Earth Day comes and goes once a year to remind us of the importance of caring for our planet. As an organization that incorporates environmental education into our programming, we encourage our community to treat every day like it’s Earth Day. The ocean is an integral part of our programs here at VSP. It is our playground and refuge. Many of our students come from rough areas in Valparaíso which forces them to mature quickly. Being in the ocean gives them an opportunity to pl

The beginning of 2021 has been filled with hardships and hope. Chile is facing the worst of a second wave of COVID-19 infections. The majority of the country, including Valparaíso, is once again under a strict quarantine and has been since the beginning of March. This new shutdown prevents schools from reopening and adds on to the staggering 18 months that our students have not stepped foot in a classroom. VSP has been working hard for our students, families, and communities.

Happy 10th birthday VSP! This was not quite the birthday celebration we had anticipated. Mass civil unrest in Chile and a global pandemic made our work of providing critical support to the kids who need it most more important than ever. The events of this year did not leave us much time to blow out birthday candles. However, our one birthday wish is that you give as generously as you are able so VSP can continue our life-changing work with our students. 2020 was a testament t

September 18, or "Fiestas Patrias" which marks the beginning of the legal process in 1810 that gave Chile independence from Spain, is usually celebrated with local fairs, barbecues, and time spent together. This year, as Valparaíso enters its fourth month of strict quarantine, things will be quite different. What we would give to be celebrating the upcoming Chilean holiday with our students and a much needed surf day. COVID-19 has turned all of our world’s upside-down and the

I am writing today to ask for your support as the Valpo Surf Project is working hard to adapt to the new reality we face with COVID-19. The safety of our students and team is our top priority, which is why we have shifted to remote programming for the foreseeable future. VSP is an important source of support and a much needed outlet from the stresses and difficult situations our students face at home. Although we are not all able to be together the way we would like to, our w

Today and everyday we appreciate our planet, our oceans, and our role in protecting them. Now more than ever, as we stay home for the current global health crisis, we are grateful for our time in the ocean and the incredible experiences it provides. The Valpo Surf Project was founded around three core pillars: surfing, environmental stewardship, and academic tutoring. Each is used as a vehicle for mentorship, with constant student support being our number one priority. Inst

Over the past six months, many of our interns' time with the Valpo Surf Project has come to an end and we’ve had many new faces join our team. Interns play an important part in our organization, as they are the driving force behind our activities with students and day-to-day operations. From planning, preparing, and executing, they play a major role in making sure our programming is run smoothly and effectively. We are so so grateful for their hard work, compassion, and dedic

On Saturday, October 19, I was in Valparaíso enjoying a late lunch with friends when I noticed everyone in the restaurant had begun to sneeze. There was tear gas in the air. Outside, I was surrounded by an intense clash between young protesters and police. The city was engulfed in smoke and gunshots from the rubber bullets were echoing between the buildings. By midnight the president declared a State of Emergency, sent the military into the streets across the country, and im

This past August we found ourselves back in the state of New York, this time for our second annual benefit in Amagansett at the Stephen Talkhouse. We survived the infamous Friday traffic from NYC to the Hamptons to make it out for the weekend and it was definitely worth it for the beautiful weather, good company, and a successful event. This year brought a sunny Saturday (much to the delight of all who braved the rain last year) and we were able to set up on the patio of the

We are excited to announce the appointment of James Lunt to the VSP Global Board of Directors. James is from Pelham, NY and attended St. Lawrence University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in History and Educational Studies. Growing up he spent his summers in Mid-Coast Maine, where he met co-founder and CEO, Wiley Todd, at sailing camp. He is currently a resident of Hell’s Kitchen in Manhattan, but tries to get back to Maine as much as he can. Since its founding in 2010,

Throughout the year, we’ve reviewed nearly every aspect of the program, from surfing to English and everything in between. I say nearly, because, after combing through our blogging content, it has become clear that we left a big piece out. Tinta Negra may be the most unique aspect of our program. The name itself, meaning Black Ink, doesn’t give much away, nor does the house in which this workshop takes place. In a nondescript suburban home in Quilpue, a small neighboring cit

Meet Gustavo. Gustavo was one of the very first students to join the Valpo Surf Project when the organization started in Cerro Mariposas in 2010. He has recently come back to the VSP as a volunteer and mentor. Gustavo is currently studying Business at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso. He spent this past Chilean summer with us as a development intern for school credit and continues to help expand the reach of the VSP by connecting with local businesses and com

It’s a rare treat to welcome one of our students into adulthood and an even rarer one to do so for one of our original students. This past month, we had the opportunity to celebrate with Alvaro, the heart and soul of our program since the very beginning. Alvaro began the program having just turned nine and has grown up with us over the last nine years, witnessing a lot of change within himself and the program, while attending more programming than anyone else out there. I don

In Cerro Montedonico, many of our students live in homes overlooking a small recreational soccer field. It is a dirt field, partially fenced in on three sides, with a scaled down goal on each side. You’ve seen this field before; it’s riddled with bumps and divots, there’s no sidelines, and it’s on a slight angle, but it works. Most importantly, its their space. Whenever they have free time, they can walk down to meet up with friends, fly a kite, or, most importantly, school t

As we do every year, we started our summer event calendar with a silent auction in New York City. For the uninitiated, NYC is not simply an overwhelming concrete jungle or the home to our nation’s most hated baseball franchise, it is both of those things, and home to a vibrant community of friends who support us year after year. Go Red Sox! Some of these friends have been with us from the very start, attending our first event and, in some cases, travelling to Chile to lay the

When we recently started our GROM program, the most frequently asked question, by parents, volunteers, and staff alike, was: what’s a grom? Most assumed it was some sort of acronym, a confusing translation, an exotic animal, or an entirely imaginary word, so we had to lead them into the strange world of surf slang in order to explain it. Grom stems from the word grommet, a term generally used to denote the lowest ranking members of a naval ship. This term was then borrowed by

Tia Martha is a legend in these parts; there’s really no other way to put it. If you’ve ever looked at our social media, dating all the way back to 2014, you’ve surely seen her with her distinctive red hat and a huge smile. As such, she’s become the de facto face of our organization, spending more time with our students than anyone else. After five years working for the program, having seen immense progress and change in our organization and our students, Martha has decided

As you hopefully know, Monday marked the 49th anniversary of Earth Day, a holiday near and dear to all of us at VSP. While we believe that every day should be considered Earth Day, it’s nice to have the holiday to reinvigorate our efforts and our focus a little bit. Within the busyness of our lives and organization, we don’t always have time to reflect on the ways in which environmental stewardship informs everything we do. Environmental stewardship is one of our organization

As promised, Barbara is up next in our review of program graduates turned Tíos. As you might imagine, she has changed a lot since the first years of the program and, lucky for us, we have the photos to prove it. As with Mariana and Pedro, Barb attends our programming on a weekly basis and has made a huge impact on the project in a variety of ways. Barbara enrolled in the program at age 9, making her one of our youngest students at first. She has grown up with us from the very

When VSP began in 2009, the founders dreamed that, having graduated from the program at age 18, students would return in a mentorship role. The program was just a blossoming idea at that point and many of the first students were five to ten years out from that possibility, so it was solely that, a dream. In the last two years, after nearly ten years of sustained mentorship and growth within our communities, that goal has finally come to fruition. We now have a strong group of