After-School Program program in Oceanside, CA with Un Mar de Colores youth coaches

Un Mar de Colores · Oceanside, CA

Ocean Stewards After-School in Oceanside

Tutoring, environmental literacy, career exploration, and surfing — three days a week, all year round. Free for Oceanside teens.

Un Mar de Colores runs its flagship Ocean Stewards After-School Program for Oceanside teens ages 13–17, in partnership with Oceanside Unified School District. Students meet three afternoons a week for tutoring, environmental literacy, and career exploration, with a Thursday beach day at The Strand, Wisconsin Street Beach. Our Oceanside cohort draws primarily from South Oceanside Elementary, Cesar Chavez Middle School, Ditmar Elementary, and 4 other Title I schools. Transportation, meals, tutoring, and surf instruction are entirely free.

Ocean Stewards after-school program Oceanside

Free. Year-round. For Oceanside teens.

Why This Program Exists

The Ocean Stewards After-School Program is Un Mar de Colores’s free expanded learning program for Oceanside teens. It runs Tuesday through Thursday and combines tutoring, environmental literacy, career exploration, and surf instruction — with all equipment provided at no cost.

See how our youth programs flow together →

Schedule — Oceanside Program Days

Tuesday–Thursday, year-round · Completely free

Tuesday–Thursday, year-round during the school year. Thursday is the Oceanside ocean / beach session day. Contact us for current partner sites and open seats — the program is completely free.

You Might Be Feeling This

—You want your teen learning about Tijuana River pollution and coastal policy — not just recycling slogans.
—Your teen is curious about environmental justice but school curriculum skips why Oceanside beaches close after storms.
—Mental health stress is real for Oceanside teens — but therapy waitlists are long and surf-as-healing sounds inaccessible.

What Changes When Youth Get in the Water

Round-trip transportation from partner Title I schools — inland teens aren't left behind (on the coast solved).
Pathways to surf therapy, ocean stewardship cleanups, and Surf Athletic Scholarships open from Ocean Stewards.
Certified tutors support math, reading, and writing — homework help that actually improves grades in Oceanside Unified School District.

Why We Run This Program in Oceanside

Oceanside is Un Mar de Colores's home city — where free surf lessons, summer surf camp, and Ocean Stewards after-school were built for BIPOC youth, not as a commercial surf school. With 3.5 miles of coastline, the 1,942-foot Oceanside Pier, and 53,000+ students in Oceanside Unified, it is the epicenter of our work. The Strand, Wisconsin Street, and South Oceanside Beach host nearly all of our year-round programming, and most of our staff and youth come from the MLK Community Center and Boys & Girls Club of Oceanside.

Population: 174,068
BIPOC residents: 61%
Spanish-speaking households: 36%
Distance to beach: Coastal

After-School Program in Oceanside — What You Should Know

For many Oceanside teens, the after-school hours are the hardest. Ocean Stewards fills that time with something real: academic support, environmental education, and a direct connection to the ocean. Thursday beach days at The Strand tie classroom watershed learning to the water youth already live next to.

On our Youth Programs page this sits in The Reef — where identity meets stewardship. Place-based programming across Oceanside Unified, woven with Indigenous perspectives on the land and waters we share. Surfing is the entry point, not the endpoint.

After-school programs near The Strand, Wisconsin Street Beach for Oceanside teens run Tuesday through Thursday during the school year. Inland families rely on shuttles (on the coast) so weekly beach days aren't limited to coastal zip codes.

Why Oceanside Matters to Our Mission

Oceanside sits inside San Diego County's coastal equity gap — 61% 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.

Oceanside families deserve instructors who look like their kids and speak their language. With 61% BIPOC residents, bilingual coaching isn't a nice-to-have — it's how we earn trust on day one.

Where We Surf in Oceanside

Thursday ocean sessions for Ocean Stewards typically use The Strand — close to Oceanside Unified routes and beginner-friendly for teens new to the water — linking classroom watershed lessons to the harbor, pier, and Strand ecosystem.

The Strand

Beginner

Un Mar's primary Oceanside teaching beach — south of the pier. Sand-bottom beginner reform, year-round lifeguards, and direct access from Oceanside Unified make The Strand where most free surf lessons and Thursday Ocean Stewards sessions start.

South of Oceanside Pier, The Strand has been a teaching beach for San Diego County surf programs for decades. The Oceanside Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division covers this stretch year-round. Summer swells here are often knee-to-waist high — ideal for first paddles without resorting to steeper North County point breaks.

Bottom: SandWave: 1–3 ft typicalLifeguard: Year-round

Wisconsin Street Beach

Beginner

Secondary Oceanside teaching beach between the pier and harbor jetty — used for Wednesday cohorts and intermediate progression after youth build confidence at The Strand.

Wisconsin Street sits between Oceanside Pier and the harbor breakwater. Slightly more exposed than The Strand, it is still a sand-bottom city beach with lifeguard coverage — our step-up spot before youth see heavier North County water.

Bottom: SandWave: 1–4 ft typicalLifeguard: Seasonal

Ocean Stewards in action

Local Oceanside Partners & Referral Sources

In partnership with Oceanside Unified School District and local community organizations, we recruit youth from 7+ Title I schools.

Community partners

◆Oceanside Boys & Girls Club (Carmelo Drive)
◆MLK Community Center (Division Street)
◆Oceanside Public Library
◆City of Oceanside Parks & Recreation
◆North County Lifeline
◆MiraCosta College Outreach

Program Curriculum

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.

→Academic tutoring (math, reading, writing)
→Environmental literacy and watershed science
→Surf instruction (Thursday ocean sessions)
→Career exploration in marine science and coastal conservation
→College preparation and counseling
→Mentorship pairings with Un Mar staff and alumni

What's Included — Free for Every Oceanside Youth

✓Three afternoons per week (3pm–6pm)
✓Weekly Thursday ocean session (beach day)
✓Healthy snacks and meals
✓Homework support with certified tutors
✓Round-trip transportation from partner schools
✓Parent/guardian engagement sessions
✓Annual leadership retreat
✓Three afternoons a week + Thursday beach day
✓Wetsuits, boards, instruction, and transport support
✓Tutoring + environmental literacy for Oceanside teens

How Oceanside Families Enroll (Free)

1Apply through Contact Us — it’s free.
2Share school, grade/age, and whether you need Spanish-language family communication.
3We confirm afternoon site, Thursday beach logistics, and transport if available.
4Space is limited — reach out early for the school-year cycle.

Who Leads This Work

Real community leadership — not hired tourist-lesson instructors from a commercial surf school.

Mario Ordoñez-Calderón

Co-Founder & Executive Director

Leads Un Mar’s Oceanside-rooted work — free ocean access for BIPOC youth and familias across San Diego County and beyond borders.

Katia Gibson

Youth Programs Coordinator

Coordinates Oceanside youth cohorts, school partnerships, and family enrollment for Strand and Wisconsin Street sessions.

Chuy Reyna

Board · Lifelong Oceanside Surfer

Former pro surfer and Oceanside local — helping keep programming grounded in North County community and ocean culture.

Meet the full team

Why Un Mar de Colores

Ocean Stewards after-school is Un Mar’s flagship year-round youth pathway in our Oceanside home city — BIPOC-led, free, and part of the same Youth Programs cycle from Shore to Reef to Horizon.

What our community says

“"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

Frequently Asked Questions — After-School Program in Oceanside

What is the Ocean Stewards After-School Program in Oceanside?+

A free expanded learning program for Oceanside teens ages 13–17. It runs Tuesday through Thursday and combines tutoring, environmental literacy, career exploration, and surf instruction. All equipment is provided at no cost.

Is the Oceanside after-school program free?+

Yes. Ocean Stewards is completely free for participants. We provide wetsuits, surfboards, instruction, and transportation support at no cost. The program is funded through grants and community partnerships.

Do after-school students surf every day?+

No. Tuesday and Wednesday focus on tutoring and environmental literacy; Thursday is the dedicated Oceanside ocean / beach session.

Who can apply?+

Oceanside teens ages 13–17. We work with Oceanside Unified schools and community partners. Space is limited — contact us to apply.

Are after-school programs in Oceanside bilingual?+

Yes — all programming is bilingual. In Oceanside, where 36% of households are Spanish-speaking, bilingual staff lead every session and parent communications arrive in both English and Spanish.

Who can enroll from Oceanside?+

BIPOC teens ages 13–17 with priority for Title I students and referrals from Oceanside Unified School District counselors and partner organizations. Contact us to confirm current cohort availability in Oceanside.

Are after-school program in Oceanside really free?+

Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs in Oceanside are 100% free — including 3/2mm wetsuits, soft-top surfboards, transportation from partner schools like South Oceanside Elementary, Cesar Chavez Middle School, Ditmar Elementary, and certified bilingual instruction. Funding comes from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors. No Oceanside family has ever paid for our programming.

Where exactly do after-school program happen in Oceanside?+

Primary water sessions run at The Strand. We also use Wisconsin Street Beach for skill progression. Classroom components happen at Oceanside Boys & Girls Club (Carmelo Drive) and other partner sites. All water activities happen within lifeguard-flag zones.

What ages can enroll in Oceanside?+

We serve youth ages 13–17. In Oceanside specifically, our recruitment runs through Oceanside Unified School District — with priority enrollment for students from South Oceanside Elementary, Cesar Chavez Middle School, Ditmar Elementary and 4 other Title I schools. Cohorts are age-appropriate (One Ocean for 6–12, Ocean Stewards for 13–17).

Does my child need to know how to swim before starting?+

No. We begin every cohort with ocean-safety fundamentals in chest-deep whitewater at The Strand, supervised by instructors certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division. Water comfort is built progressively. In Oceanside, we also run pre-cohort pool-familiarization sessions at local community pools for students who request extra comfort-building.

Ready to Get in the Water?

Every Oceanside child deserves the ocean. Start with a single conversation — we'll handle the rest.

All Un Mar de Colores programs are free for Oceanside 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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