Imperial Beach Watershed Education — free ocean program by Un Mar de Colores

Un Mar de Colores · Imperial Beach, CA

Climate & Clean Water Advocacy — Free for Imperial Beach

Hydrology isn't abstract — Imperial Beach students stand in streams, measure flow, and trace pollution to the ocean.

Un Mar de Colores ofrece watershed education gratuitas para jóvenes de Imperial Beach de All ages años, directamente en la costa de Imperial Beach. Sirviendo a una comunidad del 73% BIPOC (26,324 residentes), nuestra instrucción se lleva a cabo en IB Pier, con entrenadores bilingües certificados y todo el equipo proporcionado. La inscripción prioritaria es para estudiantes de Imperial Beach Elementary, Oneonta Elementary, Mar Vista Middle School.

Horario — programa en Imperial Beach

Summer cohorts + year-round school field trips · Completamente gratis

Quizás sientes esto

  • Your teen asks why the ocean smells after rain — school never mapped the pipeline from Imperial Beach storm drains to IB Pier.
  • Your child learns 'water cycle' from a worksheet — but never stood in a mountain stream or traced runoff to IB Pier.
  • Stewardship feels separate from science — you want Imperial Beach youth learning advocacy alongside hydrology.

Lo que cambia cuando los jóvenes entran al agua

  • Pathways to ocean stewardship cleanups and Ocean Stewards after-school for Imperial Beach teens.
  • Tijuana River cross-border case study — honest teaching about pollution, policy, and environmental justice.
  • Transportation from partner schools included — inland Imperial Beach classrooms reach mountain and coastal sites.

Por qué operamos este programa en Imperial Beach

Imperial Beach is the southernmost beach city in California and ground zero for our Tijuana River watershed work. Beach closures from transboundary sewage flows regularly impact water quality here, which is why our Imperial Beach cohorts combine surf instruction with direct environmental justice education — kids learn about the river and the coast as a single system. Mar Vista Middle and Imperial Beach Elementary are our flagship Title I partners.

Población
26,324
Residentes BIPOC
73%
Hogares hispanohablantes
42%
Distancia a la playa
En la costa

Watershed Education en Imperial Beach — Lo que debes saber

Hydrology field education near IB Pier connects classroom water cycle lessons to standing in streams and measuring flow — Imperial Beach students learn by tracing, not memorizing.

Cross-border watershed education from Imperial Beach prepares youth to understand Cali-Baja water politics — Tijuana River as California's most pollution-impacted cross-border river system.

Por qué Imperial Beach importa para nuestra misión

Cross-border watershed work matters to Imperial Beach because Tijuana River pollution and coastal health don't stop at a border fence. Our education modules name that reality honestly.

Imperial Beach families deserve instructors who look like their kids and speak their language. With 73% BIPOC residents, bilingual coaching isn't a nice-to-have — it's how we earn trust on day one.

Dónde surfeamos en Imperial Beach

IB Pier

Principiante

Primary Imperial Beach teaching location — WHEN water quality is safe. Tijuana River sewage flows regularly close this beach.

Imperial Beach sits at the southern terminus of California and is the closest beach to the US-Mexico border. The Tijuana River mouth is 2 miles south.

Fondo: SandOleaje: 2–6 ft typicalSalvavidas: Todo el año

Socios comunitarios locales en Imperial Beach

En asociación con el South Bay Union School District y organizaciones comunitarias locales, reclutamos jóvenes de 3+ escuelas Título I.

Distrito escolar y escuelas Título I

  • South Bay Union School District
  • Imperial Beach Elementary
  • Oneonta Elementary
  • Mar Vista Middle School

Socios comunitarios

  • Imperial Beach Sports Park
  • South Bay Alliance
  • WILDCOAST (Tijuana River watershed partner)
  • Imperial Beach Library

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 Imperial Beach

  • 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

Un Mar de Colores is recognized by partners including the San Diego Foundation, Surfrider San Diego, WILDCOAST, and school districts across San Diego — 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."

— Middle school student— Parent, One Ocean

Preguntas frecuentes — Watershed Education en Imperial Beach

Is watershed education bilingual in Imperial Beach?+

Yes — bilingual curriculum materials and field instruction are standard. In Imperial Beach, where 42% of households are Spanish-speaking, educators deliver watershed science in English and Spanish.

How is watershed education different from aquarium field trips?+

Aquarium trips show marine life in tanks. Watershed education traces the full pipeline — students stand in mountain streams, visit estuaries, and connect runoff from Imperial Beach to conditions at IB Pier. Field science with advocacy depth.

What is the Tijuana River watershed case study?+

The Tijuana River is California's most cross-border and pollution-impacted river system — closing beaches near Imperial Beach and affecting South County shores accessible from Imperial Beach. Our curriculum teaches hydrology, environmental justice, and policy with honesty, preparing San Diego youth to understand cross-border water reality.

¿Los programas de Watershed Education en Imperial Beach son realmente gratuitos?+

Sí. Todos los programas de Un Mar de Colores en Imperial Beach son 100% gratuitos. Proporcionamos trajes de neopreno 3/2mm, tablas de surf, transporte desde escuelas asociadas como Imperial Beach Elementary, Oneonta Elementary, Mar Vista Middle School, e instrucción bilingüe certificada. El financiamiento proviene de la San Diego Foundation, subvenciones comunitarias y donantes individuales.

¿Dónde se realizan exactamente las lecciones en Imperial Beach?+

Las lecciones principales se realizan en IB Pier. Todas las sesiones de agua ocurren dentro de las zonas salvavidas de la bandera.

¿Qué edades son elegibles en Imperial Beach?+

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 South Bay Union School District.

¿Cómo inscribo a mi hijo/a?+

Contáctenos a través de nuestra página de contacto. La inscripción prioritaria se otorga a estudiantes de Imperial Beach Elementary, Oneonta Elementary, Mar Vista Middle School y otras escuelas de Título I en South Bay Union School District. Los grupos de verano suelen llenarse con 3-4 semanas de anticipación.

¿Listo para entrar al agua?

Parents in Imperial Beach: bilingual staff, certified lifeguard-trained coaches, and zero cost. Sign up now.

Todos los programas de Un Mar de Colores son gratuitos para jóvenes de Imperial Beach. 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.

Join the Un Mar Community!

Sign Up for Newsletter