
Un Mar de Colores · Poway, CA
Poway Surf Therapy — Trauma-Informed, 100% Free
Kumeyaay-led healing modules developed with elders — coastal stewardship as cultural recovery, not decoration.
Un Mar de Colores ofrece surf therapy gratuitas para jóvenes de Poway de 6–17 años, con transporte gratuito de 14 millas desde Poway a nuestras playas de enseñanza. Sirviendo a una comunidad del 46% BIPOC (48,841 residentes), nuestra instrucción se lleva a cabo en La Jolla Shores (18 miles) y Del Mar 15th Street (14 miles), con entrenadores bilingües certificados y todo el equipo proporcionado. La inscripción prioritaria es para estudiantes de Meadowbrook Middle, Valley Elementary (Poway).
Horario — programa en Poway
Monthly cohorts, year-round · Completamente gratis
Quizás sientes esto
- —Your youth tried talk therapy and shut down — they need movement, nature, and peers who understand, not another office.
- —Your youth needs peers who share language and background — not the only Brown kid in a white-dominated lineup.
- —Your family is navigating instability — housing, work, immigration — and you need support that doesn't add another bill.
Lo que cambia cuando los jóvenes entran al agua
- Trauma-informed culture welcomes youth without requiring a diagnosis to prove they belong.
- Referral pathways from Poway Unified School District counselors and mental health agencies streamline enrollment.
- Monthly cohorts year-round — support isn't summer-only when Poway youth need it in November too.
Por qué operamos este programa en Poway
Poway is an inland North County city home to Poway Unified School District, one of the largest K-12 districts in California. Our Poway cohorts travel to Del Mar's 15th Street Beach and La Jolla Shores for water programming, with classroom partnership at Poway Library and the Poway Center for the Performing Arts for cultural programming.
- Población
- 48,841
- Residentes BIPOC
- 46%
- Hogares hispanohablantes
- 17%
- Distancia a la playa
- 14 mi
Surf Therapy en Poway — Lo que debes saber
Free surf therapy in Poway for BIPOC youth ages 6–17 combines licensed mental health professionals with trauma-informed surf coaches in cohorts of eight maximum. Un Mar de Colores delivers ocean-based mindfulness, somatic movement, and Kumeyaay-led healing modules at zero cost — funded by grants and donors.
Family caregiver support sessions in surf therapy acknowledge that Poway parents carry stress too — healing isn't isolated to the child on the board.
Por qué Poway importa para nuestra misión
With 48,841 residents, Poway is one of the communities where a single free surf cohort can change dozens of lives per season. Our shuttles and school partnerships make distance (14 miles inland) a logistics problem we solve, not a barrier families carry alone.
Poway sits inside San Diego County's coastal equity gap — 46% 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 Poway
En asociación con el Poway Unified School District y organizaciones comunitarias locales, reclutamos jóvenes de 2+ escuelas Título I.
Distrito escolar y escuelas Título I
- Poway Unified School District
- •Meadowbrook Middle
- •Valley Elementary (Poway)
Socios comunitarios
- ◆Poway Unified School District
- ◆Poway Library
- ◆Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego (Poway branch)
Currículo del programa
Surf therapy at Un Mar de Colores is more than recreational — it's a structured, trauma-informed mental health program that uses the ocean as a therapeutic setting. Licensed mental health professionals partner with trauma-informed surf coaches to deliver small-group sessions (8 youth maximum) combining ocean-based mindfulness, somatic movement, and culturally grounded healing modules developed with Kumeyaay elders. The program is especially effective for youth navigating anxiety, grief, immigration-related stress, and family instability. All programming is free and open to youth referred through partner schools, mental health agencies, and community organizations.
- →Ocean-based mindfulness practices
- →Small-group peer mentorship
- →Somatic and movement-based therapy integration
- →Trauma-informed surf coaching
- →Culturally grounded healing (Kumeyaay-led modules)
- →Family and caregiver support sessions
Qué se incluye — Gratis para cada joven de Poway
- ✓Licensed mental health professional on-site
- ✓Trauma-informed certified surf coaches
- ✓Small cohort size (8 youth maximum)
- ✓Wetsuit, soft-top board, and all equipment
- ✓Transportation from partner schools and referral orgs
- ✓Family caregiver support sessions
Por qué Un Mar de Colores
Program safety is documented: lifeguard coordination, 4:1 ratios on youth water days, trauma-informed staff training, and parent communication protocols in English and Spanish.
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 Therapy en Poway
How often do surf therapy cohorts run?+
Monthly cohorts run year-round — not summer-only. Poway youth can access support across the school year when stress peaks, not only in June.
Are family members included in surf therapy?+
Yes — family and caregiver support sessions are part of the program. Poway parents and guardians receive bilingual updates and dedicated sessions — healing isn't isolated to the child on the board.
Who can enroll in surf therapy from Poway?+
BIPOC youth ages 6–17, especially those navigating anxiety, grief, immigration-related stress, and family instability. Referrals welcome from Poway Unified School District counselors, mental health agencies, and community organizations in Poway.
¿Los programas de Surf Therapy en Poway son realmente gratuitos?+
Sí. Todos los programas de Un Mar de Colores en Poway son 100% gratuitos. Proporcionamos trajes de neopreno 3/2mm, tablas de surf, transporte desde escuelas asociadas como Meadowbrook Middle, Valley Elementary (Poway), e instrucción bilingüe certificada. El financiamiento proviene de la San Diego Foundation, subvenciones comunitarias y donantes individuales.
¿Dónde se realizan exactamente las lecciones en Poway?+
Los jóvenes de Poway viajan en nuestro transporte a La Jolla Shores (18 miles), aproximadamente a 14 millas. Los componentes de aula ocurren en escuelas y bibliotecas asociadas dentro de Poway.
¿Qué edades son elegibles en Poway?+
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 Poway 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 Meadowbrook Middle, Valley Elementary (Poway) y otras escuelas de Título I en Poway Unified School District. Los grupos de verano suelen llenarse con 3-4 semanas de anticipación.
¿Listo para entrar al agua?
Don't wait for summer — year-round Poway cohorts fill fast. Reach out now for free enrollment.
Todos los programas de Un Mar de Colores son gratuitos para jóvenes de Poway. 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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