Free Ocean Stewardship for BIPOC youth in El Cajon, California — Un Mar de Colores

Un Mar de Colores · El Cajon, CA

Community Ocean Stewardship for El Cajon Families

We prioritize recruitment from BIPOC communities in El Cajon where coastal access has been gated by cost and culture.

Un Mar de Colores ofrece ocean stewardship gratuitas para jóvenes de El Cajon de All ages años, con transporte gratuito de 14 millas desde El Cajon a nuestras playas de enseñanza. Sirviendo a una comunidad del 55% BIPOC (106,215 residentes), nuestra instrucción se lleva a cabo en OB Pier (14 miles) y Coronado Central (13 miles), con entrenadores bilingües certificados y todo el equipo proporcionado. La inscripción prioritaria es para estudiantes de Bostonia Elementary, Chase Avenue Elementary, Cajon Valley Middle.

Horario — programa en El Cajon

Monthly cleanups, quarterly workshops · Completamente gratis

Quizás sientes esto

  • Beach closure headlines after storms confuse you — nobody connects Tijuana River pollution to why El Cajon families can't swim.
  • One-off Earth Day events don't build continuity — you want monthly action with the same community.
  • Your teen needs community service hours for Cajon Valley Union School District / Grossmont Union High — but generic volunteer slots are far and poorly documented.

Lo que cambia cuando los jóvenes entran al agua

  • Certificate of community service for students — documented hours for Cajon Valley Union School District / Grossmont Union High requirements.
  • BIPOC-led movement — stewardship led by communities historically excluded from coastal conservation spaces.
  • Data visibility — participants see how their El Cajon cleanup fits county-wide pollution patterns.

Por qué operamos este programa en El Cajon

El Cajon is home to one of the largest Middle Eastern/Chaldean communities in the United States and a 32% Hispanic/Latino population. Our El Cajon cohorts shuttle 14 miles to OB Pier, with cultural programming tailored to the city's unique demographic mix. Cajon Valley Union's Bostonia and Chase Avenue Elementary are our anchor partnerships.

Población
106,215
Residentes BIPOC
55%
Hogares hispanohablantes
32%
Distancia a la playa
14 mi

Ocean Stewardship en El Cajon — Lo que debes saber

How much do beach cleanups cost? Commercial eco-tourism sometimes charges participation fees. Un Mar de Colores charges $0 — supplies, training, and documentation included for El Cajon families.

Post-cleanup reflection turns El Cajon participants into advocates — community organizing skills taught alongside debris removal.

Por qué El Cajon importa para nuestra misión

El Cajon's relationship to the Pacific is complicated by history and economics. Our curriculum weaves Kumeyaay coastal stewardship, environmental justice, and culturally grounded instruction into every session — not as an add-on, but as the foundation.

El Cajon families deserve instructors who look like their kids and speak their language. With 55% BIPOC residents, bilingual coaching isn't a nice-to-have — it's how we earn trust on day one.

Socios comunitarios locales en El Cajon

En asociación con el Cajon Valley Union School District / Grossmont Union High y organizaciones comunitarias locales, reclutamos jóvenes de 4+ escuelas Título I.

Distrito escolar y escuelas Título I

  • Cajon Valley Union School District / Grossmont Union High
  • Bostonia Elementary
  • Chase Avenue Elementary
  • Cajon Valley Middle
  • El Cajon Valley High

Socios comunitarios

  • Cajon Valley Union School District
  • El Cajon Library
  • Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce
  • Grossmont College (student volunteers)

Currículo del programa

Ocean Stewardship at Un Mar de Colores connects coastal cleanup action with deeper environmental justice education. Monthly cleanups run across Oceanside, Imperial Beach, Cardiff, and partner sites, with each event combining hands-on debris removal with short teaching moments about the watershed-to-ocean pipeline, the plastic pollution crisis, and California coastal policy. Our Ocean Stewardship program is free and family-friendly, and we specifically prioritize recruitment from BIPOC communities whose relationships with the coast have historically been gated by cost or culture. Every participant contributes to our citizen science database tracking pollution patterns across San Diego County.

  • Beach cleanup fundamentals and safe practices
  • Plastic pollution and marine debris science
  • California coastal commission policy basics
  • Watershed-to-ocean connection
  • Citizen science data collection protocols
  • Advocacy and community organizing skills

Qué se incluye — Gratis para cada joven de El Cajon

  • Cleanup supplies (buckets, grabbers, gloves)
  • Bilingual safety briefings
  • Data collection training
  • Post-cleanup debrief and reflection
  • Certificate of community service
  • Family-friendly participation

Por qué Un Mar de Colores

Our coaches include graduates of the Surf Athletic Scholarship program and bilingual educators who reflect the BIPOC communities we serve. We partner with 15+ Title I schools across North County and San Diego.

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 — Ocean Stewardship en El Cajon

Can adults volunteer beyond cleanups?+

Yes — the Un Mar volunteer program welcomes adults 18+ from El Cajon for ongoing cleanup leadership, event support, and mentorship. Cleanups are the entry point to deeper movement participation.

Are quarterly workshops separate from monthly cleanups?+

Quarterly workshops deepen advocacy and community organizing beyond debris removal — recommended for El Cajon participants who want to move from volunteer to organizer. Cleanups remain monthly entry points.

How is Un Mar cleanup different from corporate beach days?+

Corporate events are often one-day photo ops without data, policy education, or BIPOC recruitment priority. Un Mar offers monthly continuity, citizen science, environmental justice curriculum, and BIPOC-led stewardship for El Cajon communities.

¿Los programas de Ocean Stewardship en El Cajon son realmente gratuitos?+

Sí. Todos los programas de Un Mar de Colores en El Cajon son 100% gratuitos. Proporcionamos trajes de neopreno 3/2mm, tablas de surf, transporte desde escuelas asociadas como Bostonia Elementary, Chase Avenue Elementary, Cajon Valley 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 El Cajon?+

Los jóvenes de El Cajon viajan en nuestro transporte a OB Pier (14 miles), aproximadamente a 14 millas. Los componentes de aula ocurren en escuelas y bibliotecas asociadas dentro de El Cajon.

¿Qué edades son elegibles en El Cajon?+

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 Cajon Valley Union School District / Grossmont Union High.

¿Cómo inscribo a mi hijo/a?+

Contáctenos a través de nuestra página de contacto. La inscripción prioritaria se otorga a estudiantes de Bostonia Elementary, Chase Avenue Elementary, Cajon Valley Middle y otras escuelas de Título I en Cajon Valley Union School District / Grossmont Union High. Los grupos de verano suelen llenarse con 3-4 semanas de anticipación.

¿Listo para entrar al agua?

Ready to get your child in the water? Contact Un Mar de Colores — priority enrollment for El Cajon Title I school students.

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