Un Mar de Colores · Chula Vista, CA
Chula Vista's Free Watershed Education by Un Mar de Colores
Tijuana River watershed case study: California's most cross-border and pollution-impacted river system — taught with honesty.
Un Mar de Colores ofrece watershed education gratuitas para jóvenes de Chula Vista de All ages años, con transporte gratuito de 10 millas desde Chula Vista a nuestras playas de enseñanza. Sirviendo a una comunidad del 81% BIPOC (275,487 residentes), nuestra instrucción se lleva a cabo en Imperial Beach (10 miles) y Coronado Central (12 miles), con entrenadores bilingües certificados y todo el equipo proporcionado. La inscripción prioritaria es para estudiantes de Rosebank Elementary, Castle Park Elementary, Harborside Elementary.
Horario — programa en Chula Vista
Summer cohorts + year-round school field trips · Completamente gratis
Quizás sientes esto
- —Climate change lessons feel hopeless — your teen wants advocacy tools, not another slide deck about polar bears.
- —Transportation to mountain field sites from inland Chula Vista is another unpaid logistics puzzle for teachers.
- —Your teen asks why the ocean smells after rain — school never mapped the pipeline from Chula Vista storm drains to Imperial Beach (10 miles) and Coronado Central (12 miles).
Lo que cambia cuando los jóvenes entran al agua
- Year-round day-trip field trips serve Chula Vista Elementary School District / Sweetwater Union High classrooms across Chula Vista Title I partner schools.
- Free means free — no field trip fees, no overnight camp tuition, no material costs for schools.
- Career exposure to marine science, hydrology, and coastal policy opens doors for Chula Vista students.
Por qué operamos este programa en Chula Vista
Chula Vista is California's 14th-largest city and home to one of the largest Latino populations in San Diego County — 58% Hispanic/Latino per the 2020 Census. We partner with Chula Vista Elementary School District (45,000+ students) and Sweetwater Union High to transport youth from Castle Park, Harborside, and Lauderbach Elementary to Imperial Beach and Coronado for free surf and ocean programming.
- Población
- 275,487
- Residentes BIPOC
- 81%
- Hogares hispanohablantes
- 58%
- Distancia a la playa
- 10 mi
Watershed Education en Chula Vista — Lo que debes saber
Watershed Explorers overnight program in San Diego gives Chula Vista youth multi-day immersion from Cuyamaca to coast — commercial environmental overnight camps often charge $400–$600 per student. Un Mar charges $0.
Hydrology field education near Imperial Beach (10 miles) and Coronado Central (12 miles) connects classroom water cycle lessons to standing in streams and measuring flow — Chula Vista students learn by tracing, not memorizing.
Por qué Chula Vista importa para nuestra misión
The ocean off Chula Vista 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.
Parents in Chula Vista often ask how a nonprofit can offer everything free. Answer: San Diego Foundation grants, community donors, and partners who believe Chula Vista youth belong in the lineup — same as any other kid in San Diego.
Socios comunitarios locales en Chula Vista
En asociación con el Chula Vista Elementary School District / Sweetwater Union High y organizaciones comunitarias locales, reclutamos jóvenes de 5+ escuelas Título I.
Distrito escolar y escuelas Título I
- Chula Vista Elementary School District / Sweetwater Union High
- •Rosebank Elementary
- •Castle Park Elementary
- •Harborside Elementary
- •Lauderbach Elementary
- •Chula Vista Middle
Socios comunitarios
- ◆Chula Vista Elementary School District
- ◆Sweetwater Union High School District
- ◆Chula Vista Public Library (Civic Center Branch)
- ◆South Bay Community Services
- ◆Casa Familiar
Currículo del programa
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.
- →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 de Chula Vista
- ✓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
Board and staff leadership is BIPOC-majority. Decisions about Chula Vista programming are made with community partners, not corporate sponsors.
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 — Watershed Education en Chula Vista
What is Watershed Explorers in Chula Vista?+
Watershed Explorers is Un Mar de Colores's flagship watershed education program — summer overnight cohorts tracing water from Cuyamaca Rancho State Park mountain streams to the San Diego coast. Chula Vista youth experience multi-day immersion in hydrology, Kumeyaay water perspectives, Tijuana River case study, and clean water advocacy.
How does Kumeyaay culture appear in watershed education?+
Indigenous Kumeyaay relationship with water is integrated into hydrology fundamentals — not a token acknowledgment. Chula Vista Indigenous and Latino youth learn coastal stewardship narratives alongside flow measurement and pollution tracing.
What ages can join watershed programs from Chula Vista?+
Watershed Explorers overnight cohorts and field trips serve all ages — school field trips align to classroom grades, and family engagement opportunities welcome multi-generational Chula Vista households.
¿Los programas de Watershed Education en Chula Vista son realmente gratuitos?+
Sí. Todos los programas de Un Mar de Colores en Chula Vista son 100% gratuitos. Proporcionamos trajes de neopreno 3/2mm, tablas de surf, transporte desde escuelas asociadas como Rosebank Elementary, Castle Park Elementary, Harborside 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 Chula Vista?+
Los jóvenes de Chula Vista viajan en nuestro transporte a Imperial Beach (10 miles), aproximadamente a 10 millas. Los componentes de aula ocurren en escuelas y bibliotecas asociadas dentro de Chula Vista.
¿Qué edades son elegibles en Chula Vista?+
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 Chula Vista Elementary 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 Rosebank Elementary, Castle Park Elementary, Harborside Elementary y otras escuelas de Título I en Chula Vista Elementary School District / Sweetwater Union High. Los grupos de verano suelen llenarse con 3-4 semanas de anticipación.
¿Listo para entrar al agua?
Don't wait for summer — year-round Chula Vista cohorts fill fast. Reach out now for free enrollment.
Todos los programas de Un Mar de Colores son gratuitos para jóvenes de Chula Vista. 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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