participation. Vista families stay informed, not sidelined.
Is transportation provided from Vista?+
Round-trip shuttle transportation runs from partner Title I schools. If Vista is inland (7 miles inland from the coast), weekly Thursday beach days are possible because we solve transport — not your family.
¿Los programas de After-School Program en Vista son realmente gratuitos?+
Sí. Todos los programas de Un Mar de Colores en Vista son 100% gratuitos. Proporcionamos trajes de neopreno 3/2mm, tablas de surf, transporte desde escuelas asociadas como Alamosa Park Elementary, Breeze Hill Elementary, Monte Vista Elementary, e instrucción bilingüe certificada. El financiamiento proviene de la San Diego Foundation, subvenciones comunitarias y donantes individuales.
¿Dónde se realizan exactamente las lecciones en Vista?+
Los jóvenes de Vista viajan en nuestro transporte a Oceanside Pier (7 miles), aproximadamente a 7 millas. Los componentes de aula ocurren en escuelas y bibliotecas asociadas dentro de Vista.
¿Qué edades son elegibles en Vista?+
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 Vista 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 Alamosa Park Elementary, Breeze Hill Elementary, Monte Vista Elementary y otras escuelas de Título I en Vista Unified School District. Los grupos de verano suelen llenarse con 3-4 semanas de anticipación.
¿Listo para entrar al agua?
Volunteer, donate, or enroll — however you join, you're helping Vista youth access the coast.
Todos los programas de Un Mar de Colores son gratuitos para jóvenes de Vista. 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.
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