Un Mar de Colores · El Cajon, CA
Full-Day Free Surf Camp — El Cajon Youth Welcome
Nutrition and hydration education for young athletes — lunch included, no hidden snack fees.
Un Mar de Colores ofrece surf camp gratuitas para jóvenes de El Cajon de 6–17 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
Summer (June–August), Monday–Friday cohorts · Completamente gratis
Quizás sientes esto
- —Cultural programming at commercial camps feels like decoration — Kumeyaay history reduced to a five-minute talk.
- —Bilingual staff matter in your home, but most El Cajon-area summer camps default to English-only instruction.
- —By June, El Cajon cohorts are full and you're told to try next year — again.
Lo que cambia cuando los jóvenes entran al agua
- Nutrition and hydration education supports young athletes learning to fuel ocean sessions safely.
- Environmental justice framing teaches why El Cajon beaches close after storms — not just how to paddle.
- Grant- and donor-funded model means zero tuition — no deposits, no equipment rental upsells.
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
Surf Camp en El Cajon — Lo que debes saber
Latino and Indigenous youth in El Cajon inherit coastal histories commercial surf culture erases. Camp afternoons integrate Kumeyaay stewardship narratives and environmental justice framing — surf as connection to place.
Where do El Cajon youth surf during summer camp? We teach at breaks chosen for sandy bottoms, lifeguard coverage, and manageable whitewater — sites like OB Pier (14 miles) and Coronado Central (13 miles) appear in cohort-specific plans, not generic coast language.
Por qué El Cajon importa para nuestra misión
The ocean off El Cajon belongs to everyone. Un Mar de Colores exists because San Diego has spent decades telling BIPOC youth otherwise — and we're changing that story one cohort at a time.
Cross-border watershed work matters to El Cajon because Tijuana River pollution and coastal health don't stop at a border fence. Our education modules name that reality honestly.
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
Our summer surf camps run Monday through Friday across North County and San Diego, serving BIPOC youth ages 6–17. Each one-week cohort combines four mornings of in-water surf instruction with afternoon programming in marine ecology, Kumeyaay coastal history, and cultural arts. Camps are capped at 18 students per cohort to maintain a 4:1 student-to-instructor ratio, and every camp ends with a Friday family showcase on the beach. Camps are entirely free — wetsuits, boards, transportation, daily lunch, and all materials included.
- →Daily in-water surf instruction (4 hrs/day)
- →Marine ecology & watershed education
- →Cultural arts workshops (painting, poetry, storytelling)
- →Kumeyaay coastal history and stewardship
- →Nutrition and hydration for athletes
- →Friday family showcase and celebration
Qué se incluye — Gratis para cada joven de El Cajon
- ✓5-day Monday–Friday full-day camp (8am–3pm)
- ✓Certified bilingual instructors (CPR + First Aid, 4:1 ratio)
- ✓Wetsuit, soft-top surfboard, and rashguard for the week
- ✓Free daily lunch and snacks
- ✓Round-trip transportation from Title I schools
- ✓Cultural arts and marine biology enrichment
- ✓Family showcase and photo album
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."”
Preguntas frecuentes — Surf Camp en El Cajon
Is transportation provided from El Cajon to surf camp?+
Round-trip shuttle transportation runs from partner Title I schools. If El Cajon is inland (14 miles inland from the coast), we solve the daily commute — not your family. Coastal cohorts meet directly at local teaching beaches near OB Pier (14 miles) and Coronado Central (13 miles).
How is Un Mar surf camp different from commercial camps near OB Pier (14 miles) and Coronado Central (13 miles)?+
Commercial camps optimize for paying tourists and locals with gear. Un Mar is a BIPOC-led nonprofit: free instruction, Title I partnerships, marine ecology and Kumeyaay history curriculum, and coaches who reflect El Cajon's communities. We're building access, not selling camp weeks.
Who certifies surf camp instructors in El Cajon?+
Coaches hold CPR and First Aid credentials and train with San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division protocols. Many are alumni of our Surf Athletic Scholarship program. Safety documentation is available to El Cajon parents on request.
¿Los programas de Surf Camp 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 6–17 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?
Free means free. No hidden fees, no gear costs, no transportation charges for El Cajon participants.
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.
Web platform architecture and development by Codinito.