Surf Safe Fellowship

Community safety

South Bay West LA

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

In Los Angeles, outdoor spaces like beaches often feel unsafe or unwelcoming to women of color due to systemic exclusion, cultural stigma, harassment, or a lack of representation. While surfing and coastal recreation can be powerful tools for healing and connection, many don’t feel emotionally or physically safe enough to access them. We’ve found that safety isn’t just about equipment or lifeguards, it’s also about who’s in the lineup, how you’re treated, and whether you feel like you belong. Our community consistently expresses a need for trauma-informed, culturally grounded safety and support when entering ocean spaces, especially while they are still beginners to surfing. This grant addresses that gap between outdoor access and true safety by equipping trusted community members to lead the charge.

The Surf Safe Fellowship is a year-long leadership and safety training program that prepares 10–12 women of color to become peer mentors in their surf communities. Through workshops, hands-on training, and mentorship, fellows will gain skills in ocean safety, trauma-informed care, group facilitation, and conflict de-escalation. They will also receive stipends and certifications for their time and commitment.
The program builds on our existing infrastructure (like boards, gear, and an existing community network) allowing us to invest the majority of funds into training, stipends, and support. Each Surf Safe Fellow will commit to leading or co-facilitating at least 3 free community surf sessions, support circles, or wellness check-ins during the year, all with WOC in mind, as we have been historically excluded from surfing and water sports.
By the end of the program, we’ll have cultivated a trained cohort of culturally competent leaders who can extend the reach of our surf programs while fostering emotional safety, community resilience, and joy!! The Surf Safe Fellowship transforms safety from a service into a shared responsibility.

Los Angeles will have more women of color leading and shaping outdoor spaces. Surf zones that once felt exclusive or unsafe will become sites of community care, healing, and inclusion. The Surf Safe Fellowship creates ripple effects: fellows will lead safer surf days, offer peer support, and help newcomers feel seen and protected. If successful, our model can be replicated in other outdoor spaces like parks, trails, and community pools, shifting the narrative around who belongs and who leads. Long-term, we envision a more connected LA where emotional and physical safety aren’t just the absence of harm, but the presence of true belonging, joy, and cultural visibility, even along our beloved coastline, where we have typically not seen ourselves represented.