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Your continued generosity and support of Valpo Surf Project have made us a stronger and more robust organization, despite three years of crises and uncertainty. 2023 marks a historical year for VSP, and we still have a few months left. This year, we expanded into new schools and communities, worked with more students, and provided more surf sessions than we ever have in the history of VSP. Our staff has grown to include social workers, teachers, and surf professionals to ensure that as our enrollment grows, so does the quality and impact of our program. Our successes led the Chilean Ministry of Education to propose a partnership with us to bring our introductory surf programming into 55 schools throughout Valparaíso. With adequate funding, we can use this partnership to expand our programming throughout the entire city and provide opportunities for all kids to benefit from the transformational power of VSP.
Through August of this year, we:
Worked with 226 students
Provided 683 hours of mentorship over 169 activities, including:
82 surf sessions
17 advanced surf sessions
31 educational activities
23 English classes
11 environmental activities
4 additional activities focused on physical health
6 full-time staff members
32 interns, volunteers, and graduates from South America, North America, and Europe
Meet Jostynn
Jostynn, a VSP participant since 2017, says surfing has taught him how to deal with adverse situations. He describes the classes as fun and educational, and he appreciates all the things he’s learned at VSP. The beach is a safe place for him where he feels he is able to confront and overcome difficult emotions.