Un Mar de Colores · La Jolla, CA
Every Thursday is a beach day — surf instruction at The Strand, Tamarack, or Moonlight reinforcing the week's science.
Un Mar de Colores runs its flagship Ocean Stewards After-School Program for La Jolla teens ages 13–17, in partnership with San Diego Unified School District. Students meet three afternoons a week for tutoring, environmental literacy, and career exploration, with a Thursday beach day at La Jolla Shores, Windansea Beach. Our La Jolla cohort draws primarily from Kate Sessions Elementary, Bird Rock Elementary. Transportation, meals, tutoring, and surf instruction are entirely free.
Tuesday–Thursday, year-round · Completely free
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.
Thursday surf sessions aren't a reward for finishing homework — they're curriculum. Wave energy, tide cycles, and lineup ecology reinforce the week's watershed science for La Jolla teens.
After-school tutoring in La Jolla should connect to something teens care about — not isolated homework help in a strip-mall classroom. Our Tuesday–Wednesday sessions pair math and writing support with NGSS-aligned watershed and marine science modules.
Serving La Jolla 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.
La Jolla sits inside San Diego County's coastal equity gap — 35% of residents identify as BIPOC, yet beach access has historically been gated by cost, transportation, and culture. Un Mar de Colores closes that gap with free programming and school-based recruitment.
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.
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.
In partnership with San Diego Unified School District and local community organizations, we recruit youth from 2+ Title I schools.
The Ocean Stewards After-School Program is Un Mar de Colores's flagship year-round offering for BIPOC teens ages 13–17. Three afternoons a week, students meet at partner school sites for academic tutoring, environmental literacy modules aligned with the California NGSS standards, career exploration, and college preparation. Every Thursday is a beach day — students head to The Strand, Tamarack, or Moonlight for water programming that reinforces the week's environmental science curriculum. The program runs during the full school year, connecting academic outcomes with coastal stewardship and career pathways in marine science.
Board and staff leadership is BIPOC-majority. Decisions about La Jolla programming are made with community partners, not corporate sponsors.
“"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."”
Ocean Stewards is Un Mar de Colores's free year-round after-school program for BIPOC teens ages 13–17 in La Jolla. Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons include academic tutoring, environmental literacy, and college prep. Every Thursday is a beach day with surf instruction reinforcing the week's science curriculum.
Yes — all programming is bilingual. In La Jolla, where 22% of households are Spanish-speaking, bilingual staff lead every session and parent communications arrive in both English and Spanish.
Teens connect to surf therapy, ocean stewardship cleanups, year-round surf lessons, and the Surf Athletic Scholarship program. After-school is a long-term arc for La Jolla youth — not a single-semester program.
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs in La Jolla are 100% free — including 3/2mm wetsuits, soft-top surfboards, transportation from partner schools like Kate Sessions Elementary, Bird Rock Elementary, and certified bilingual instruction. Funding comes from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors. No La Jolla family has ever paid for our programming.
Primary water sessions run at La Jolla Shores. We also use Windansea Beach for skill progression. Classroom components happen at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and other partner sites. All water activities happen within lifeguard-flag zones.
We serve youth ages 13–17. In La Jolla specifically, our recruitment runs through San Diego Unified School District — with priority enrollment for students from Kate Sessions Elementary, Bird Rock Elementary. Cohorts are age-appropriate (One Ocean for 6–12, Ocean Stewards for 13–17).
No. We begin every cohort with ocean-safety fundamentals in chest-deep whitewater at La Jolla Shores, supervised by instructors certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division. Water comfort is built progressively. In La Jolla, we also run pre-cohort pool-familiarization sessions at local community pools for students who request extra comfort-building.
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs are bilingual — and in La Jolla, where 22% of households are Spanish-speaking, we intentionally pair at least one bilingual coach to every session. Cultural programming is delivered in both languages, and parent communications are always sent in Spanish and English.
Three ways: (1) everything is free, while most La Jolla surf programs charge $50–$150 per lesson; (2) we are BIPOC-led and our coaches reflect the 35%-BIPOC La Jolla community we serve; (3) our curriculum includes environmental justice, Kumeyaay coastal history, and cultural arts — not just surf skills. We exist because the ocean should belong to everyone in La Jolla, not just those who can afford access.
Visit our sign-up page or contact us directly. Priority enrollment goes to students of Kate Sessions Elementary, Bird Rock Elementary and referrals from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and La Jolla Recreation Center. Summer cohorts fill 3–4 weeks before start, so early contact is recommended.
Parents in La Jolla: bilingual staff, certified lifeguard-trained coaches, and zero cost. Sign up now.
All Un Mar de Colores programs are free for La Jolla youth. Reach out to enroll, volunteer, or support the movement.
Un Mar de Colores is a BIPOC-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Oceanside, California. We provide free surf, ocean, and environmental programming for youth across San Diego and Tijuana — bridging cultures, coasts, and communities since 2018.
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