Gnome Surf Project Inclusion: Nosara, Costa Rica

Nosara, as a community, has the power to accomplish great things when we come together. It is essential for the community to recognize that social emotional wellbeing and mental health begin with Inclusion. To promote a healthy local population, we must support these children, doing everything possible to give them the opportunity for a thriving and inclusive life.

Gnome Surf is a global leader in therapeutic surf therapy, moving beyond one-time events to deliver life-changing, one-on-one therapeutic sessions. Gnome targets children with varying abilities and neurodivergent children, reaching out to create inclusive surf experiences.

Gnome’s team includes trained occupational, speech, physical, and behavioral therapists who work with the local community of Nosara, providing children with access to these therapies through surfing.

Many of the children Gnome serves in Nosara would otherwise have no access to therapy or inclusion.

OUR MISSION IS TO CREATE A CULTURE SHIFT TOWARDS INCLUSION, ACCEPTANCE, LOVE, AND KINDNESS FOR ALL KIDS OF ALL ABILITIES THROUGH SURF THERAPY.

Every contribution, big or small, makes a real impact. Every donation can help move this mission forward and reach those who need it most.

If you can’t donate right now, sharing this fundraiser is also incredibly helpful. Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity. It means the world to our Athletes.

Project Overview:

Gnome Surf aims to bring this program to Nosara year-round rather than the current short season from January through April every year. They plan to train local instructors to be in the water twice a week year-round, establishing a sustainable model of success, therapy, and life-changing experiences. In hopes of producing better overall outcomes for the families served.

In addition to surf therapy, Gnome intends to expand therapeutic options for children with varying abilities in Nosara, making all services free and accessible to local families. This would include working to create more accessibility to other therapies in Nosara, including and not limited to equine therapy, music therapy, art therapy and occupational therapy (OT).

We aim to equip children and families with support, community, inclusion, and tools to thrive.

To kickstart this program, Gnome needs to raise $50,000. This funding will cover training, paying local surf instructors, and creating an infrastructure to support greater access to other traditional therapies.

Let's begin to create the ripples that will flow into the wave of change for Nosara's differently abled youth.

With much love,

The Gnome Surf Ohana