La Jolla Watershed Education — free ocean program by Un Mar de Colores

Un Mar de Colores · La Jolla, CA

Free School Field Trips: Watershed Education from La Jolla

Pathways from watershed education to ocean stewardship cleanups and Ocean Stewards after-school.

Un Mar de Colores ofrece watershed education gratuitas para jóvenes de La Jolla de All ages años, directamente en la costa de La Jolla. Sirviendo a una comunidad del 35% BIPOC (46,781 residentes), nuestra instrucción se lleva a cabo en La Jolla Shores, Windansea Beach, con entrenadores bilingües certificados y todo el equipo proporcionado. La inscripción prioritaria es para estudiantes de Kate Sessions Elementary, Bird Rock Elementary.

Horario — programa en La Jolla

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

Quizás sientes esto

  • —College pathways in marine science feel vague — watershed education should connect to careers, not just camp memories.
  • —Your teacher wants a real field trip but doesn't know free options exist for La Jolla Title I schools.
  • —One-day aquarium trips don't teach hydrology — your child needs multi-day tracing from source to sea.

Lo que cambia cuando los jóvenes entran al agua

  • Cross-border Cali-Baja framing prepares La Jolla youth to understand Imperial Beach closures honestly.
  • Family engagement opportunities — parents join orientation and select field days from La Jolla.
  • Citizen science data collection on field trips — student work contributes to real watershed databases.

Por qué operamos este programa en La Jolla

La Jolla Shores has the gentlest beginner waves in San Diego County — a gradual sandbar bottom, 500 yards of lifeguarded beach, and consistent waist-high surf. Our cohorts come from San Diego Unified's Muirlands Middle, Kate Sessions Elementary, and Mission Bay High, with curriculum support from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Windansea serves only our advanced Surf Athletic Scholarship athletes.

Población
46,781
Residentes BIPOC
35%
Hogares hispanohablantes
22%
Distancia a la playa
En la costa

Watershed Education en La Jolla — Lo que debes saber

Citizen science on watershed field trips lets La Jolla students contribute hydrology data — science with public impact, not disposable worksheets.

School field trips from inland La Jolla (on the coast from coast) reach mountain and coastal sites because Un Mar provides transportation — teachers aren't fundraising for buses.

Por qué La Jolla importa para nuestra misión

La Jolla's Spanish-speaking households (22%) get parent communications in both languages, every time. Coastal access fails when language is treated as an afterthought.

Recruitment in La Jolla 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.

Dónde surfeamos en La Jolla

La Jolla Shores

Principiante

The safest beginner break in San Diego County. Gradual sandbar, 500 yards of lifeguarded beach, consistent waist-high surf.

La Jolla Shores is home to Scripps Institution of Oceanography, our partner for marine ecology curriculum. The beach is protected by the La Jolla Underwater Park & Ecological Reserve.

Fondo: SandOleaje: 1–4 ft typicalSalvavidas: Todo el año

Windansea Beach

Avanzado

Advanced-only break used exclusively for our Surf Athletic Scholarship cohort. Never used for beginner instruction.

Windansea is one of California's most historic surf spots, famously chronicled in Tom Wolfe's 'The Pump House Gang.' The iconic palm-frond shack dates to the 1940s.

Fondo: ReefOleaje: 3–12 ft typicalSalvavidas: Estacional

Socios comunitarios locales en La Jolla

En asociación con el San Diego Unified School District y organizaciones comunitarias locales, reclutamos jóvenes de 2+ escuelas Título I.

Distrito escolar y escuelas Título I

  • San Diego Unified School District
  • •Kate Sessions Elementary
  • •Bird Rock Elementary

Socios comunitarios

  • ◆Scripps Institution of Oceanography
  • ◆La Jolla Recreation Center
  • ◆San Diego Junior Lifeguards
  • ◆La Jolla Historical Society (Kumeyaay coastal history)

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 La Jolla

  • ✓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

We do not charge families. Ever. That policy is structural — grants, donors, and shop revenue fund access so La Jolla youth are never waitlisted for inability to pay.

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 La Jolla

Is transportation provided from La Jolla?+

Transportation from partner Title I schools is included for classroom field trips. Inland La Jolla classrooms (on the coast from mountain or coastal sites) reach field locations because Un Mar solves buses — not teachers fundraising.

What do students learn about climate change?+

Climate change and coastal resilience modules connect global patterns to La Jolla beaches — storm intensification, sea level rise, and advocacy for clean water policy. Students learn organizing tools, not hopeless anxiety.

Is watershed education free for La Jolla schools?+

Yes — 100% free. Year-round day-trip field trips for San Diego Unified School District classrooms include bilingual materials, certified naturalist educators, and transportation. Overnight Watershed Explorers summer cohorts are also free for La Jolla youth — no tuition or material fees.

¿Los programas de Watershed Education en La Jolla son realmente gratuitos?+

Sí. Todos los programas de Un Mar de Colores en La Jolla son 100% gratuitos. Proporcionamos trajes de neopreno 3/2mm, tablas de surf, transporte desde escuelas asociadas como Kate Sessions Elementary, Bird Rock 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 La Jolla?+

Las lecciones principales se realizan en La Jolla Shores. También usamos Windansea Beach según el nivel del grupo. Todas las sesiones de agua ocurren dentro de las zonas salvavidas de la bandera.

¿Qué edades son elegibles en La Jolla?+

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 San Diego 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 Kate Sessions Elementary, Bird Rock Elementary y otras escuelas de Título I en San Diego Unified School District. Los grupos de verano suelen llenarse con 3-4 semanas de anticipación.

¿Listo para entrar al agua?

Sign your La Jolla 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 de La Jolla. 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