Un Mar de Colores · Poway, CA
Pro Surfing Pathways for Poway BIPOC Athletes
Nutrition and physical conditioning modules support contest-ready athletes from Poway barrios.
Un Mar de Colores's Surf Athletic Scholarship program supports competitive BIPOC youth and teens from Poway and the greater San Diego region. Scholarship athletes receive high-performance gear, competition entry fees, coaching, and travel support across the California contest circuit. Training sessions happen at our nearest coastal breaks including La Jolla Shores (18 miles) and Del Mar 15th Street (14 miles) (closest breaks to Poway). Referrals and nominations come through Poway Unified School District athletics programs and our partner community organizations.
Schedule — Poway Program Days
Ongoing · Completely free
You Might Be Feeling This
- —Your athlete trains alone — no mentorship from BIPOC pros who navigated the same barriers from inland Poway.
- —College surf scholarship counseling doesn't exist at Poway Unified School District — your teen doesn't know NCAA or alternative pathways.
- —Your teen's coach is great at lessons but has no contest prep experience — strategy, heat tactics, and mental game missing.
What Changes When Youth Get in the Water
- One-on-one coaching from certified trainers with contest prep expertise — heat strategy, tactics, mental game.
- Sponsorship navigation and athlete branding taught honestly — industry literacy for Poway families.
- Mentorship from professional BIPOC surfers and alumni who reflect Poway communities.
Why We Run This Program in Poway
Poway is an inland North County city home to Poway Unified School District, one of the largest K-12 districts in California. Our Poway cohorts travel to Del Mar's 15th Street Beach and La Jolla Shores for water programming, with classroom partnership at Poway Library and the Poway Center for the Performing Arts for cultural programming.
- Population
- 48,841
- BIPOC residents
- 46%
- Spanish-speaking households
- 17%
- Distance to beach
- 14 mi
Surf Athletic Scholarship in Poway — What You Should Know
Contest travel costs from Poway to California circuit events — NSSA, WSA, regional qualifiers — are covered for scholarship athletes. Families aren't fundraising every weekend (14 miles inland inland adds transport costs Un Mar absorbs).
With 17% Spanish-speaking households in Poway, bilingual parent communications during contest season keep families informed — registration deadlines, travel logistics, and scholarship coverage explained in English and Spanish.
Why Poway Matters to Our Mission
With 48,841 residents, Poway is one of the communities where a single free surf cohort can change dozens of lives per season. Our shuttles and school partnerships make distance (14 miles inland) a logistics problem we solve, not a barrier families carry alone.
Recruitment in Poway 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 Poway Partners & Referral Sources
In partnership with Poway Unified School District and local community organizations, we recruit youth from 2+ Title I schools.
School district & Title I partners
- Poway Unified School District
- •Meadowbrook Middle
- •Valley Elementary (Poway)
Community partners
- ◆Poway Unified School District
- ◆Poway Library
- ◆Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego (Poway branch)
Program Curriculum
The Surf Athletic Scholarship program supports BIPOC youth and teens pursuing competitive surfing at the scholarship or professional level. The program provides high-performance wetsuits and boards, pays all competition entry fees, covers contest travel costs across the California circuit, and provides one-on-one coaching from certified trainers. Scholarship recipients are mentored by alumni and partner professional BIPOC surfers, and the program specifically addresses the financial barriers that have historically excluded Latino, Indigenous, and Black youth from the competitive surf pipeline.
- →Competitive coaching and contest prep
- →Physical conditioning and nutrition
- →Mental performance and visualization
- →Sponsorship navigation and athlete branding
- →Mentorship from professional BIPOC surfers
- →College and pro-surfing pathway counseling
What's Included — Free for Every Poway Youth
- ✓High-performance wetsuits and boards
- ✓Competition entry fees paid
- ✓Travel costs for California contest circuit
- ✓One-on-one coaching from certified trainers
- ✓Physical therapy and injury prevention
- ✓Annual contest gear package
Why Un Mar de Colores
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.
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 — Surf Athletic Scholarship in Poway
Who qualifies for surf scholarship from Poway?+
BIPOC youth and teens pursuing competitive surfing at scholarship or professional levels. Priority for athletes demonstrating contest-ready skill and financial need — often referred from Poway Unified School District counselors or Un Mar surf lessons and camp in Poway. Competitive enrollment, not open beginner access.
What does the Surf Athletic Scholarship cover in Poway?+
Scholarship covers competition entry fees, California contest circuit travel (transport, lodging, meals), high-performance wetsuits and boards, one-on-one coaching, physical therapy and injury prevention, mental performance training, nutrition and conditioning modules, and mentorship from professional BIPOC surfers. Poway families pay nothing.
Is travel to contests covered from Poway?+
Yes — travel costs for contest weekends are covered including transport, lodging, and meals. Inland Poway families (14 miles inland from many events) aren't fundraising every competition weekend.
Are surf athletic scholarship in Poway really free?+
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs in Poway are 100% free — including 3/2mm wetsuits, soft-top surfboards, transportation from partner schools like Meadowbrook Middle, Valley Elementary (Poway), and certified bilingual instruction. Funding comes from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors. No Poway family has ever paid for our programming.
Where exactly do surf athletic scholarship happen in Poway?+
Poway is 14 miles inland from the coast, so our cohorts are shuttled to La Jolla Shores (18 miles) — our nearest Un Mar teaching beach. Classroom components including curriculum, cultural arts, and tutoring happen at Poway Unified School District and partner schools inside Poway.
What ages can enroll in Poway?+
We serve youth ages Youth & teens. In Poway specifically, our recruitment runs through Poway Unified School District — with priority enrollment for students from Meadowbrook Middle, Valley Elementary (Poway). 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 La Jolla Shores (18 miles), supervised by instructors certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division. Water comfort is built progressively. In Poway, we also run pre-cohort pool-familiarization sessions at inland pools via our Poway Unified School District partnership for students who request extra comfort-building.
Are lessons taught in Spanish in Poway?+
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs are bilingual — and in Poway, where 17% 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 surf athletic scholarship in Poway?+
Three ways: (1) everything is free, while most Poway surf programs charge $50–$150 per lesson; (2) we are BIPOC-led and our coaches reflect the 46%-BIPOC Poway 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 Poway, not just those who can afford access.
How do I sign my Poway child up?+
Visit our sign-up page or contact us directly. Priority enrollment goes to students of Meadowbrook Middle, Valley Elementary (Poway) and referrals from Poway Unified School District and Poway Library. Summer cohorts fill 3–4 weeks before start, so early contact is recommended.
Ready to Get in the Water?
Every Poway child deserves the ocean. Start with a single conversation — we'll handle the rest.
All Un Mar de Colores programs are free for Poway 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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