Local news in the classroom: Weekly roundup 3/11/26 Good afternoon, Along with sunnier evenings and the hint of spring on the horizon, developments in local politics offer some opportunities for optimism. Former Santa Cruz transportation commissioner and student housing advocate Zennon Ulyate-Crow (23) launches his campaign for a California state Senate seat, proposing to tackle […]
Ava Salinas | Educational Programs Assistant
Posted inInside Lookout
Educator Update: Mountains lions now officially a threatened species and UC lecturers fight for increased job protections
Local news in the classroom: Weekly roundup 3/4/26 Good afternoon, Many researchers celebrate increased protections for puma populations around California, but others have worries regarding the potential land-use and livestock impacts for developers, ranchers, and farmers. The well-being of pumas isn’t the only concern in the county (or state) this week. The lecturers’ union at […]
Posted inInside Lookout
Educator Update: Uplifting reports from a coastal wetland study and considerations of adjusting UC Santa Cruz’s residential college system
Local news in the classroom: Weekly roundup 2/25/26 After last week’s rainy deluge, the sun is a welcome sight for many of us. Similarly positive is the data from a study of coastal wetlands across the North American continent by the National Estuarine Research Reserve Association (NERRA) that exhibits the significance and diversity of the […]
Posted inInside Lookout
Educator Update: Watsonville’s newest economic development efforts and the state of salmon conservation in Santa Cruz County
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 […]
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 […]