La Jolla Cultural Arts & Storytelling — free ocean program by Un Mar de Colores

Un Mar de Colores · La Jolla, CA

BIPOC Cultural Arts Program in La Jolla, CA

Kumeyaay elders, professional artists, and La Jolla youth create work that returns to the community through exhibitions.

Un Mar de Colores ofrece cultural arts & storytelling gratuitas para jóvenes de La Jolla de All ages años, directamente en la costa de La Jolla. Sirviendo a una comunidad del 35% BIPOC (46,781 residentes), nuestra instrucción se lleva a cabo en La Jolla Shores, Windansea Beach, con entrenadores bilingües certificados y todo el equipo proporcionado. La inscripción prioritaria es para estudiantes de Kate Sessions Elementary, Bird Rock Elementary.

Horario — programa en La Jolla

Quarterly workshops + summer artist residencies · Completamente gratis

Quizás sientes esto

  • Art supplies lists at enrollment always surprise you — another hidden cost stacked on La Jolla working families.
  • School art programs in San Diego Unified School District are underfunded — supplies are rationed and coastal themes never appear.
  • Museum trips to San Diego feel like visiting someone else's narrative — not creating your own coastal art.

Lo que cambia cuando los jóvenes entran al agua

  • BIPOC-led arts movement — coastal culture reclaimed by communities who built San Diego shorelines.
  • Trauma-informed, welcoming culture for nervous first-time artists from La Jolla schools.
  • Guest-artist workshops bring professional creators who reflect La Jolla communities.

Por qué operamos este programa en La Jolla

La Jolla Shores has the gentlest beginner waves in San Diego County — a gradual sandbar bottom, 500 yards of lifeguarded beach, and consistent waist-high surf. Our cohorts come from San Diego Unified's Muirlands Middle, Kate Sessions Elementary, and Mission Bay High, with curriculum support from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Windansea serves only our advanced Surf Athletic Scholarship athletes.

Población
46,781
Residentes BIPOC
35%
Hogares hispanohablantes
22%
Distancia a la playa
En la costa

Cultural Arts & Storytelling en La Jolla — Lo que debes saber

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

Cultural arts integration with watershed education connects Tijuana River stories to visual art — La Jolla students paint, film, and perform environmental justice.

Por qué La Jolla importa para nuestra misión

When we say free for La Jolla youth, we mean wetsuits, soft-tops, rashguards, sunscreen, transportation, and instruction — the full stack commercial programs charge $50–$150 per session for.

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

Dónde surfeamos en La Jolla

La Jolla Shores

Principiante

The safest beginner break in San Diego County. Gradual sandbar, 500 yards of lifeguarded beach, consistent waist-high surf.

La Jolla Shores is home to Scripps Institution of Oceanography, our partner for marine ecology curriculum. The beach is protected by the La Jolla Underwater Park & Ecological Reserve.

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

Windansea Beach

Avanzado

Advanced-only break used exclusively for our Surf Athletic Scholarship cohort. Never used for beginner instruction.

Windansea is one of California's most historic surf spots, famously chronicled in Tom Wolfe's 'The Pump House Gang.' The iconic palm-frond shack dates to the 1940s.

Fondo: ReefOleaje: 3–12 ft typicalSalvavidas: Estacional

Socios comunitarios locales en La Jolla

En asociación con el San Diego Unified School District y organizaciones comunitarias locales, reclutamos jóvenes de 2+ escuelas Título I.

Distrito escolar y escuelas Título I

  • San Diego Unified School District
  • Kate Sessions Elementary
  • Bird Rock Elementary

Socios comunitarios

  • Scripps Institution of Oceanography
  • La Jolla Recreation Center
  • San Diego Junior Lifeguards
  • La Jolla Historical Society (Kumeyaay coastal history)

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 La Jolla

  • 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

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."

— Middle school student— Parent, One Ocean

Preguntas frecuentes — Cultural Arts & Storytelling en La Jolla

Can teens do film and documentary workshops?+

Yes — film and documentary-making workshops include camera access and editing mentorship. La Jolla teens document coastal stories, environmental justice, and neighborhood memory with professional guidance.

Do participants get exhibition opportunities?+

Yes — every workshop cycle aims toward public exhibition, publication, or film screening. Un Mar partners with local galleries and museums to return La Jolla youth art to the community — not sell it to tourists.

How do we enroll from La Jolla?+

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

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

Sí. Todos los programas de Un Mar de Colores en La Jolla son 100% gratuitos. Proporcionamos trajes de neopreno 3/2mm, tablas de surf, transporte desde escuelas asociadas como Kate Sessions Elementary, Bird Rock 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 La Jolla?+

Las lecciones principales se realizan en La Jolla Shores. También usamos Windansea 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 La Jolla?+

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 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, Bird Rock Elementary 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?

Join hundreds of La Jolla families who trust Un Mar de Colores for free ocean programming. Enroll today.

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