Free Cultural Arts & Storytelling for BIPOC youth in Carlsbad, California — Un Mar de Colores

Un Mar de Colores · Carlsbad, CA

Carlsbad's Free Cultural Arts by Un Mar de Colores

Kumeyaay history and living culture taught alongside visual arts — not token decoration.

Un Mar de Colores ofrece cultural arts & storytelling gratuitas para jóvenes de Carlsbad de All ages años, directamente en la costa de Carlsbad. Sirviendo a una comunidad del 41% BIPOC (114,571 residentes), nuestra instrucción se lleva a cabo en Tamarack State Beach, South Ponto State Beach, con entrenadores bilingües certificados y todo el equipo proporcionado. La inscripción prioritaria es para estudiantes de Jefferson Elementary, Buena Vista Elementary, Magnolia Elementary.

Horario — programa en Carlsbad

Quarterly workshops + summer artist residencies · Completamente gratis

Quizás sientes esto

  • You want art that returns to community — not portfolio pieces sold to tourists who never visit Carlsbad.
  • Art supplies lists at enrollment always surprise you — another hidden cost stacked on Carlsbad working families.
  • Film and documentary tools feel elite-only — nobody offered your Carlsbad teen free camera access and mentorship.

Lo que cambia cuando los jóvenes entran al agua

  • Pathways for Carlsbad teens to develop portfolios for creative scholarships and careers.
  • Latino and Chicano surf culture history centers voices commercial surf media erases.
  • Film and documentary-making training — Carlsbad teens tell their own stories with provided tools.

Por qué operamos este programa en Carlsbad

Carlsbad's 7-mile coastline — from Agua Hedionda Lagoon to Batiquitos — is one of North County's most accessible learn-to-surf corridors. We run programs at Tamarack State Beach in the Village and at South Ponto, partnering with Carlsbad Unified's 11,000+ students, especially from Jefferson, Buena Vista, and Magnolia Elementary schools serving the city's inland barrio communities.

Población
114,571
Residentes BIPOC
41%
Hogares hispanohablantes
18%
Distancia a la playa
En la costa

Cultural Arts & Storytelling en Carlsbad — Lo que debes saber

Visual arts supplies provided every workshop — paint, canvas, mural materials — no hidden supply lists for Carlsbad working families.

Poetry and spoken word coastal workshops honor Carlsbad barrio voice — ocean imagery from inland neighborhoods, immigration narratives, and Tijuana River memory.

Por qué Carlsbad importa para nuestra misión

Safe, lifeguard-coordinated instruction is non-negotiable for Carlsbad youth. Every water session runs inside flagged zones with certified coaches — parents shouldn't have to choose between access and safety.

Parents in Carlsbad often ask how a nonprofit can offer everything free. Answer: San Diego Foundation grants, community donors, and partners who believe Carlsbad youth belong in the lineup — same as any other kid in San Diego.

Dónde surfeamos en Carlsbad

Tamarack State Beach

Principiante

Un Mar's primary Carlsbad teaching location. Full year-round lifeguard coverage, sand bottom, and mellow inside reform.

Tamarack sits in the heart of Carlsbad Village, with direct access to the Carlsbad Library and downtown. Named after the native tamarack trees that once lined the coastline.

Fondo: SandOleaje: 1–4 ft typicalSalvavidas: Todo el año

South Ponto State Beach

Principiante

Progression break for Carlsbad cohorts graduating from Tamarack. Wide sandbar accommodates group lessons with plenty of paddle-out room.

South Ponto borders the Batiquitos Lagoon ecological reserve, giving our cohorts direct access to watershed ecology programming alongside surf instruction.

Fondo: SandOleaje: 2–6 ft typicalSalvavidas: Estacional

Socios comunitarios locales en Carlsbad

En asociación con el Carlsbad Unified School District y organizaciones comunitarias locales, reclutamos jóvenes de 4+ escuelas Título I.

Distrito escolar y escuelas Título I

  • Carlsbad Unified School District
  • Jefferson Elementary
  • Buena Vista Elementary
  • Magnolia Elementary
  • Valley Middle School

Socios comunitarios

  • Boys & Girls Club of Carlsbad
  • Carlsbad Library (Cole & Dove branches)
  • Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation
  • City of Carlsbad Parks & Recreation
  • North County Lifeline

Currículo del programa

Cultural Arts & Storytelling at Un Mar de Colores is where the surf, the coast, and community narrative meet. Quarterly workshops and summer artist residencies bring together youth, professional artists, and Kumeyaay elders to create work that reflects the living cultural traditions of the California coast. Programs center Indigenous, Latino, and Chicano voices historically marginalized in coastal culture, and every workshop ends with a public exhibition, publication, or film screening that returns the art to the community that made it.

  • Coastal storytelling and oral tradition
  • Kumeyaay history and living culture
  • Latino and Chicano surf culture history
  • Visual arts (painting, mural, photography)
  • Poetry and spoken word
  • Film and documentary-making

Qué se incluye — Gratis para cada joven de Carlsbad

  • All art supplies provided
  • Guest-artist workshops
  • Exhibition and publication opportunities
  • Bilingual instruction
  • Culturally grounded curriculum
  • Partnership with local galleries and museums

Por qué Un Mar de Colores

We do not charge families. Ever. That policy is structural — grants, donors, and shop revenue fund access so Carlsbad youth are never waitlisted for inability to pay.

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."

— Middle school student— Parent, One Ocean

Preguntas frecuentes — Cultural Arts & Storytelling en Carlsbad

How do we enroll from Carlsbad?+

Contact Un Mar de Colores or check our quarterly workshop calendar. Priority for Carlsbad families through partner org and Carlsbad Unified School District referrals. All ages welcome — bring grandparents and neighbors.

Are workshops bilingual in Carlsbad?+

Yes — bilingual instruction and materials in English and Spanish. In Carlsbad, where 18% of households are Spanish-speaking, artists and elders deliver workshops in both languages.

What is Cultural Arts & Storytelling in Carlsbad?+

Un Mar de Colores Cultural Arts centers Indigenous, Latino, and Chicano voices of the California coast through quarterly workshops and summer artist residencies. Carlsbad participants create visual art, poetry, film, and oral tradition work with Kumeyaay elders and professional BIPOC guest artists — all free with supplies included.

¿Los programas de Cultural Arts & Storytelling en Carlsbad son realmente gratuitos?+

Sí. Todos los programas de Un Mar de Colores en Carlsbad son 100% gratuitos. Proporcionamos trajes de neopreno 3/2mm, tablas de surf, transporte desde escuelas asociadas como Jefferson Elementary, Buena Vista Elementary, Magnolia 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 Carlsbad?+

Las lecciones principales se realizan en Tamarack State Beach. También usamos South Ponto State Beach según el nivel del grupo. Todas las sesiones de agua ocurren dentro de las zonas salvavidas de la bandera.

¿Qué edades son elegibles en Carlsbad?+

Servimos a jóvenes de All ages 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 Carlsbad 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 Jefferson Elementary, Buena Vista Elementary, Magnolia Elementary y otras escuelas de Título I en Carlsbad 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 Carlsbad youth access the coast.

Todos los programas de Un Mar de Colores son gratuitos para jóvenes de Carlsbad. 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.

Join the Un Mar Community!

Sign Up for Newsletter