Un Mar de Colores · Bonita, CA
Free Bilingual Arts Program for Bonita Title I Youth
Guest-artist workshops bring professional BIPOC creators to Bonita cohorts across San Diego.
Un Mar de Colores's Cultural Arts & Storytelling workshops center Indigenous, Latino, and Chicano voices of the California coast — and Bonita youth are welcome in every cohort. Quarterly workshops run throughout San Diego County in partnership with Bonita-Sunnyside Library and Sweetwater Union High School District, with summer artist residencies open to Bonita students via referral from Chula Vista Elementary / Sweetwater Union. All supplies, instruction, and exhibition opportunities are provided at no cost.
Schedule — Bonita Program Days
Quarterly workshops + summer artist residencies · Completely free
You Might Be Feeling This
- —Your child is creative but art classes in Bonita cost more per session than your family can sustain monthly.
- —School art programs in Chula Vista Elementary / Sweetwater Union are underfunded — supplies are rationed and coastal themes never appear.
- —Photography workshops assume expensive gear — your teen has a phone and a vision but no mentorship.
What Changes When Youth Get in the Water
- Quarterly workshops across San Diego — consistent creative community, not one-off craft days.
- Pathways for Bonita teens to develop portfolios for creative scholarships and careers.
- Summer artist residencies provide immersive multi-day creation with professional BIPOC guest artists.
Why We Run This Program in Bonita
Bonita is a South Bay community adjacent to Chula Vista and National City, with a 58% Hispanic/Latino population. Our Bonita cohorts shuttle to Imperial Beach and Coronado, with classroom components at Bonita-Sunnyside Library. Students primarily come from Sunnyside Elementary and Bonita Vista Middle as part of our South Bay Title I partnership network.
- Population
- 12,795
- BIPOC residents
- 68%
- Spanish-speaking households
- 41%
- Distance to beach
- 10 mi
Cultural Arts & Storytelling in Bonita — What You Should Know
Chicano and Latino surf culture history modules teach Bonita youth about longboard traditions, barrio surf scenes, and coastal narratives excluded from Chula Vista Elementary / Sweetwater Union textbooks.
Summer artist residencies in San Diego provide immersive creative weeks free for Bonita youth — commercial residencies often charge hundreds in tuition.
Why Bonita Matters to Our Mission
Bonita families deserve instructors who look like their kids and speak their language. With 68% BIPOC residents, bilingual coaching isn't a nice-to-have — it's how we earn trust on day one.
Environmental justice in Bonita isn't abstract: watershed health, beach closures, and plastic pollution affect the same communities we serve. Our programs connect surf skills to stewardship of San Diego's coastline.
Local Bonita Partners & Referral Sources
In partnership with Chula Vista Elementary / Sweetwater Union and local community organizations, we recruit youth from 2+ Title I schools.
School district & Title I partners
- Chula Vista Elementary / Sweetwater Union
- •Sunnyside Elementary
- •Bonita Vista Middle
Community partners
- ◆Bonita-Sunnyside Library
- ◆Sweetwater Union High School District
- ◆Chula Vista Elementary School District
Program Curriculum
Cultural Arts & Storytelling at Un Mar de Colores is where the surf, the coast, and community narrative meet. Quarterly workshops and summer artist residencies bring together youth, professional artists, and Kumeyaay elders to create work that reflects the living cultural traditions of the California coast. Programs center Indigenous, Latino, and Chicano voices historically marginalized in coastal culture, and every workshop ends with a public exhibition, publication, or film screening that returns the art to the community that made it.
- →Coastal storytelling and oral tradition
- →Kumeyaay history and living culture
- →Latino and Chicano surf culture history
- →Visual arts (painting, mural, photography)
- →Poetry and spoken word
- →Film and documentary-making
What's Included — Free for Every Bonita Youth
- ✓All art supplies provided
- ✓Guest-artist workshops
- ✓Exhibition and publication opportunities
- ✓Bilingual instruction
- ✓Culturally grounded curriculum
- ✓Partnership with local galleries and museums
Why Un Mar de Colores
Since 2018, Un Mar de Colores has served thousands of youth across San Diego County and the Cali-Baja region — with funding from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors keeping every program 100% free.
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."”
Frequently Asked Questions — Cultural Arts & Storytelling in Bonita
How often do workshops run near Bonita?+
Quarterly workshops across San Diego plus summer artist residencies. Check our calendar for the next Bonita-accessible session — some events occur near Imperial Beach (10 miles) and Coronado Central (11 miles), others at partner community sites.
Who can participate from Bonita?+
All ages welcome — youth, teens, adults, grandparents, and families from Bonita. Multi-generational participation is encouraged, especially for oral tradition and storytelling sessions.
Do participants get exhibition opportunities?+
Yes — every workshop cycle aims toward public exhibition, publication, or film screening. Un Mar partners with local galleries and museums to return Bonita youth art to the community — not sell it to tourists.
Are cultural arts & storytelling in Bonita really free?+
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs in Bonita are 100% free — including 3/2mm wetsuits, soft-top surfboards, transportation from partner schools like Sunnyside Elementary, Bonita Vista Middle, and certified bilingual instruction. Funding comes from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors. No Bonita family has ever paid for our programming.
Where exactly do cultural arts & storytelling happen in Bonita?+
Bonita is 10 miles inland from the coast, so our cohorts are shuttled to Imperial Beach (10 miles) — our nearest Un Mar teaching beach. Classroom components including curriculum, cultural arts, and tutoring happen at Bonita-Sunnyside Library and partner schools inside Bonita.
What ages can enroll in Bonita?+
We serve youth ages All ages. In Bonita specifically, our recruitment runs through Chula Vista Elementary / Sweetwater Union — with priority enrollment for students from Sunnyside Elementary, Bonita Vista Middle. 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 Imperial Beach (10 miles), supervised by instructors certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division. Water comfort is built progressively. In Bonita, we also run pre-cohort pool-familiarization sessions at inland pools via our Bonita-Sunnyside Library partnership for students who request extra comfort-building.
Are lessons taught in Spanish in Bonita?+
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs are bilingual — and in Bonita, where 41% 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.
How is Un Mar de Colores different from other cultural arts & storytelling in Bonita?+
Three ways: (1) everything is free, while most Bonita surf programs charge $50–$150 per lesson; (2) we are BIPOC-led and our coaches reflect the 68%-BIPOC Bonita 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 Bonita, not just those who can afford access.
How do I sign my Bonita child up?+
Visit our sign-up page or contact us directly. Priority enrollment goes to students of Sunnyside Elementary, Bonita Vista Middle and referrals from Bonita-Sunnyside Library and Sweetwater Union High School District. Summer cohorts fill 3–4 weeks before start, so early contact is recommended.
Ready to Get in the Water?
Volunteer, donate, or enroll — however you join, you're helping Bonita youth access the coast.
All Un Mar de Colores programs are free for Bonita 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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