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
- —School field trips in Chula Vista are underfunded — environmental science stays in the classroom while the coast is miles away.
- —Transportation to mountain field sites from inland Chula Vista is another unpaid logistics puzzle for teachers.
- —Tijuana River pollution closes beaches and nobody at Chula Vista Elementary School District / Sweetwater Union High explains the cross-border watershed to your family.
Lo que cambia cuando los jóvenes entran al agua
- Tijuana River cross-border case study — honest teaching about pollution, policy, and environmental justice.
- Water stewardship as movement — Chula Vista families join a county-wide network protecting shared watersheds.
- Citizen science data collection on field trips — student work contributes to real watershed databases.
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
Teachers in Chula Vista Elementary School District / Sweetwater Union High contact Un Mar to book free year-round field trips — Chula Vista classrooms access mountain-to-coast science without PTA fundraising.
Cross-border watershed education from Chula Vista prepares youth to understand Cali-Baja water politics — Tijuana River as California's most pollution-impacted cross-border river system.
Por qué Chula Vista importa para nuestra misión
Serving Chula Vista means meeting families where they are: San Diego schools, community centers, and partner orgs that already hold trust. We don't wait for families to find the beach — we bring youth to the water.
Chula Vista's relationship to the Pacific is complicated by history and economics. Our curriculum weaves Kumeyaay coastal stewardship, environmental justice, and culturally grounded instruction into every session — not as an add-on, but as the foundation.
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
Where do field trips go from Chula Vista?+
Sites progress from Cuyamaca mountain streams through river and estuary systems to coastal locations near Imperial Beach (10 miles) and Coronado Central (12 miles). Multi-site tracing shows the full watershed pipeline relevant to San Diego.
Is watershed education bilingual in Chula Vista?+
Yes — bilingual curriculum materials and field instruction are standard. In Chula Vista, where 58% of households are Spanish-speaking, educators deliver watershed science in English and Spanish.
Are there overnight watershed programs for Chula Vista 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 Chula Vista families.
¿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?
Spots in our Chula Vista 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 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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