Un Mar de Colores · Chula Vista, CA
Indigenous Coastal Storytelling — Free in Chula Vista
Partnerships with local galleries and museums amplify Chula Vista youth voices beyond the beach.
Un Mar de Colores's Cultural Arts & Storytelling workshops center Indigenous, Latino, and Chicano voices of the California coast — and Chula Vista youth are welcome in every cohort. Quarterly workshops run throughout San Diego County in partnership with Chula Vista Elementary School District and Sweetwater Union High School District, with summer artist residencies open to Chula Vista students via referral from Chula Vista Elementary School District / Sweetwater Union High. All supplies, instruction, and exhibition opportunities are provided at no cost.
Schedule — Chula Vista Program Days
Quarterly workshops + summer artist residencies · Completely free
You Might Be Feeling This
- —Cultural arts feel separate from environmental work — you want Chula Vista youth connecting watershed stories to visual art.
- —Your child is creative but art classes in Chula Vista cost more per session than your family can sustain monthly.
- —Commercial 'surf art' classes paint palm trees for tourists — not stories from Chula Vista neighborhoods.
What Changes When Youth Get in the Water
- Culturally grounded curriculum — Indigenous and Latino coastal narratives as foundation, not supplement.
- All ages welcome — multi-generational Chula Vista households create together.
- Integration with watershed and Ocean Stewards programming — art connected to environmental literacy.
Why We Run This Program in Chula Vista
Chula Vista is California's 14th-largest city and home to one of the largest Latino populations in San Diego County — 58% Hispanic/Latino per the 2020 Census. We partner with Chula Vista Elementary School District (45,000+ students) and Sweetwater Union High to transport youth from Castle Park, Harborside, and Lauderbach Elementary to Imperial Beach and Coronado for free surf and ocean programming.
- Population
- 275,487
- BIPOC residents
- 81%
- Spanish-speaking households
- 58%
- Distance to beach
- 10 mi
Cultural Arts & Storytelling in Chula Vista — What You Should Know
Free cultural arts for Chula Vista communities is part of Un Mar's BIPOC-led Cali-Baja movement — coastal culture as community right, not gallery commodity.
Publication opportunities — zines, anthologies, community screenings — return Chula Vista youth art to neighborhoods that made it.
Why Chula Vista Matters to Our Mission
Chula Vista's Spanish-speaking households (58%) get parent communications in both languages, every time. Coastal access fails when language is treated as an afterthought.
Whether Chula Vista is on the coast or 10 miles inland inland, we treat transportation as part of the program — not an extra parents must figure out. That's how you build real access, not marketing copy.
Local Chula Vista Partners & Referral Sources
In partnership with Chula Vista Elementary School District / Sweetwater Union High and local community organizations, we recruit youth from 5+ Title I schools.
School district & Title I partners
- Chula Vista Elementary School District / Sweetwater Union High
- •Rosebank Elementary
- •Castle Park Elementary
- •Harborside Elementary
- •Lauderbach Elementary
- •Chula Vista Middle
Community partners
- ◆Chula Vista Elementary School District
- ◆Sweetwater Union High School District
- ◆Chula Vista Public Library (Civic Center Branch)
- ◆South Bay Community Services
- ◆Casa Familiar
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 Chula Vista 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
Program safety is documented: lifeguard coordination, 4:1 ratios on youth water days, trauma-informed staff training, and parent communication protocols in English and Spanish.
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 Chula Vista
Can schools from Chula Vista Elementary School District / Sweetwater Union High book arts workshops?+
Yes — we partner with Title I schools for culturally grounded arts field experiences. Contact Un Mar to coordinate a Chula Vista classroom or after-school arts session.
What are summer artist residencies?+
Immersive multi-day residencies with professional BIPOC guest artists — deeper creation than single quarterly workshops. Free for Chula Vista youth including supplies, mentorship, and exhibition output. Commercial residencies often charge tuition.
Is Chicano surf culture taught?+
Yes — Latino and Chicano surf culture history modules center longboard traditions, barrio surf scenes, and coastal narratives excluded from mainstream media and Chula Vista Elementary School District / Sweetwater Union High curriculum.
Are cultural arts & storytelling in Chula Vista really free?+
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs in Chula Vista are 100% free — including 3/2mm wetsuits, soft-top surfboards, transportation from partner schools like Rosebank Elementary, Castle Park Elementary, Harborside Elementary, and certified bilingual instruction. Funding comes from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors. No Chula Vista family has ever paid for our programming.
Where exactly do cultural arts & storytelling happen in Chula Vista?+
Chula Vista 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 Chula Vista Elementary School District and partner schools inside Chula Vista.
What ages can enroll in Chula Vista?+
We serve youth ages All ages. In Chula Vista specifically, our recruitment runs through Chula Vista Elementary School District / Sweetwater Union High — with priority enrollment for students from Rosebank Elementary, Castle Park Elementary, Harborside Elementary and 2 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 Imperial Beach (10 miles), supervised by instructors certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division. Water comfort is built progressively. In Chula Vista, we also run pre-cohort pool-familiarization sessions at inland pools via our Chula Vista Elementary School District partnership for students who request extra comfort-building.
Are lessons taught in Spanish in Chula Vista?+
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs are bilingual — and in Chula Vista, where 58% 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 Chula Vista?+
Three ways: (1) everything is free, while most Chula Vista surf programs charge $50–$150 per lesson; (2) we are BIPOC-led and our coaches reflect the 81%-BIPOC Chula Vista 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 Chula Vista, not just those who can afford access.
How do I sign my Chula Vista child up?+
Visit our sign-up page or contact us directly. Priority enrollment goes to students of Rosebank Elementary, Castle Park Elementary, Harborside Elementary and referrals from Chula Vista Elementary School District 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?
Sign your Chula Vista youth up today — every program is 100% free, with wetsuits, boards, and transportation included.
All Un Mar de Colores programs are free for Chula Vista 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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