Un Mar de Colores · Imperial Beach, CA
Free volunteer orientation, paid background check, and cultural competency training for every direct-youth volunteer.
Un Mar de Colores welcomes adult volunteers (18+) from Imperial Beach to support beach cleanups, youth mentorship, event logistics, and community organizing across San Diego County. Imperial Beach volunteers regularly support our programming at IB Pier and partner community sites including Imperial Beach Sports Park and South Bay Alliance. We provide free orientation, cultural competency training, and pay for your background check.
Ongoing (monthly events + weekly program support) · 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.
Beach cleanup volunteers from Imperial Beach receive supplies, bilingual safety briefings, citizen science training, and certificates of service — no registration fees unlike some eco-tourism 'volunteer' experiences.
Volunteer with Un Mar from Imperial Beach is part of BIPOC-led Cali-Baja ocean equity movement — mentorship and stewardship as community infrastructure, not charity tourism.
Imperial Beach families deserve instructors who look like their kids and speak their language. With 73% BIPOC residents, bilingual coaching isn't a nice-to-have — it's how we earn trust on day one.
The ocean off Imperial Beach belongs to everyone. Un Mar de Colores exists because San Diego has spent decades telling BIPOC youth otherwise — and we're changing that story one cohort at a time.
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.
Volunteers are the backbone of Un Mar de Colores. Monthly beach cleanups, weekly after-school program support, annual Surf Fiesta events, and ongoing community organizing all rely on volunteers from across San Diego County. We welcome adult volunteers (18+) with a range of skill sets and time commitments — from single-event cleanup volunteers to weekly mentors supporting Ocean Stewards. All volunteers complete a free orientation and a paid background check, and we provide cultural competency training to every direct-youth volunteer.
We do not charge families. Ever. That policy is structural — grants, donors, and shop revenue fund access so Imperial Beach youth are never waitlisted for inability to pay.
“"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."”
Training prepares volunteers to mentor BIPOC youth respectfully — avoiding savior dynamics, honoring cultural context, and supporting trauma-informed environments. Required before direct-youth pairing for Imperial Beach mentors.
Free volunteer orientation, cultural competency training for direct-youth roles, youth-safety training, and cleanup safety briefings. Imperial Beach adults mentor BIPOC youth with documented protocols — not improvisation.
Contact Un Mar de Colores or complete our volunteer interest form. Attend free orientation, complete training matched to your role, and background check if mentoring youth. We'll match Imperial Beach adults to cleanup, event, or mentorship tracks.
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 18+. 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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