URBAN SURFOLOGY

Become an Urban Surfology Speaker

Urban Surfology provides surf/skate themed topics and an introduction to a variety of careers right to the doorstep of teens ages 13-18 years old who live in residential care (group homes). The year-long after-school program is conducted once-a-week in six-week sessions and combines health and wellness, occupational therapy, coping skills, and influential volunteer guest speakers to introduce an array of action sport industry career opportunities.

Past speakers have included influencers from Bird’s Surf Shed, Reef, PushPark Co, Surf Park Central, Hemlock Co, SurfLoch, Blueview, and many more. Volunteer speakers shared personal stories of overcoming adversity, healthy coping skills, introduction into their career field, and the positive impact action sports has had in their lives.

Note: For teens in foster care ages 13-18 years old who reside in a six-month intensive therapeutic treatment program designated for socially maladjusted kids and kids healing from severe childhood trauma.

Details of Urban Surfology:
When: Mondays 4-5pm
Where: Male Teenage group home in Spring Valley, California
Attire: Casual (tees, shorts, sandals, etc)

Schedule:
3:45-4pm: (Optional) Icebreakers with participants
4:00-4:10pm: Program Start / Stretches
4:10-4:50: Presenter Speech
4:50-5pm: Q&A

Presentation topics:

● Profession
- ○ An overview of your career
- ○ What a typical day looks like
- ○ Favorite part of your profession
- ○ How to get started (college, apprenticeship, etc)
- ○ Advice for someone who is interested
● Surfing
- ○ Years / months involved
- ○ Positive impacts on your life
- ○ Most memorable surf story
- ○ Places you’ve traveled to
- ○ Tips for someone who’s new
● Personal interests
- ○ Hobbies
- ○ Current/future goals
- ○ Healthy coping mechanisms
● Highs and lows of life
- ○ What has been the highlight of your life?
- ○ What was a low point in your life and how were you able to get past it?
- ○ What healthy coping mechanisms did you use that helped you past your low point? (Exercising, journaling, meditating, talking to a loved one or professional, etc)
● Advice / Words of Encouragement
- ○ Advice you wish you had when you were a teenager
- ○ How to overcome a bad situation or rough patch in life

Urban Surfology Program Mentorship

Thank you for your interest in speaking and spending time with our youth. Like many other teens in group homes, we are the only adult interaction they have besides their staff, social worker and educators. Urban Surf 4 Kids appreciates having you in our Ohana!

Please note that Urban Surfology is a 6-week session that runs 3x a year. If we do not reach out to you after submission, it may mean we already have speakers lined up for the current session. For questions or inquiries, please reach out to roxanne@us4k.org.