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Life’s a beach.

The phrase hardly describes life at UCLA, but for many Southern California natives like myself, summers of past years meant one thing, and one thing only: days dictated by sand, waves and surfboards. From Zuma to Huntington, the ecstatic cries of delight emanating from children spring from a singular source – the joy that is a day at the beach.

But for many kids in Los Angeles, a trip to the beach is a luxury and a rare occurrence. According to city statistics, 80 percent of Los Angeles children who live east of the Harbor Freeway have never been to the beach.

Some professional surfers are looking to change that via the L.A. Surf Bus, a program in its second year that brings inner city and at-risk youth to local beaches to teach them how to surf.

L.A. Surf Bus is the brainchild of Mary Setterholm, a former U.S. Women’s Surfing champion and founder of California’s largest surfing school, the Surf Academy.

The program’s primary emphasis is on fun, but its existence also serves as a reminder to us all that athletics can indeed serve as a vehicle for social change.

Sounds deep, but it’s true.

“A lot of these kids have never had much contact with the ocean at all,” Setterholm said in a press release. “The whole program not only teaches them to surf but it also changes their attitude and helps with their self-confidence. It is the most gratifying experience to watch.”

The program lasts eight weeks, and participants find their “classrooms” at beaches in Santa Monica, El Segundo and Venice. Children from MacArthur Park, Echo Park and the Carson/Compton area arrive by MTA bus every morning to the sight of crashing waves, which many have never seen.

I give Setterholm and her staff a standing ovation for their efforts.

My fondest memories of the beach certainly revolve around the fun I had, but I also gained intangibles that I never could have learned in a classroom.

The ocean immediately forces respect out of all who visit it, and after being put through the washing machine a few times, one quickly learns that the waves would win any contest attempted.

Likewise, anyone who has learned how to surf knows the patience, courage and tenacity it takes to tackle a set of waves for the first time.

Setterholm’s mantra regarding the ocean is that “it gives the test before the lesson,” and she’s convinced that the effect of spending a significant amount of time learning about the mechanics of the ocean as well as experiencing its power firsthand will transform her program’s participants.

“My way of fighting crime is to connect L.A.’s inner city youth with the awesome, all-encompassing power of waves,” Setterholm said. “I see genuine respect develop for nature and amazing courage rise up to learn surfing. All these answered challenges can only have a positive effect on their lives.”

Surfing lessons and time spent seaside certainly won’t solve society’s problems in one summer.

But with the program expecting over 2,000 participants this year, that’s 2,000 opportunities for children to gain lifelong lessons from the ultimate teacher in Mother Nature.

L.A. Surf Bus provides an experience which all kids should be able to call their own – a day at the beach.

For more information on L.A. Surf Bus, visit www.surfacademy.org. Newman is counting down to summer so she can have many days at the beach. Contact her at enewman@media.ucla.edu.