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Un Mar de Colores · Imperial Beach, CA
Certificate of community service for students — documented hours for South Bay Union School District requirements.
Un Mar de Colores hosts ongoing Ocean Stewardship cleanup and conservation programming across the Imperial Beach area and surrounding coast. Monthly events combine hands-on beach cleanup with environmental justice education, citizen science data collection, and policy literacy. Our Imperial Beach programming partners with Imperial Beach Sports Park, South Bay Alliance, WILDCOAST (Tijuana River watershed partner), and all events are free and family-friendly.
Monthly cleanups, quarterly workshops · Completely free
Imperial Beach is the southernmost beach city in California and ground zero for our Tijuana River watershed work. Beach closures from transboundary sewage flows regularly impact water quality here, which is why our Imperial Beach cohorts combine surf instruction with direct environmental justice education — kids learn about the river and the coast as a single system. Mar Vista Middle and Imperial Beach Elementary are our flagship Title I partners.
Ocean stewardship program in Imperial Beach should connect litter on IB Pier to watershed pipelines and policy — not just bag counts. Our post-cleanup debriefs teach plastic pollution science, California coastal commission basics, and advocacy skills.
BIPOC beach cleanup recruitment in Imperial Beach rewrites coastal conservation demographics — stewardship led by communities historically excluded from eco-volunteer spaces dominated by white participants.
Imperial Beach's Spanish-speaking households (42%) get parent communications in both languages, every time. Coastal access fails when language is treated as an afterthought.
Whether Imperial Beach is on the coast or on the coast 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.
Primary Imperial Beach teaching location — WHEN water quality is safe. Tijuana River sewage flows regularly close this beach.
Imperial Beach sits at the southern terminus of California and is the closest beach to the US-Mexico border. The Tijuana River mouth is 2 miles south.
In partnership with South Bay Union School District and local community organizations, we recruit youth from 3+ Title I schools.
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.
Un Mar de Colores is a BIPOC-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in Oceanside, California in 2018. Our instructors are certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division and hold CPR + First Aid credentials.
“"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."”
Yes — bilingual safety briefings and materials are standard. In Imperial Beach, where 42% of households are Spanish-speaking, English and Spanish instructions precede every event.
Post-cleanup debrief and reflection sessions turn action into learning — plastic pollution science, watershed connections, and advocacy skills. Imperial Beach participants leave as informed stewards, not just tired volunteers.
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 Imperial Beach communities.
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs in Imperial Beach are 100% free — including 3/2mm wetsuits, soft-top surfboards, transportation from partner schools like Imperial Beach Elementary, Oneonta Elementary, Mar Vista Middle School, and certified bilingual instruction. Funding comes from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors. No Imperial Beach family has ever paid for our programming.
Primary water sessions run at IB Pier. Classroom components happen at Imperial Beach Sports Park and other partner sites. All water activities happen within lifeguard-flag zones.
We serve youth ages All ages. In Imperial Beach specifically, our recruitment runs through South Bay Union School District — with priority enrollment for students from Imperial Beach Elementary, Oneonta Elementary, Mar Vista Middle School. 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 IB Pier, supervised by instructors certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division. Water comfort is built progressively. In Imperial Beach, 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 Imperial Beach, where 42% 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 Imperial Beach surf programs charge $50–$150 per lesson; (2) we are BIPOC-led and our coaches reflect the 73%-BIPOC Imperial Beach 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 Imperial Beach, not just those who can afford access.
Visit our sign-up page or contact us directly. Priority enrollment goes to students of Imperial Beach Elementary, Oneonta Elementary, Mar Vista Middle School and referrals from Imperial Beach Sports Park and South Bay Alliance. Summer cohorts fill 3–4 weeks before start, so early contact is recommended.
Ready to get your child in the water? Contact Un Mar de Colores — priority enrollment for Imperial Beach Title I school students.
All Un Mar de Colores programs are free for Imperial Beach 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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