Programs Creating Community-Led Impact
At Changing Tides, we empower young women to build confidence, develop skills, and find community through skating and surfing.
Surf Mentorship Program
Our flagship surf-and-mentorship program.
Our surf mentorship program uses surfing, ocean connection, mental wellness tools, and environmental education to uplift underserved teen girls and young women.
Our mentorship program has been implemented with community partners in Panama, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Peru, and Southern California—including a San Diego cohort serving unhoused and housing-insecure girls through partnerships with Monarch School and GroundSwell Community Project.
What Participants Are Saying
"It has taught me how to love myself and how to give me more self confidence"
— Teen Participant
"The thing I learned is that there are a lot of people going through some of the same things you are and you don't have to feel alone."
— Teen Participant
"I learned that I have a lot of girls supporting me and women who can help me with life and any problems I have."
— Teen Participant
"My favorite thing was being around other women and feeling so empowered."
— Teen Participant
A short film about our Surf Mentorship Program
This short film dives into our surf mentorship program and the profound growth it sparks.
The ocean is for everyone, but often surf lineups can often be rife with gender disparities. Through our Women’s Outreach Mentorship Program (WOMP), these girls form a relationship with the ocean for the first time through surfing.
As they develop their newfound confidence in and out of the water, the bonds of sisterhood, friendship and community begin to shift the Southern California surf scene on a foundational level. Jump in.
Skate Mentorship Program (Launching 2026)
Launching in mid-March 2026 (with public fundraising beginning in February), our Skate Mentorship Program adapts the heart of our surf program for youth who live farther from the coast.
By bringing movement-based mentorship “inland,” the program removes logistical barriers and creates new pathways for girls and gender-expansive youth to access community, confidence, and consistent support.
COMING SOON!
OUR PROGRAMS IN SAN DIEGO
Since 2022, our San Diego surf mentorship program has empowered over 100 young women to build confidence, community, and connection through the ocean.
Partnering with organizations like Casa de Amistad and Monarch School, we pair each participant with inspiring female mentors who guide them both in and out of the water.
Together, they explore surfing as a tool for self-discovery, resilience, and belonging.
OUR PROGRAMS ABROAD
We’ve partnered with local nonprofits in a handful of countries internationally since our founding in 2016.
Our first-ever teen surf program launched in Bocas del Toro, Panama, in collaboration with Give & Surf, bringing local girls into the ocean for the very first time.
Since then, we’ve partnered with organizations including The Mariposa Foundation in the Dominican Republic, Beyond the Surface Foundation in Peru, and Hijas del Mar in El Salvador, expanding access to the ocean while supporting locally led initiatives that empower girls to grow confident, capable, and connected to their coastlines.
Educational & Environmental Campaigns
Explore our broader engagement campaigns and advocacy initiatives that support the mission of empowering women and protecting the planet.
