In 2005 a small group of friends and surfers involved in the lives of urban youth in Jacksonville, FL, discovered that well over half of the students they worked with had never been to the beach. Many had never even seen the ocean despite living only miles away.  It quickly became apparent that there was a vast disconnect between the city and the beach communities.  Realizing that something needed to change, this small group of teachers, mentors, and youth volunteers decided to do something. They decided to begin to bridge the gap by investing in area youth, providing them the opportunity to not only get to the beach, but also to surf, learn, and play together.  The ARC Project was born...