Local news in the classroom: Weekly roundup 2/11/26 In the second month of the new year, growth is on the mind of the community in various ways. Watsonville has hired the consulting firm Retail Strategies to market the town to national retailers at trade shows. The town is hoping to create new shopping and dining […]
Ava Salinas | Educational Programs Assistant
Posted inInside Lookout
Educator Update: Local leaders prepare for the possibility of increased ICE activity and residents push back against proposed Catalyst development plans
Local news in the classroom: Weekly roundup 2/4/26 Santa Cruz County residents are speaking up and being heard. Anti-ICE sentiments increased after the events in Minneapolis, and throngs of people participated in peaceful protests across the county last Friday. County leaders have taken notice and have begun to address the types of policies and preparations […]
Posted inInside Lookout
Lookout for Teachers update; a few weeks left to submit stories for Lookout’s Journalism Scholarship
Fifty-two weeks ago, we announced the earth-shaking news that Lookout Santa Cruz had won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News.
Posted inStudent Stories
First impressions as Lookout’s Educational Programs Assistant and what I’m looking forward to
Lookout’s Student Stories initiative presents this creative writing piece by highschooler Rowan Renner-Lassar.
Posted inInside Lookout
Educator Update: An immigrant advocacy group is seeing an influx of volunteers and a school updates its computer policy after students voice concerns
Local news in the classroom: Weekly roundup 1/28/26 Winter storms aren’t the only thing unfolding across the nation this week; other events are resonating both locally and nationally, including increased U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity. In Santa Cruz County, Your Allied Rapid Response (YARR), a group that monitors ICE activity and provides legal resources, […]
Posted inInside Lookout
Educator Update: Community seeks answers on Moss Landing fire; death cap mushrooms raise safety concerns
Local news in the classroom: Weekly roundup 1/22/26 We began the week honoring MLK Day and the power of community organizing, a reminder of how informed communities can advocate for themselves. That spirit is evident in Prunedale and other areas near last year’s Moss Landing battery storage facility fire, where residents are seeking clearer information […]
Posted inInside Lookout
Educator Update: The termination of Flock Safety in Santa Cruz and delayed family student housing at UC Santa Cruz
Local news in the classroom: Weekly roundup 1/14/26 The local community is already making their voice heard in 2026. Recent backlash towards Flock Safety automatic licence plate readers, especially concerning data privacy, has contributed to its Santa Cruz contract being ended at a recent city council meeting. At UC Santa Cruz, construction on a new […]
Posted inInside Lookout
Educator Update: West Cliff Drive fully repaired and flag football’s popularity rises in Santa Cruz County
Local news in the classroom: Weekly roundup 1/7/26 Welcome into 2026! Rain is making the first week back in school a bit damp, but we should start seeing some sun again by Wednesday. There is positivity in this first week of local news; West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz is now fully reopened and girls’ […]
Posted inInside Lookout
Educator Update: Recent study finds highly toxic materials in soil and a reflection on The Catalyst’s impact on the local music scene
Local news in the classroom: Weekly roundup 12/9/25 Holiday festivities and proximity to winter break are getting closer, creating a special kind of busyness and anticipation. In the midst of this, the news cycle continues. Researchers from San Jose State University’s Moss Landing Marine Laboratories dig into soil contamination from the battery storage fire in […]
Posted inInside Lookout
Educator Update: An exploration of the Westside mixed-use commercial hub and Watsonville Community Hospital continues its search for a financial partner
Local news in the classroom: Weekly roundup 12/2/25 Thanksgiving break is barely in the rearview and somehow winter break is already waving from around the corner. As the holiday chaos ramps up, City Life Correspondent Wallace Baine takes us on a colorful trip back to the early days of Santa Cruz’s now-bustling Westside. And over […]