Un Mar de Colores · San Diego County
San Diego County Watershed Education — From Mountains to Ocean, Free
Pathways from watershed education to ocean stewardship cleanups and Ocean Stewards after-school.
- Edades
- All ages
- Horario
- Summer cohorts + year-round school field trips
- Costo
- Free
The Watershed Explorers program is Un Mar de Colores's flagship environmental education offering. Summer overnight cohorts trace the journey from Cuyamaca Rancho State Park's mountain streams to the San Diego coast, with special focus on the Tijuana River watershed — California's most cross-border and pollution-impacted river system. Curriculum integrates hydrology fundamentals, Indigenous Kumeyaay perspectives on water, and California coastal policy. Year-round day trips serve school field-trip groups across our 15+ Title I partner schools, and all programming is free with transportation included.
Este hub conecta a familias del condado de San Diego con educación de cuencas en 27 ciudades. Cada enlace de ciudad abajo es una página completa con contexto local, playas, socios escolares y cómo inscribirse — no una puerta vacía.
Quizás sientes esto
- —Stewardship feels separate from science — you want San Diego County youth learning advocacy alongside hydrology.
- —Climate change lessons feel hopeless — your teen wants advocacy tools, not another slide deck about polar bears.
- —Bilingual watershed materials matter — most San Diego County-area science programs default to English-only field guides.
- —School field trips in San Diego County are underfunded — environmental science stays in the classroom while the coast is miles away.
Lo que cambia cuando los jóvenes entran al agua
- BIPOC-led environmental education — instructors who reflect San Diego County communities, not tourist eco-guides.
- Climate change and coastal resilience modules connect science to San Diego County beaches your family uses.
- Career exposure to marine science, hydrology, and coastal policy opens doors for San Diego County students.
- Free means free — no field trip fees, no overnight camp tuition, no material costs for schools.
Educación de Cuencas en el Condado de San Diego — lo que las familias deben saber
Looking for free environmental field trips for San Diego County schools? Year-round day trips serve partner Title I school districts across San Diego County classrooms with NGSS-aligned hydrology, climate resilience, and advocacy modules — transportation and materials included.
Policy advocacy training in watershed curriculum teaches San Diego County youth how California coastal and water commissions affect their beaches.
School field trips from inland San Diego County (across coastal and inland communities from coast) reach mountain and coastal sites because Un Mar provides transportation — teachers aren't fundraising for buses.
Teachers in partner Title I school districts across San Diego County contact Un Mar to book free year-round field trips — San Diego County classrooms access mountain-to-coast science without PTA fundraising.
Por qué el Condado de San Diego es nuestra área de servicio
Recruitment in San Diego County runs through counselors, teachers, and community partners who know which students need this most. We don't run open enrollment chaos — we build intentional cohorts.
Safe, lifeguard-coordinated instruction is non-negotiable for San Diego County youth. Every water session runs inside flagged zones with certified coaches — parents shouldn't have to choose between access and safety.
Currículo del programa y cómo funciona
- →Hydrology fundamentals
- →Cuyamaca to coast watershed tracing
- →Tijuana River cross-border watershed case study
- →Indigenous Kumeyaay relationship with water
- →Climate change and coastal resilience
- →Policy and advocacy for clean water
Qué se incluye — gratis para cada joven
- ✓Overnight summer program option (Watershed Explorers)
- ✓Day-trip school field trips throughout the year
- ✓Bilingual curriculum materials
- ✓Transportation from partner schools
- ✓Certified naturalist educators
- ✓Family engagement opportunities
Por qué Un Mar de Colores (E-E-A-T)
Un Mar de Colores is recognized by partners including the San Diego Foundation, Surfrider San Diego, WILDCOAST, and school districts across San Diego County — not a pop-up program, a sustained movement.
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."”
Ciudades que servimos — elige tu comunidad
Un Mar de Colores opera educación de cuencas en 27 ciudades del condado de San Diego. Cada página de ciudad cubre playas locales, socios escolares y cómo inscribirse.
- OceansideCiudad costera
- CarlsbadCiudad costera
- EncinitasCiudad costera
- Cardiff by the SeaCiudad costera
- Solana BeachCiudad costera
- Del MarCiudad costera
- La JollaCiudad costera
- Pacific BeachCiudad costera
- Mission BeachCiudad costera
- Ocean BeachCiudad costera
- Point LomaCiudad costera
- Sunset CliffsCiudad costera
- CoronadoCiudad costera
- Imperial BeachCiudad costera
- Chula Vista10 mi a la playa
- National City8 mi a la playa
- Vista7 mi a la playa
- San Marcos11 mi a la playa
- Escondido17 mi a la playa
- San DiegoCiudad costera
- Poway14 mi a la playa
- Fallbrook22 mi a la playa
- Bonita10 mi a la playa
- Lemon Grove10 mi a la playa
- El Cajon14 mi a la playa
- Santee17 mi a la playa
- Spring Valley12 mi a la playa
Preguntas frecuentes — Educación de Cuencas
Is transportation provided from San Diego County?+
Transportation from partner Title I schools is included for classroom field trips. Inland San Diego County classrooms (across coastal and inland communities from mountain or coastal sites) reach field locations because Un Mar solves buses — not teachers fundraising.
Is watershed education bilingual in San Diego County?+
Yes — bilingual curriculum materials and field instruction are standard. In San Diego County, where about one-third of households are Spanish-speaking, educators deliver watershed science in English and Spanish.
Are there overnight watershed programs for San Diego County youth?+
Yes — summer Watershed Explorers overnight cohorts provide multi-day mountain-to-coast tracing. Commercial environmental overnight camps often charge $400–$600. Un Mar provides food, lodging, curriculum, and transport at zero cost for San Diego County families.
What do students learn about climate change?+
Climate change and coastal resilience modules connect global patterns to San Diego County beaches — storm intensification, sea level rise, and advocacy for clean water policy. Students learn organizing tools, not hopeless anxiety.
Where do field trips go from San Diego County?+
Sites progress from Cuyamaca mountain streams through river and estuary systems to coastal locations near The Strand, Tamarack, Moonlight Beach, La Jolla Shores, Mission Beach, and Imperial Beach. Multi-site tracing shows the full watershed pipeline relevant to San Diego County.
¿Listo para que tu hijo entre al agua?
Sign your San Diego County youth up today — every program is 100% free, with wetsuits, boards, and transportation included.
Todos los programas de Un Mar de Colores son gratuitos para jóvenes BIPOC en el condado de San Diego. Contáctanos para inscribirte, hacer voluntariado o apoyar el movimiento.
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