Lookout believes that all students deserve to know deeply about the place they live in. For all Middle and High School students in Santa Cruz County, Lookout now offers free student memberships.
Secondary Students sign up for your FREE access here
If you are a Middle or High School Teacher and want to use Lookout in your classroom visit our Educator page for lesson plans and sign up for free access if you plan to use Lookout in the classroom.
Scholarship Opportunity: Lookout’s Journalism Scholarship Contest
⭐ Applications will open October 2025⭐
Showcase your writing skills and uncover the unsung heroes in your community. The top 10 stories will be published on Lookout and the authors of the top three stories will each receive a $500 scholarship for an educational purchase. Learn more and take the first step towards a scholarship and a brighter future!Learn more about the Unsung Heroes Journalism Scholarship.
Student Updates and Stories
Lookout’s Partnership with Diamond Technology Institute
Lookout worked with students at Pajaro Valley Unified School District’s Diamond Technology Institute charter high school through the 2021-22 school year. As a demonstration project, supported by Santa Cruz Community Credit Union, Lookout provided the school’s students and teachers complete access to Lookout’s local news and information, which has been used in several classes. That spring, Lookout staffers worked with Diamond Technology juniors, who interviewed Watsonville community members to create their own version of Lookout’s ongoing Unsung Santa Cruz series.
This set the stage for our county wide high school programs which launched October 2022. Since launch we have engaged over 5000 students and over 50 teachers with local news. This includes our successful Student Journalism Scholarship and student updates and announcements throughout the school year.
We feature the students’ contributions below. And if you scroll to the bottom of the page you can watch a video of our early work with Diamond Tech.
If you are interested in helping to financially support the expansion of our student and teacher access programs, please contact me at jamie@lookoutlocal.com.
