Today we’d like to introduce you to Craig Jenkins.
Hi Craig, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My journey with Urban Surf 4 Kids began 15 years ago when I volunteered at my first surf therapy camp. At the time, I thought I was simply showing up to teach kids how to surf. It didn’t take long to realize that surfing was only the vehicle. What we were really providing was hope, healing, mentorship, and a sense of belonging for youth who had experienced significant adversity.
That mission resonated deeply with me because, as a young person, I participated in a program very similar to Urban Surf 4 Kids. It gave me positive role models, confidence, purpose, and a community that changed the trajectory of my life forever. I often wonder where I would be today without that experience. Because of it, I’ve always believed every young person deserves someone who believes in them and an opportunity to discover what they’re capable of. That’s exactly what we strive to provide every day at Urban Surf 4 Kids.
Over the past 15 years, I’ve had the privilege of serving the organization in many roles, including Lead Surf Instructor, Logistics Coordinator, Board President, and now Executive Director. Professionally, I work night shift as a Marine Interdiction Agent with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which allows me to dedicate my days to leading Urban Surf 4 Kids in a volunteer capacity. It’s a demanding schedule, but I’ve never viewed it as a sacrifice. I truly believe this is my life’s work and the legacy I hope to leave behind.
Urban Surf 4 Kids serves youth from foster, kinship, adoptive, homeless, and other at-risk backgrounds. Many of the young people we work with have experienced complex trauma, PTSD, neglect, abuse, or instability. Through surf therapy, mentoring, life skills education, environmental stewardship, and our year-round community of support, we help them build confidence, resilience, healthy relationships, and hope for the future.
One of the most rewarding parts of this work is watching transformation happen right before your eyes. A child who arrives withdrawn, anxious, or convinced they aren’t good enough catches their first wave, accomplishes something they never thought possible, and begins to see themselves differently. Even more rewarding is watching many of those same youth return years later, not as participants, but as volunteer mentors and leaders who give back to the next generation. They become positive influences in their schools, neighborhoods, and communities, creating a ripple effect that extends far beyond our beach camps.
As the need for our services has grown throughout San Diego County, we’ve worked hard to grow alongside it by expanding our surf therapy camps, strengthening our mentoring and life skills programs, and creating more opportunities for youth and families to stay connected throughout the year. Today, my focus as Executive Director is building a strong foundation that will ensure Urban Surf 4 Kids can continue changing lives for generations to come. That means investing in our people, strengthening our organizational infrastructure, growing sustainable funding, and developing the next generation of leaders who will carry this mission forward.
For me, this has never just been about surfing. It’s about helping young people heal, discover their potential, and realize they are worthy of love, support, and opportunity. If our organization can change the trajectory of a young person’s life the way mine was, then we’ve accomplished something truly meaningful. Seeing our youth grow into confident adults who return to mentor others is the greatest measure of our success, and it’s what inspires me every single day.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road, but one experience from about ten years ago has stayed with me and continues to shape how I lead Urban Surf 4 Kids today.
At the time, we had a small group of youth who had worked incredibly hard to complete our Dreaming of Aloha Life Skills Achievement Program. We had promised them that if they finished the program, they would earn the opportunity to travel to Hawaii. As the trip got closer, it became clear we didn’t have the funding we had hoped for. We were faced with a difficult decision. We could cancel the trip, or we could find a way to keep our promise.
For us, there really wasn’t a choice.
Many of the youth we serve have experienced broken promises, instability, and disappointment throughout their lives. We weren’t going to become another example of that. Our small but incredibly dedicated team of volunteers came together, worked tirelessly, and somehow made the trip happen. We returned home with only about $800 left in our bank account, but I have never once questioned that decision.
Watching those young people experience Hawaii, many of them for the first time leaving the mainland, seeing them realize that hard work, perseverance, and believing in themselves could open doors they never imagined, was worth every sleepless night and every obstacle we faced.
That experience taught me an important lesson that still guides me today. The strength of an organization isn’t measured by the size of its budget. It’s measured by its integrity, the promises it keeps, and the lives it changes.
Fortunately, Urban Surf 4 Kids has come a long way since then. We’ve expanded our programs, strengthened our team, built meaningful community partnerships, and are creating a solid foundation that will allow us to serve youth for generations to come. But I never want us to lose the spirit that carried us through those early years. Whenever we face a challenge, I think back to that trip to Hawaii. It’s a reminder that when passionate people come together around a shared mission, almost anything is possible.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Urban Surf 4 Kids was founded on a simple idea: every child deserves the opportunity to experience adventure, build meaningful relationships, and discover their own potential regardless of the circumstances they were born into.
What makes our organization unique is that we don’t believe in one size fits all programming. We meet youth where they are and provide opportunities that challenge, inspire, and empower them through experiences they may never have imagined possible. Whether it’s catching their first wave, participating in a beach cleanup, learning life skills, exploring career opportunities in the maritime industry, or developing into a mentor themselves, every program is intentionally designed to help youth grow in confidence and independence.
We also believe that the best outcomes happen through collaboration. Over the years we’ve built strong partnerships with schools, foster agencies, mental health professionals, government agencies, businesses, and community organizations throughout San Diego County. Those partnerships allow us to introduce youth to careers, healthy lifestyles, environmental stewardship, and positive adult role models while creating opportunities that no single organization could provide alone.
One of the things I’m most proud of is that we continue to evolve based on the needs of the youth we serve. What began as surf therapy has grown into a comprehensive organization that now includes mentoring, life skills education, youth leadership development, environmental stewardship, and career exploration. We are constantly asking ourselves how we can create even more opportunities for our youth to succeed both on and off the beach.
At the heart of everything we do is a commitment to excellence. We want every family, volunteer, donor, and community partner to know that when they invest in Urban Surf 4 Kids, they’re investing in an organization that is thoughtful, accountable, innovative, and deeply committed to creating meaningful, measurable outcomes for the youth we serve.
Our goal isn’t simply to provide great programs today. It’s to build a model that can continue changing lives and strengthening communities for decades to come.
How do you think about luck?
I don’t spend much time thinking about luck. I believe that meaningful opportunities are created through preparation, perseverance, and surrounding yourself with people who share your values.
Working in federal law enforcement while also leading Urban Surf 4 Kids has given me a unique perspective. In my professional career, I often see the consequences of difficult circumstances after they’ve already happened. At Urban Surf 4 Kids, I have the opportunity to invest in young people before they reach those crossroads. That has reinforced my belief that prevention is one of the most powerful investments a community can make.
I’ve also learned that some of the most important opportunities in life begin with a simple conversation or an unexpected introduction. Many of our strongest partnerships started with someone who attended one of our camps, volunteered for a day, or was introduced to our organization through a mutual friend. Those relationships have grown into lasting partnerships that have helped us expand our impact in ways we never could have imagined.
When I look back, I don’t think those moments happened because we were lucky. They happened because people recognized a mission worth supporting and chose to become part of it. That’s one of the things I love most about nonprofit work. When you lead with authenticity and stay focused on serving others, people have an incredible way of showing up at exactly the right time.
If there is any luck involved, it’s that I’ve had the privilege of crossing paths with extraordinary people who care deeply about our youth. Their generosity, whether it’s time, expertise, or financial support, has made it possible for Urban Surf 4 Kids to continue growing and changing lives. I’m reminded every day that no one builds something meaningful alone.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.urbansurf4kids.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/urbansurf4kids/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UrbanSurf4Kids
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/urban-surf-4-kids/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@urbansurf4kids282
