BIPOC youth Cultural Arts & Storytelling session in Oceanside — Un Mar de Colores

Un Mar de Colores · Oceanside, CA

Indigenous Coastal Storytelling — Free in Oceanside

The coast's cultural story belongs to Oceanside — not just tourist galleries and surf brand marketing.

Un Mar de Colores ofrece cultural arts & storytelling gratuitas para jóvenes de Oceanside de All ages años, directamente en la costa de Oceanside. Sirviendo a una comunidad del 61% BIPOC (174,068 residentes), nuestra instrucción se lleva a cabo en The Strand, Wisconsin Street Beach, con entrenadores bilingües certificados y todo el equipo proporcionado. La inscripción prioritaria es para estudiantes de South Oceanside Elementary, Cesar Chavez Middle School, Ditmar Elementary.

Horario — programa en Oceanside

Quarterly workshops + summer artist residencies · Completamente gratis

Quizás sientes esto

—Coastal culture in media shows white surf aesthetics — your Oceanside teen doesn't see Chicano or Indigenous stories.
—You want intergenerational participation — many art workshops exclude young kids or older relatives from Oceanside.
—Summer artist residencies charge tuition — immersive creative weeks feel impossible from inland Oceanside.

Lo que cambia cuando los jóvenes entran al agua

Free means free — no supply fees, no exhibition entry costs, no residency tuition.
Kumeyaay elders participate in coastal storytelling and living culture modules — not token land acknowledgments.
Exhibition and publication opportunities — galleries, community spaces, and film screenings.

Por qué operamos este programa en Oceanside

Oceanside is Un Mar de Colores's home city — where free surf lessons, summer surf camp, and Ocean Stewards after-school were built for BIPOC youth, not as a commercial surf school. With 3.5 miles of coastline, the 1,942-foot Oceanside Pier, and 53,000+ students in Oceanside Unified, it is the epicenter of our work. The Strand, Wisconsin Street, and South Oceanside Beach host nearly all of our year-round programming, and most of our staff and youth come from the MLK Community Center and Boys & Girls Club of Oceanside.

Población: 174,068
Residentes BIPOC: 61%
Hogares hispanohablantes: 36%
Distancia a la playa: En la costa

Cultural Arts & Storytelling en Oceanside — Lo que debes saber

With 36% Spanish-speaking households in Oceanside, bilingual arts instruction and exhibition materials are standard — not English-only gallery language.

Summer artist residencies in San Diego provide immersive creative weeks free for Oceanside youth — commercial residencies often charge hundreds in tuition.

Por qué Oceanside importa para nuestra misión

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

Oceanside families deserve instructors who look like their kids and speak their language. With 61% BIPOC residents, bilingual coaching isn't a nice-to-have — it's how we earn trust on day one.

Dónde surfeamos en Oceanside

The Strand

Principiante

Un Mar's primary Oceanside teaching beach — south of the pier. Sand-bottom beginner reform, year-round lifeguards, and direct access from Oceanside Unified make The Strand where most free surf lessons and Thursday Ocean Stewards sessions start.

South of Oceanside Pier, The Strand has been a teaching beach for San Diego County surf programs for decades. The Oceanside Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division covers this stretch year-round. Summer swells here are often knee-to-waist high — ideal for first paddles without resorting to steeper North County point breaks.

Fondo: SandOleaje: 1–3 ft typicalSalvavidas: Todo el año

Wisconsin Street Beach

Principiante

Secondary Oceanside teaching beach between the pier and harbor jetty — used for Wednesday cohorts and intermediate progression after youth build confidence at The Strand.

Wisconsin Street sits between Oceanside Pier and the harbor breakwater. Slightly more exposed than The Strand, it is still a sand-bottom city beach with lifeguard coverage — our step-up spot before youth see heavier North County water.

Fondo: SandOleaje: 1–4 ft typicalSalvavidas: Estacional

Socios comunitarios locales en Oceanside

En asociación con el Oceanside Unified School District y organizaciones comunitarias locales, reclutamos jóvenes de 7+ escuelas Título I.

Distrito escolar y escuelas Título I

Oceanside Unified School District
•South Oceanside Elementary
•Cesar Chavez Middle School
•Ditmar Elementary
•Laurel Elementary
•Lincoln Middle School
•Mission Elementary
•Palmquist Elementary

Socios comunitarios

◆Oceanside Boys & Girls Club (Carmelo Drive)
◆MLK Community Center (Division Street)
◆Oceanside Public Library
◆City of Oceanside Parks & Recreation
◆North County Lifeline
◆MiraCosta College Outreach

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 Oceanside

✓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

Un Mar de Colores is a BIPOC-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in Oceanside, California in 2018. Our instructors are certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division and hold CPR + First Aid credentials.

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 Oceanside

Can teens do film and documentary workshops?+

Yes — film and documentary-making workshops include camera access and editing mentorship. Oceanside 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 Oceanside youth art to the community — not sell it to tourists.

What are summer artist residencies?+

Immersive multi-day residencies with professional BIPOC guest artists — deeper creation than single quarterly workshops. Free for Oceanside youth including supplies, mentorship, and exhibition output. Commercial residencies often charge tuition.

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

Sí. Todos los programas de Un Mar de Colores en Oceanside son 100% gratuitos. Proporcionamos trajes de neopreno 3/2mm, tablas de surf, transporte desde escuelas asociadas como South Oceanside Elementary, Cesar Chavez Middle School, Ditmar 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 Oceanside?+

Las lecciones principales se realizan en The Strand. También usamos Wisconsin Street 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 Oceanside?+

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 Oceanside 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 South Oceanside Elementary, Cesar Chavez Middle School, Ditmar Elementary y otras escuelas de Título I en Oceanside 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 Oceanside youth access the coast.

Todos los programas de Un Mar de Colores son gratuitos para jóvenes de Oceanside. Contáctanos para inscribirte, hacer voluntariado, o apoyar el movimiento.

Inscríbete / Contáctanos Donar

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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