Un Mar de Colores · Solana Beach, CA
Branded volunteer gear and appreciation events — Solana Beach volunteers recognized, not invisible labor.
Un Mar de Colores welcomes adult volunteers (18+) from Solana Beach to support beach cleanups, youth mentorship, event logistics, and community organizing across San Diego County. Solana Beach volunteers regularly support our programming at Fletcher Cove and partner community sites including La Colonia de Eden Gardens Community Center and Boys & Girls Club of Solana Beach. We provide free orientation, cultural competency training, and pay for your background check.
Ongoing (monthly events + weekly program support) · Completely free
Solana Beach's Fletcher Cove is one of North County's safest lifeguarded swim-and-surf beaches, making it ideal for our One Ocean Scholarship cohorts. We partner with Solana Beach School District and the San Dieguito Union High School District for youth recruitment, with a focus on inland neighborhoods east of I-5 where coastal access is geographically close but economically out of reach.
Parents searching volunteer opportunities near Solana Beach, CA find corporate one-day events first. Un Mar volunteer program is different: BIPOC-led nonprofit with monthly continuity, youth mentorship training, and recruitment prioritizing communities where 24% of residents have been gated from coastal stewardship.
Youth mentorship volunteers for Ocean Stewards after-school support Solana Beach teens Tuesday–Thursday — tutoring, environmental literacy, and Thursday beach days near Fletcher Cove. Background check paid by Un Mar.
Safe, lifeguard-coordinated instruction is non-negotiable for Solana Beach youth. Every water session runs inside flagged zones with certified coaches — parents shouldn't have to choose between access and safety.
Parents in Solana Beach often ask how a nonprofit can offer everything free. Answer: San Diego Foundation grants, community donors, and partners who believe Solana Beach youth belong in the lineup — same as any other kid in San Diego.
Primary Solana Beach teaching location. One of North County's safest lifeguarded swim-and-surf beaches.
Fletcher Cove was opened in 1946 after dynamite was used to blast through the sandstone bluffs — creating the only public beach access in Solana Beach.
In partnership with Solana Beach School District and local community organizations, we recruit youth from 2+ 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.
Since 2018, Un Mar de Colores has served thousands of youth across San Diego County and the Cali-Baja region — with funding from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors keeping every program 100% free.
“"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 — 100% free. Orientation and training cost nothing. Un Mar pays background checks for direct-youth volunteers — typically $40–$75 elsewhere. No participation fees or gear purchases for Solana Beach volunteers.
Free volunteer orientation, cultural competency training for direct-youth roles, youth-safety training, and cleanup safety briefings. Solana Beach adults mentor BIPOC youth with documented protocols — not improvisation.
Monthly cleanups across Oceanside, Imperial Beach, Cardiff, and partner sites accessible from Solana Beach. Quarterly workshops deepen advocacy skills for volunteers ready to organize beyond debris removal.
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs in Solana Beach are 100% free — including 3/2mm wetsuits, soft-top surfboards, transportation from partner schools like Solana Vista Elementary, Skyline School, and certified bilingual instruction. Funding comes from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors. No Solana Beach family has ever paid for our programming.
Primary water sessions run at Fletcher Cove. Classroom components happen at La Colonia de Eden Gardens Community Center and other partner sites. All water activities happen within lifeguard-flag zones.
We serve youth ages 18+. In Solana Beach specifically, our recruitment runs through Solana Beach School District — with priority enrollment for students from Solana Vista Elementary, Skyline 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 Fletcher Cove, supervised by instructors certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division. Water comfort is built progressively. In Solana 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 Solana Beach, where 14% 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 Solana Beach surf programs charge $50–$150 per lesson; (2) we are BIPOC-led and our coaches reflect the 24%-BIPOC Solana 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 Solana Beach, not just those who can afford access.
Visit our sign-up page or contact us directly. Priority enrollment goes to students of Solana Vista Elementary, Skyline School and referrals from La Colonia de Eden Gardens Community Center and Boys & Girls Club of Solana Beach. Summer cohorts fill 3–4 weeks before start, so early contact is recommended.
Every Solana Beach child deserves the ocean. Start with a single conversation — we'll handle the rest.
All Un Mar de Colores programs are free for Solana 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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