The goal of the Valpo Surf Project is to use surfing instruction and academic mentoring to encourage English language skills, personal character development, and environmental consciousness among underprivileged and at-risk youth in Valparaiso, Chile.



As a group of friends living and surfing in Valparaiso, Chile (often called Valpo by locals), the founders of the Valpo Surf Project wanted to give back to the community they loved and make a positive social contribution to its citizens.

In Chile, most surfing equipment is imported and carries high import duties that make wetsuits and surfboards very expensive. The high cost of equipment associated with the sport means that it is often reserved only for the country’s economic elite. We wanted to make resources available for surfing and its accessibility to the city’s underprivileged youth.

In Valparaiso, a city comprised of homes built on the hills surrounding an industrial port, there is a disconnect between its youthful inhabitants and the ocean. Although most of its inhabitants see the ocean everyday of their lives, many of the city’s youth have never had the opportunity to experience the Pacific Ocean and Chile’s beaches. We wanted to create a way that Valparaiso’s disconnected youth could learn to engage with and protect the nearby marine environment.

The resulting idea evolved into the Valpo Surf Project, a community organization that will engage its young participants with the surrounding marine environment through weekly surf outings and focus on fostering three distinct components: personal character development, environmental consciousness, and English language education.



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