Friday, November 13, 2026
Students in special classes across the Long Beach School District enjoyed catching waves and making memories with local nonprofit Surf for All, which offers programming for developmentally challenged teenagers by exposing them to the ocean.
More than 60 Long Beach students with special needs gather for four to six sessions during September and October, and learn water safety, awareness of tides and wind conditions, teamwork and looking out for others in the water. Students who are uncomfortable entering the water can participate in other activities on the beach, observe surfers or explore the nearby jetties.
The collaboration has taken place since 2021.
Andrew Smith, principal of Long Beach High School, and assistant coach for the school’s varsity Surf Team, said the program was previously offered as a single annual session through an outside company and has since evolved with multiple sessions and a community staple. Smith said he and the surf team often frequent to help.
“We go down and help sometimes during the fall and spring,” Smith said. “The students will encourage the kids; they paddle out with them and make relationships. It’s really a great program.”
Jeanine Soresen, director of operations at Surf for All, said that getting students outside the traditional classroom helps them expand their physical abilities.
“It’s so much more than surfing,” Sorensen said. “From lifting up their self-esteem to enhancing their sensory skills, every aspect helps their well-being.”
The program also has volunteers from outside the surf team.
Aidan Trainor, 16, has surfed since he was four or so, and has a brother — James Trainor, 18 — who participates. Aidan said he regularly helps participants get comfortable in the ocean by pushing them into waves and assisting them as they learn to surf. He said seeing his brother develop the ability to surf independently has been especially meaningful for their family.
Hector Belleza, 18, has participated since he was in middle school, and said the program gave him his first surfing experience. He particularly enjoys learning how to stand on the surfboard, a skill he has improved in.
“I love it,” Belleza said of the program.
Heath Weisen, 19, echoed Belleza, and said he’s learned how to bend at the knees while moving the board through the water.
Alexis Pace, trustee on the Long Beach Board of Education, wrote to the Herald that the program recognizes the potential in every child participant, including her 19-year-old daughter.
“I am deeply grateful for the dedication and heart Surf for All brings to our children, the ocean, and the Long Beach community,” Pace wrote. “Their program is a powerful reminder that children with special needs should never be underestimated. When given the opportunity, encouragement, and support, these children can accomplish far more than others may ever imagine.
