GREAT OPPORTUNITIES

Great Opportunities opens the door for underserved youth to increase their knowledge about their aquatic environment, grow their life skills, and experience leadership through swimming, beach, bicycle, and fishing, environmental awareness, and transportation programs.

Great Opportunities (GO), a 501c3 non-profit, was founded to expose underserved and at-risk youths to the opportunities of outdoor recreation, as a means to enrich their lives and introduce them to environmental practices and recreational activities in an aquatic environment. GO has continued and expanded upon that concept since its founding in 2002. Over 3000 youth, ages 4-18, have opened the door of "possibilities" through GO’s programs. Participating youth expand their knowledge of, competence in, and exposure to aquatic environment experiences, and are empowered to develop leadership and problem-solving skills that integrate the importance of community service, through its 3 interlocking core programs:

• Learn to Swim
• Beach Awareness
• GO2 Bike Program
• Bend-A-Rod (fishing program)
• El Plastiki Crew (environmental program)

All programs are offered free of charge and are currently and specifically targeted to serve San Juan Capistrano’s geographically identified gang inductions zones, where its youth are considered "at-risk" of being exposed to and/or enticed into a gang or nefarious activity. GO has aspirations of expanding their program(s) to the South Orange County Tri-City area to include the municipalities of Dana Point and San Clemente, and its youth who are identified as "at-risk".