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Un Mar de Colores · El Cajon, CA
Community Ocean Stewardship for El Cajon Families
We prioritize recruitment from BIPOC communities in El Cajon where coastal access has been gated by cost and culture.
Un Mar de Colores hosts ongoing Ocean Stewardship cleanup and conservation programming across the El Cajon area and surrounding coast. Monthly events combine hands-on beach cleanup with environmental justice education, citizen science data collection, and policy literacy. Our El Cajon programming partners with Cajon Valley Union School District, El Cajon Library, Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce, and all events are free and family-friendly.
Schedule — El Cajon Program Days
Monthly cleanups, quarterly workshops · Completely free
You Might Be Feeling This
- —You see trash on OB Pier (14 miles) and Coronado Central (13 miles) every visit but don't know how to organize safe, effective cleanup action in El Cajon.
- —The coast near El Cajon feels like a backdrop for photos, not a place your community is responsible for stewarding.
- —One-off Earth Day events don't build continuity — you want monthly action with the same community.
What Changes When Youth Get in the Water
- Recruitment prioritizes BIPOC communities in El Cajon — rewriting who stewards the coast.
- California coastal commission policy basics — El Cajon participants learn how coastal rules affect their beaches.
- Environmental justice education woven into every event — why beaches close, who bears pollution burden.
Why We Run This Program in El Cajon
El Cajon is home to one of the largest Middle Eastern/Chaldean communities in the United States and a 32% Hispanic/Latino population. Our El Cajon cohorts shuttle 14 miles to OB Pier, with cultural programming tailored to the city's unique demographic mix. Cajon Valley Union's Bostonia and Chase Avenue Elementary are our anchor partnerships.
- Population
- 106,215
- BIPOC residents
- 55%
- Spanish-speaking households
- 32%
- Distance to beach
- 14 mi
Ocean Stewardship in El Cajon — What You Should Know
Ocean stewardship near OB Pier (14 miles) and Coronado Central (13 miles) partners with Ocean Stewards after-school — El Cajon teens connect classroom science to monthly sand action.
Quarterly ocean stewardship workshops in San Diego deepen advocacy and organizing skills for El Cajon participants ready to move beyond monthly cleanups.
Why El Cajon Matters to Our Mission
Serving El Cajon 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.
Recruitment in El Cajon 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.
Local El Cajon Partners & Referral Sources
In partnership with Cajon Valley Union School District / Grossmont Union High and local community organizations, we recruit youth from 4+ Title I schools.
School district & Title I partners
- Cajon Valley Union School District / Grossmont Union High
- •Bostonia Elementary
- •Chase Avenue Elementary
- •Cajon Valley Middle
- •El Cajon Valley High
Community partners
- ◆Cajon Valley Union School District
- ◆El Cajon Library
- ◆Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce
- ◆Grossmont College (student volunteers)
Program Curriculum
Ocean Stewardship at Un Mar de Colores connects coastal cleanup action with deeper environmental justice education. Monthly cleanups run across Oceanside, Imperial Beach, Cardiff, and partner sites, with each event combining hands-on debris removal with short teaching moments about the watershed-to-ocean pipeline, the plastic pollution crisis, and California coastal policy. Our Ocean Stewardship program is free and family-friendly, and we specifically prioritize recruitment from BIPOC communities whose relationships with the coast have historically been gated by cost or culture. Every participant contributes to our citizen science database tracking pollution patterns across San Diego County.
- →Beach cleanup fundamentals and safe practices
- →Plastic pollution and marine debris science
- →California coastal commission policy basics
- →Watershed-to-ocean connection
- →Citizen science data collection protocols
- →Advocacy and community organizing skills
What's Included — Free for Every El Cajon Youth
- ✓Cleanup supplies (buckets, grabbers, gloves)
- ✓Bilingual safety briefings
- ✓Data collection training
- ✓Post-cleanup debrief and reflection
- ✓Certificate of community service
- ✓Family-friendly participation
Why Un Mar de Colores
Our coaches include graduates of the Surf Athletic Scholarship program and bilingual educators who reflect the BIPOC communities we serve. We partner with 15+ Title I schools across North County and San Diego.
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 — Ocean Stewardship in El Cajon
When are beach cleanups near El Cajon?+
Un Mar de Colores runs monthly beach cleanups across San Diego County — Oceanside, Imperial Beach, Cardiff, and partner sites accessible from El Cajon. Quarterly workshops add deeper advocacy training. Check our calendar for the next event near OB Pier (14 miles) and Coronado Central (13 miles).
Are quarterly workshops separate from monthly cleanups?+
Quarterly workshops deepen advocacy and community organizing beyond debris removal — recommended for El Cajon participants who want to move from volunteer to organizer. Cleanups remain monthly entry points.
How is Un Mar cleanup different from corporate beach days?+
Corporate events are often one-day photo ops without data, policy education, or BIPOC recruitment priority. Un Mar offers monthly continuity, citizen science, environmental justice curriculum, and BIPOC-led stewardship for El Cajon communities.
Are ocean stewardship in El Cajon really free?+
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs in El Cajon are 100% free — including 3/2mm wetsuits, soft-top surfboards, transportation from partner schools like Bostonia Elementary, Chase Avenue Elementary, Cajon Valley Middle, and certified bilingual instruction. Funding comes from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors. No El Cajon family has ever paid for our programming.
Where exactly do ocean stewardship happen in El Cajon?+
El Cajon is 14 miles inland from the coast, so our cohorts are shuttled to OB Pier (14 miles) — our nearest Un Mar teaching beach. Classroom components including curriculum, cultural arts, and tutoring happen at Cajon Valley Union School District and partner schools inside El Cajon.
What ages can enroll in El Cajon?+
We serve youth ages All ages. In El Cajon specifically, our recruitment runs through Cajon Valley Union School District / Grossmont Union High — with priority enrollment for students from Bostonia Elementary, Chase Avenue Elementary, Cajon Valley Middle and 1 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 OB Pier (14 miles), supervised by instructors certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division. Water comfort is built progressively. In El Cajon, we also run pre-cohort pool-familiarization sessions at inland pools via our Cajon Valley Union School District partnership for students who request extra comfort-building.
Are lessons taught in Spanish in El Cajon?+
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs are bilingual — and in El Cajon, where 32% 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 ocean stewardship in El Cajon?+
Three ways: (1) everything is free, while most El Cajon surf programs charge $50–$150 per lesson; (2) we are BIPOC-led and our coaches reflect the 55%-BIPOC El Cajon 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 El Cajon, not just those who can afford access.
How do I sign my El Cajon child up?+
Visit our sign-up page or contact us directly. Priority enrollment goes to students of Bostonia Elementary, Chase Avenue Elementary, Cajon Valley Middle and referrals from Cajon Valley Union School District and El Cajon Library. Summer cohorts fill 3–4 weeks before start, so early contact is recommended.
Ready to Get in the Water?
Spots in our El Cajon cohorts are limited to keep instructor ratios safe. Contact us to reserve a place.
All Un Mar de Colores programs are free for El Cajon 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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