VALPO SURF PROJECTMentoring Youth Through Surfing

VALPOSURF PROJECT

99 Pleasant Street Cambridge, MA 02139

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Garibaldi 105 Cerro La Cruz, Valparaiso

valposurfproject.com

Enquiries directed to:Jonathan Steuber

Communications Directorjsteuber@valposurfproject.com

US: 908-216-7056Chile: (11) (56) 9-934-4526

TABLE OF CONTENTS

VALPO SURF PROJECT

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Mission Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Program Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Community We Serve. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Program Components

English . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Surf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Environmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Additional Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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9Company History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Goals for 2013 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Press . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

MISSION STATEMENT

Our goal 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 Valparaíso, Chile.

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VALPO SURF PROJECT

Program ContextThe Local Economy

Valparaíso is an industrial port city located in central Chile, comprised of over 300,000 citizens, with a population of over 1.5 million in the surrounding metropolitan area.  Of the 848,540 porteños identified as capable of work, 8.3% (70,190 people) are unemployed. (1)  At 8.3%, Valparaíso has the second highest unemployment rate in Chile behind the cities of Arica and Parinacota (Chile’s National Institute of Statistics). (2)  According to The World Bank, in 2009 11.8% of Chile’s population subsisted on less than US $4 a day and 4.3% (2 million people nationwide) subsisted on just US $2.50 a day.  Most of the city’s residents live in poor neighborhoods in the hills above the city called cerros.  

Local EducationAccording to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 94% of Chilean students were enrolled in primary school.  For secondary school, that percentage drops by 20 points. (3) In a 2007 report, Chile’s Minister of Economics reported that just 5% of the population could adequately speak English despite a 2003 initiative by the Chilean government, English Opens Doors (Inglés Abre Puertas), to make English more accessible to Chileans.  Despite a steady flux of foreign tourists (in 2011 alone, 124,588 people visited Valparaiso), the population in Valparaiso remains linguistically isolated.  VSP works with students at risk of leaving the education system after primary school and keeps them emotionally and academically engaged through English, photography, and surf classes.  

CrimeIn addition to economic and educational difficulties, Valparaíso suffers from a steadily increasing crime rate.  Between 2007 and 2011, crimes investigated by the police increased by 23.2%.  

Through intercultural exchange, small class sizes, and programs that encourage self-empowerment, The Valpo Surf Project seeks to address these existing societal issues in one of the city’s poorest neighborhoods - El Cerro Mariposa and students under the care of SENAME, Chiles department of youth services._________1. http://www.inevalparaiso.cl/archivos/files/pdf/Anuarios/2012/Anuario2012.pdf2. http://www.biobiochile.cl/2012/02/28/desempleo-en-la-region-de-valparaiso-disminuye-un-09-

segun-informe-entregado-por-el-ine.shtml3. http://stats.uis.unesco.org/unesco/TableViewer/document.aspx?ReportId=121&IF_Language=eng&BR_Country=1520&BR_Region=40520

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VALPO SURF PROJECT

The Community We Serve

The Valpo Surf Project is currently working with 30 students from the neighborhood of Cerro Mariposa, an impoverished community seated high in the hills surrounding Valparaíso. It is the children of these families, ranging in age from 8 to 18, who participate in the Valpo Surf Project.

Starting in December 2011, we expanded our program to provide services for adolescents undergoing rehabilitation or under the protective care of Chile’s National Youth Services or El Servicio Nacional de Menores (SENAME).  These adolescents have either been convicted of violent crimes or have been removed from what the Chilean government has deemed unsafe living conditions. They live in a state run group home and the Valpo Surf Project serves as one of their primary outlets into society outside of the government system. We currently work with 10 students from SENAME.

VSP seeks to address the financial and emotional strain suffered by program participants by providing an out of school context for positive youth development and learning.  VSP’s activities provide opportunities to experience a rich of array of contexts and content – relational, cultural, artistic, recreational, and natural – to communities and students that lack the means to search for these resources themselves.  

In our first season of programming, diagnostic English tests showed an average improvement of 55.3% among participants in the advanced and intermediate classes, and 58.8% improvement among the participants in the beginner class.  Our program’s success in working with at-risk youth is reflected in our ever-increasing enrollment, local partnerships, and the gifts from our supportive and dedicated group of donors.

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VALPO SURF PROJECT

PROGRAM COMPONENTS

EnglishThe Valpo Surf Project provides English language instruction to its participants through classroom lessons rooted in interactions with native English speakers. Classes are divided into three levels – beginner, intermediate and advanced. This provides the participants with instruction that corresponds to their ability levels, as well as keeps the number of students in each class small to allow for more individualized attention. Additionally, English language practice is incorporated into surf outings with new vocabulary and verbal instructions.

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PROGRAM COMPONENTS

SurfProgram participants spend time in the ocean with full-day surf outings every weekend. Valpo Surf Project’s surf instruction however, extends beyond teaching youth to paddle in the ocean and surf waves. The surf outings focus on character development by instilling the persistence and determination required to learn to surf. These traits can then be incorporated into life outside of the ocean. Other lessons during surf outings include surf etiquette, and respect for the ocean and its surroundings.

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VALPO SURF PROJECT

PROGRAM COMPONENTS

EnvironmentalEnvironmental stewardship is promoted in the program’s participants by engaging them with the marine environment. Students directly contribute to creating a healthier beach environment by participating in beach cleans; they learn the benefits of preserving coastal environments through classroom education, and they are taught about larger environmental issues from guest speakers. Combined with the character development and leadership skills emphasized in the surf component of the program, the Valpo Surf Project uses environmental education to encourage involvement in environmental and community service activities.

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VALPO SURF PROJECT

PROGAM COMPONENTS

Additional ProgrammingTo complement the original three pillars of the organization--surf outings, English and academic mentoring, and environmental consciousness building activities--the Valpo Surf Project has expanded to offer a broad range of enrichment activities to its beneficiaries, including:

•Photography classes•Skateboarding demonstrations and classes•Silkscreening and art workshops•Internships with local businesses•CPR and first aid workshops•Board shaping, laminating, and repair workshops•Running club and competition in 5k and 10k races•Community service excursions

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COMPANY HISTORY

January - May 2009While living in Valparaíso after graduating from Bates college, Jon Steuber, Henry Myer, Wiley Todd and Chilean friend Andres Ponce conceive the idea to start a non-profit to teach surfing and English to underprivileged youth in Valparaíso.

September 2009Valpo Surf Project is incorporated as an NGO in Chile through the municipality of Valparaíso.

October - December 2009First fundraising events are held in Maine, Massachusetts, New York and Washington, DC.

February 2010Valpo Surf Project partners with Unidadvecinal Veintiuno La Obra, a local neighborhood community organization. VSP’s “pilot program,” beginning with English classes, starts two weeks later.An 8.8 magnitude earthquake hits Chile 400 miles south of Valparaíso. VSP resumes English classes the following week despite closed schools and structural damage to the city. Although Valparaíso does not sustain as much damage as other areas of the nation, the city is frequently under tsunami alert in the week following due to aftershocks. Surf outings are put on hold.

March - May 2010VSP’s pilot program resumes regular activities beginning with swimming instruction in March at the Chilean Naval Academy’s pool. Beach cleans and surf instruction begins in April, after all of the participants have demonstrated competency in swimming.

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VALPO SURF PROJECT

May - October 2010With the coming of the Chilean winter, the pilot program ends successfully with over 50% improvement after diagnostic testing among all students. Surfing is suspended but English classes continue through the season.VSP’s second season of fundraising begins. Events are held in California, Maine, Massachusetts, New York and Washington, DC.

November 2010VSP’s second season of operation begins as regular programming resumes.The VSP receives support from the Municipality of Valparaíso with a presentation of academic materials to each student.VSP receives 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status from the IRS.

February 2011The Governor of Chile’s Fifth Region, Pablo Zuñiga Jiliberto, applauds the Valpo Surf Project with a donation of school supplies to the program’s participants.

March 2011VSP launches the “Vanpaign,” a $30,000 fundraising campaign for a new van.

June 2011VSP hosts 2nd annual Los Angeles fundraiser and silent auction featuring art and gift packages from local businesses, raffles, and door prizes.

VSP staff hosts instructional surf outings for local and international university students to fundraise money for VSP programs, generate support in the community, and recruit volunteers for English classes.

September 2011VSP hosts silent auction in Thomaston, Maine to benefit the launch of Foto Valpo.

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October 2011VSP hosts 3rd Annual Silent Auction Fundraiser in Brooklyn, NY, USA with the help of  donations from local businesses and artists.

VSP students participate in a hands-on tutorial with local Mauricio Donoso of Schiestl Chile Surf Boards on shaping surfboards.

December 2011VSP begins weekly surf sessions and English classes with male adolescents under the care of  Chile’s National Protective Youth Services, or El Servicio Nacional De Menores (SENAME).

January 2012Local environmental organization Valpo Interviene hosts a composting and ecobrick workshop for VSP students.  Students learned how to turn waste into recycled building material and enrolled in a competition with other student groups to produce the most ecobricks.

February 2012VSP teams up with environmental organizations Rip Curl Planet and Proplaya to fight against cigarette butts being dumped on beaches, one of the principal forms of trash that litters beaches across the world.  VSP students and staff spent a day distributing cigarette disposal cases to local beach goers and explained the harmful effects of cigarette butts on the beach.

VSP partners with local environmental solutions company Geociclos Ecología Urbana and environmental NGO Valpo Interviene to clean beaches and execute monthly environmental service projects.  During the following months, beaches cleaned in the Valparaíso area include the city’s principal beach, Playa Caleta Portales, where they collected 39 bags of trash and 4 bags of recyclable material, and Playa Carvallo, engaging more than 40 volunteers.

March 2012Foto Valpo, a photographic component to the Valpo Surf Project, begins conducting weekly classes with program participants in which they learn about history of photography, in-class digital editing skills, and camera function.

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VALPO SURF PROJECT

VSP hosts American artists Briana Feola and Jason Snyder, owners and operators of Brainstorm Print and Design, to conduct a series of screen printing workshops for VSP students.  Students got a hands on opportunity to play with squeegees, inks, and screens to create their own designs and learn some new art-related English vocabulary.

April 2012VSP works with local surfboard shaper Hueso Carranza to teach students about surfboard glassing and finishing.  Students get hands-on opportunity to apply resin and celebrate with a barbecue.

May 2012VSP hosts Foto Valpo Exhibition in Valparaiso.  Students proudly presented their photography portfolios to friends and family.

July 2012Pisco giant Alto de Carmen nominates VSP for its “Vuela Alto” competition in which the Chilean public decides which local NGOs, innovators, and entrepreneurs deserve to win US $10,000.

VSP teams up with Professor of Sociology Nelson Carroza of Universidad de Playa Ancha (UPLA) to implement self-assessment and evaluation program.  Results from this study will illustrate VSP’s long-term impact on students’ personal development including self-esteem, confidence, communication, and more.

August 2012VSP begins training students to participate in a 10K race in late September with weekly group runs.

VSP receives surfboard donations from Santiago-based surf company Millalobo Tablas & Surf.

VSP receives English book donations from Reader to Reader, an NGO based in Amherst, Massachusetts.

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September 2012VSP hosts its 4th Annual Silent Auction Fundraiser in New York City, held on the rooftop terrace of the Associated Press building in Manhattan. It is the most successful fundraising event to date in terms of net gain, involvement of high profile surf artists and photographers, and sponsorship by Ketel One Vodka and Kona Brewing Company.

October 2012The VSP running team, after months of training, participates in two distance races in the Valparaíso metropolitan area, including the 10k division of the Annual TPS Marathon in Valparaíso and the Corrida Familiar 10k in neighboring Viña del Mar.

November 2012After months of preparing bylaws and engaging stakeholders in the local education and surf community, the VSP assembles a local board of directors in Chile and submits a government application to become an NGO corporation, which will allow it to receive tax-deductible donations in Chile.

December 2012VSP holds its first in-country fundraising event in Santiago, Chile at Zen Club Boutique, a popular expatriate hangout, to raise money for the Vanpaign.

Through a direct mailing and online video campaign that profiled one of the program participants, called Meet Pedro, the VSP orchestrated its first comprehensive annual appeal to close the 2012 fiscal year and surpassed its $10,000 fundraising goal within less than a month.

January 2013To occupy students’ time during the summer months and keep students in shape, the VSP begins to offer skateboarding and rollerblading classes on a weekly basis.

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VSP joins more than 100 volunteers and partnering organizations Sea Shepherd Chile, Servicio Nacional de Menores (SENAME), Cuerpo de Botes Salvavidas de Valparaíso, and Puerto Deportivo to undertake a large scale beach clean at Valparaíso’s Playa Barón following New Year’s Eve festivities.

February 2013VSP receives its second donation of 5 used surfboards from Santiago-based surfboard company Millalobo Tablas & Surf.

Partnering with university study abroad program CIEE, which places university exchange students in international academic settings, VSP recruits more than 15 volunteers to integrate into English classes and surfing lessons for the semester.

March 2013VSP joins national beach clean campaign called Unidos Por Aguas Limpias (United for Clean Water), organized by Santa Cruz-based non profit Save the Waves and Chilean non profit Vigilante Costero Maule Itata, which engages over 600 volunteers nationwide to clean up more than 4,500 kilos of garbage across 28 coastal sites in Chile. In Valparaíso alone, VSP mobilizes more than 45 participants and volunteers to collect over 250 kilos of trash from Playa Portales, one of Valparaíso’s principal beaches, and graces the front page El Mercurio, one of Chile’s national newspapers.

April 2013Organized by a volunteer who works in a local orphanage Hogar Jesus Niño, VSP students begin making monthly community service trips to care for and give back to less fortunate infants and toddlers who reside there.

VSP begins a partnership with the Vinculación con el Medio (Community Outreach) department of local university Universidad de Playa Ancha to begin giving presentations to sociology courses about VSP’s social work and engage university students to assist with English language and physical education curriculum development and impact evaluation for independent study credit. The partnership is anticipated to begin in March 2014 at the latest.

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May 2013Partnering with local environmental and volunteer organizations Sea Shepherd Chile, Greenpeace Volunteer Team of the V region of Chile, Valpo Interviene, and the Rotaract Club of Valparaíso, the VSP stages a large scale beach clean that mobilizes more than 115 program participants and volunteers at large to clean up more than 400 kilos of garbage from Valparaíso’s Caleta Portales beach.

VSP expands its US-based board of directors to include Tuck Business School at Dartmouth University professor and financial advisor Ken French, Maine-based non-profit director Wes Todd, and Boston-based business strategist Ryan Holbrook.

To bolster its skateboarding program, VSP partners with Chilean skate brand Skate Shok and neighboring Viña del Mar’s SanMa Boardshop to conduct a skateboard demonstration and clinic for VSP participants; 4 Chilean professional skateboarders put on a demo for the kids and 23 VSP participants receive free lessons during the clinic.

June 2013Derco, the largest automotive importer in Chile, agrees to sponsor the organization by providing a 10 passenger van to end the VSP’s Vanpaign fundraising effort to provide reliable transportation to its participants; use of the vehicle is scheduled to begin in September 2013.

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GOALS FOR 2013

Implement a sustainable mentorship program in which program alumni continue to work with VSP by adopting volunteer leadership positions, such as mentors, classroom assistants, and surf instructors.

Develop relationship with local University of Playa Ancha’s department of Vinculación con el Medio, which connects university students with community outreach internships. Students will engage in developing curriculum for English classes, impact measurement of the VSP, and physical education curriculum.

Expand sports curriculum by engaging students in sponsor-driven competitions including local 5k and 10k races, and formalize an after school skateboarding program.

Develop general program curriculum to include practical skill instruction for CPR and First Aid as well as art-centered workshops in mosaics, murals, and recycled art.

Increase program enrollment by offering services to new beneficiary groups in the Playa Ancha section of Valparaíso.

Formalize an internship program, in which the Valpo Surf Project recruits and takes on longterm (12 months) interns working full time with the organization in Valparaíso to aid full time staff.

Develop a grantseeking unit to connect with philanthropic trusts and foundations that share VSP’s aims and values.

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VALPO SURF PROJECT

PRESS

El Mercurio (Chilean national newspaper)| May 5, 2013“Retiran unos 400 kilos de basura desde playa Caleta Portales” - “400 kilos of garbage removed from Caleta Portales Beach”

The Meander Line | March 30, 2013“Shredding with VSP”

El Mercurio (Chilean national newspaper) | March 24, 2013“Jóvenes ecologistas limpiaron playa Caleta Portales” - “Young environmentalists cleaned Caleta Portales Beach”

The Santiago Times | December 20, 2012“On Chile’s coast, at-risk youth find refuge in surfing”

This is Chile | December 17, 2012“Chilean NGO brings surfing to underprivileged youth”

Radio Horizonte | December 12, 2012Radio appearance on talk show Pensar es Gratis with Federico Sanchez

Drift Surfing | May 2, 2012“Creating a Surfing Community”

Urban Outfitters Blog | March 12, 2012“Artist Interviews: Brainstorm”

Lupita (blog) | February 1, 2012“Valpo Surf Project”

Korduroy.tv | March 18, 2011Feature on the Valpo Surf Project

The Examiner | December 11, 2011“Charity auction and Occupy Maine Exhibit highlight December art walk”

Surfline | October 20, 2011“Valpo Surf Project to Host 3rd Annual Silent Auction Fundraiser on October 22

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VALPO SURF PROJECT

The Village Soup | September 2, 2011“Silent auction for Foto Valpo”

Surfline | June 18, 2011“Valpo Surf Project to host 2nd Annual Los Angeles Silent Auction Fundraiser on June 18”

Magic Seaweed | April 15, 2011“Valpo Surf Project”

Surfers Mag (German Surf Magazine) | March 19, 2011“VANPAIGN- SPENDENAUFRUF” - “VANPAIGN DONATIONS”

Surfline | March 14, 2011“Valpo Surf Project Announces the ‘Vanpaign’: A Fundraising Campaign for a New Van”

Surfing Magazine | March 14, 2011“Valpo Surf Project Announces ‘Vanpaign’”

La Tercera (Chile’s leading national newspaper) | February 6, 2011“Surfistas se congregan para limpiar balnearios y planean centro ecologíco en Concón” – “Surfers gather to clean beaches and plan an ecological center in Concón”

La Estrella de Valparaíso | December 27, 2010“Minis Surfistas limpian C° Mariposa” – “Young Surfers clean Mariposa Neighborhood”

Village Soup: Featuring the Writers of the Harold Gazette | November 17, 2010“Georges Valley graduate surfs for cause”

The Endless Bummer: A New York Surf Blog | October 10, 2010“Valpo Auction @ Saturdays”

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Bates Magazine - August 27, 2010“The Valpo Surf Project: In Valparaiso, Chile, Jon Steuber ’08, Henry Myer ’08 and Wiley Todd ’08 teach surfing — and much more — to local children”

The Sandpaper (Long Beach Island newspaper) | August 18, 2010“Valpo Surf Project Seeking Donations Of Used Surf Gear”

La Estrella de Valparaíso | July 30, 2010“Ademas practican el idioma ingles y el amor por el medioambiente: Gringos ensenan a surfear a ninos del cerro Mariposas” – “What’s more, they teach English and the love of the environment: Gringos teach surfing to kids of Mariposa”

La Tercera | November 21, 2009“Surfistas de EE.UU. lanzan cruzada para enseñar el deporte a niños de Valparaíso,” – “Surfers from the United States launch a crusade to teach the sport [of surfing] to kids of Valparaíso”

Drift: Perspectives on Surfing | November 13, 2009“Valpo Surf Project Benefit”

La Otra Voz (Online Chilean newspaper) | July 12, 2009“Darla A La Pobreza Con Una Tabla De Surf” – “Taking Down Poverty with a Surfboard ”

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