Un Mar de Colores · Spring Valley, CA
Free School Field Trips: Watershed Education from Spring Valley
Family engagement opportunities — parents from Spring Valley join field days and overnight orientation sessions.
Un Mar de Colores's Watershed Explorers program brings Spring Valley youth into the full watershed-to-ocean story of San Diego County. Day trips and overnight summer cohorts trace mountain streams from Cuyamaca State Park to the coast, returning to OB Pier (13 miles) and Coronado Central (12 miles) (closest breaks to Spring Valley) for ocean-based lessons. We partner with La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools and community organizations including La Mesa-Spring Valley School District and Spring Valley Library to recruit from La Presa Elementary, Loma Elementary, Kempton Street Literacy Academy. Every program integrates the Tijuana River watershed case study — the only cross-border river in Southern California.
Schedule — Spring Valley Program Days
Summer cohorts + year-round school field trips · Completely free
You Might Be Feeling This
- —College pathways in marine science feel vague — watershed education should connect to careers, not just camp memories.
- —You want grandparents involved — many environmental programs aren't family-accessible from Spring Valley.
- —Tijuana River pollution closes beaches and nobody at La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools explains the cross-border watershed to your family.
What Changes When Youth Get in the Water
- Citizen science data collection on field trips — student work contributes to real watershed databases.
- Tijuana River cross-border case study — honest teaching about pollution, policy, and environmental justice.
- Climate change and coastal resilience modules connect science to Spring Valley beaches your family uses.
Why We Run This Program in Spring Valley
Spring Valley is 53% Hispanic/Latino and 13% Black — serving one of the most culturally diverse communities in East County. Our cohorts travel from La Presa Elementary and Kempton Street Literacy Academy to OB Pier, with classroom programming anchored at Spring Valley Library. We prioritize this partnership because of the city's distance from the coast and demographic alignment with our mission.
- Population
- 29,209
- BIPOC residents
- 79%
- Spanish-speaking households
- 45%
- Distance to beach
- 12 mi
Watershed Education in Spring Valley — What You Should Know
Citizen science on watershed field trips lets Spring Valley students contribute hydrology data — science with public impact, not disposable worksheets.
Free watershed education in Spring Valley is Watershed Explorers and year-round field trips at Un Mar de Colores — tracing water from Cuyamaca Rancho State Park mountain streams to the San Diego coast. Overnight summer cohorts and La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools day trips include bilingual materials, naturalist educators, and transportation at zero cost.
Why Spring Valley Matters to Our Mission
Environmental justice in Spring Valley isn't abstract: watershed health, beach closures, and plastic pollution affect the same communities we serve. Our programs connect surf skills to stewardship of San Diego's coastline.
Parents in Spring Valley often ask how a nonprofit can offer everything free. Answer: San Diego Foundation grants, community donors, and partners who believe Spring Valley youth belong in the lineup — same as any other kid in San Diego.
Local Spring Valley Partners & Referral Sources
In partnership with La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools and local community organizations, we recruit youth from 3+ Title I schools.
School district & Title I partners
- La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools
- •La Presa Elementary
- •Loma Elementary
- •Kempton Street Literacy Academy
Community partners
- ◆La Mesa-Spring Valley School District
- ◆Spring Valley Library
- ◆Grossmont Union High School District
Program Curriculum
The Watershed Explorers program is Un Mar de Colores's flagship environmental education offering. Summer overnight cohorts trace the journey from Cuyamaca Rancho State Park's mountain streams to the San Diego coast, with special focus on the Tijuana River watershed — California's most cross-border and pollution-impacted river system. Curriculum integrates hydrology fundamentals, Indigenous Kumeyaay perspectives on water, and California coastal policy. Year-round day trips serve school field-trip groups across our 15+ Title I partner schools, and all programming is free with transportation included.
- →Hydrology fundamentals
- →Cuyamaca to coast watershed tracing
- →Tijuana River cross-border watershed case study
- →Indigenous Kumeyaay relationship with water
- →Climate change and coastal resilience
- →Policy and advocacy for clean water
What's Included — Free for Every Spring Valley Youth
- ✓Overnight summer program option (Watershed Explorers)
- ✓Day-trip school field trips throughout the year
- ✓Bilingual curriculum materials
- ✓Transportation from partner schools
- ✓Certified naturalist educators
- ✓Family engagement opportunities
Why Un Mar de Colores
Un Mar is a member of the surf equity ecosystem across California — connected to Surf Justice Collective, Native Like Water, and cross-border watershed coalitions.
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 — Watershed Education in Spring Valley
How does Kumeyaay culture appear in watershed education?+
Indigenous Kumeyaay relationship with water is integrated into hydrology fundamentals — not a token acknowledgment. Spring Valley Indigenous and Latino youth learn coastal stewardship narratives alongside flow measurement and pollution tracing.
Is transportation provided from Spring Valley?+
Transportation from partner Title I schools is included for classroom field trips. Inland Spring Valley classrooms (12 miles inland from mountain or coastal sites) reach field locations because Un Mar solves buses — not teachers fundraising.
How is watershed education different from aquarium field trips?+
Aquarium trips show marine life in tanks. Watershed education traces the full pipeline — students stand in mountain streams, visit estuaries, and connect runoff from Spring Valley to conditions at OB Pier (13 miles) and Coronado Central (12 miles). Field science with advocacy depth.
Are watershed education in Spring Valley really free?+
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs in Spring Valley are 100% free — including 3/2mm wetsuits, soft-top surfboards, transportation from partner schools like La Presa Elementary, Loma Elementary, Kempton Street Literacy Academy, and certified bilingual instruction. Funding comes from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors. No Spring Valley family has ever paid for our programming.
Where exactly do watershed education happen in Spring Valley?+
Spring Valley is 12 miles inland from the coast, so our cohorts are shuttled to OB Pier (13 miles) — our nearest Un Mar teaching beach. Classroom components including curriculum, cultural arts, and tutoring happen at La Mesa-Spring Valley School District and partner schools inside Spring Valley.
What ages can enroll in Spring Valley?+
We serve youth ages All ages. In Spring Valley specifically, our recruitment runs through La Mesa-Spring Valley Schools — with priority enrollment for students from La Presa Elementary, Loma Elementary, Kempton Street Literacy Academy. 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 (13 miles), supervised by instructors certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division. Water comfort is built progressively. In Spring Valley, we also run pre-cohort pool-familiarization sessions at inland pools via our La Mesa-Spring Valley School District partnership for students who request extra comfort-building.
Are lessons taught in Spanish in Spring Valley?+
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs are bilingual — and in Spring Valley, where 45% 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 watershed education in Spring Valley?+
Three ways: (1) everything is free, while most Spring Valley surf programs charge $50–$150 per lesson; (2) we are BIPOC-led and our coaches reflect the 79%-BIPOC Spring Valley 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 Spring Valley, not just those who can afford access.
How do I sign my Spring Valley child up?+
Visit our sign-up page or contact us directly. Priority enrollment goes to students of La Presa Elementary, Loma Elementary, Kempton Street Literacy Academy and referrals from La Mesa-Spring Valley School District and Spring Valley Library. Summer cohorts fill 3–4 weeks before start, so early contact is recommended.
Ready to Get in the Water?
Free means free. No hidden fees, no gear costs, no transportation charges for Spring Valley participants.
All Un Mar de Colores programs are free for Spring Valley 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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