.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Un Mar de Colores · National City, CA
Free Citizen Science Beach Cleanups in San Diego
Family-friendly participation — kids, grandparents, and neighbors from National City welcome on the sand.
Un Mar de Colores ofrece ocean stewardship gratuitas para jóvenes de National City de All ages años, con transporte gratuito de 8 millas desde National City a nuestras playas de enseñanza. Sirviendo a una comunidad del 91% BIPOC (56,173 residentes), nuestra instrucción se lleva a cabo en Imperial Beach (8 miles) y Coronado Central (7 miles), con entrenadores bilingües certificados y todo el equipo proporcionado. La inscripción prioritaria es para estudiantes de Central Elementary (National City), Kimball Elementary, Olivewood Elementary.
Horario — programa en National City
Monthly cleanups, quarterly workshops · Completamente gratis
Quizás sientes esto
- —One-off Earth Day events don't build continuity — you want monthly action with the same community.
- —You see trash on Imperial Beach (8 miles) and Coronado Central (7 miles) every visit but don't know how to organize safe, effective cleanup action in National City.
- —Your child asks why the ocean is brown after rain — school never traced the watershed from mountains to Imperial Beach (8 miles) and Coronado Central (7 miles).
Lo que cambia cuando los jóvenes entran al agua
- Volunteer program integration — adults from National City can deepen commitment through Un Mar volunteer tracks.
- Citizen science data collection training — your cleanup contributes to real pollution tracking databases.
- Data visibility — participants see how their National City cleanup fits county-wide pollution patterns.
Por qué operamos este programa en National City
National City is 63% Hispanic/Latino and among the most economically impacted cities in San Diego County. Our programs here are built around transportation — youth from Central, Kimball, and Olivewood Elementary travel to Imperial Beach and Coronado for water programming, with classroom components at National City Public Library and the MLK Community Center. National City is a priority Title I partnership for our Ocean Stewards recruitment.
- Población
- 56,173
- Residentes BIPOC
- 91%
- Hogares hispanohablantes
- 61%
- Distancia a la playa
- 8 mi
Ocean Stewardship en National City — Lo que debes saber
With 61% Spanish-speaking households in National City, bilingual cleanup briefings and materials are standard — not English-only safety instructions on the sand.
Ocean stewardship program in National City should connect litter on Imperial Beach (8 miles) and Coronado Central (7 miles) to watershed pipelines and policy — not just bag counts. Our post-cleanup debriefs teach plastic pollution science, California coastal commission basics, and advocacy skills.
Por qué National City importa para nuestra misión
Whether National City is on the coast or 8 miles inland inland, we treat transportation as part of the program — not an extra parents must figure out. That's how you build real access, not marketing copy.
National City sits inside San Diego County's coastal equity gap — 91% 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.
Socios comunitarios locales en National City
En asociación con el National School District / Sweetwater Union High y organizaciones comunitarias locales, reclutamos jóvenes de 4+ escuelas Título I.
Distrito escolar y escuelas Título I
- National School District / Sweetwater Union High
- •Central Elementary (National City)
- •Kimball Elementary
- •Olivewood Elementary
- •Sweetwater High School
Socios comunitarios
- ◆National School District
- ◆National City Public Library
- ◆Kimball Park (City of National City)
- ◆Casa Familiar (nearby in San Ysidro)
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 National City
- ✓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
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."”
Preguntas frecuentes — Ocean Stewardship en National City
What is environmental justice in ocean stewardship?+
We connect cleanup action to who bears pollution burden — especially cross-border Tijuana River watershed impacts that close beaches near National City. Stewardship isn't just litter; it's justice framing for BIPOC communities gated from coastal spaces.
Can schools from National School District / Sweetwater Union High organize cleanup field trips?+
Yes — we partner with Title I schools for field-trip style stewardship events. Contact us to coordinate a National City school group cleanup with curriculum alignment.
When are beach cleanups near National City?+
Un Mar de Colores runs monthly beach cleanups across San Diego County — Oceanside, Imperial Beach, Cardiff, and partner sites accessible from National City. Quarterly workshops add deeper advocacy training. Check our calendar for the next event near Imperial Beach (8 miles) and Coronado Central (7 miles).
¿Los programas de Ocean Stewardship en National City son realmente gratuitos?+
Sí. Todos los programas de Un Mar de Colores en National City son 100% gratuitos. Proporcionamos trajes de neopreno 3/2mm, tablas de surf, transporte desde escuelas asociadas como Central Elementary (National City), Kimball Elementary, Olivewood 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 National City?+
Los jóvenes de National City viajan en nuestro transporte a Imperial Beach (8 miles), aproximadamente a 8 millas. Los componentes de aula ocurren en escuelas y bibliotecas asociadas dentro de National City.
¿Qué edades son elegibles en National City?+
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 National School District / Sweetwater Union High.
¿Cómo inscribo a mi hijo/a?+
Contáctenos a través de nuestra página de contacto. La inscripción prioritaria se otorga a estudiantes de Central Elementary (National City), Kimball Elementary, Olivewood Elementary y otras escuelas de Título I en National School District / Sweetwater Union High. Los grupos de verano suelen llenarse con 3-4 semanas de anticipación.
¿Listo para entrar al agua?
Spots in our National City cohorts are limited to keep instructor ratios safe. Contact us to reserve a place.
Todos los programas de Un Mar de Colores son gratuitos para jóvenes de National City. 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.