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, has experienced increased interest and a handful of new volunteers aiming to become legal observers of ICE arrests; the community has been on high alert after a video of ICE detaining a man in Watsonville on Jan. 18 circulated on social media. Meanwhile, students are speaking up at Pacific Collegiate School about technology privacy concerns and seeing how their opinions can change school chromebook policy.
As we announced a couple weeks ago, thanks to Changemaker Members and donors, we are able to provide 450 Santa Cruz middle and high school teachers with full free access to Lookout… and the cohort is filling up quickly! If you haven’t signed up yet, or know a secondary teacher who values local news and media literacy, please share this link with them to sign up asap.
Lastly, there are also just a few weeks left for students to submit to Lookout’s journalism scholarship where students profile an “unsung hero” in the community! All high school students are invited to apply. Top three winners receive $500 each and top ten winners are published on Lookout’s site! Deadline to apply: 2/16/26
This week’s highlighted stories
ICE watchdog group seeing influx of new volunteers as immigration enforcement escalates around U.S.
Why it matters: Your Allied Rapid Response, a grassroots immigrant advocacy group that monitors immigration-enforcement activity in Santa Cruz County and connects residents with legal help, has seen many new volunteers join intending to become legal observers of ICE arrests in light of immigration enforcement escalation in the county and around the nation.
In the classroom: Identify, what do legal observers do? How does YARR providing clarity on rumors and circulating information contribute to de-escalating potential conflicts? Why are the group’s non-confrontational tactics important to it being able to continue executing its mission?
Pacific Collegiate School changes laptop policy after student privacy concerns
Why it matters: At the start of the month, Pacific Collegiate School began issuing Chromebooks to all students to reduce phone use in class. Students were required to sign an agreement allowing pre-installed monitoring software in the Chromebooks, and they raised concerns about their browsing data privacy. One student gathered more than 200 survey responses and sent the findings to school administrators and the governing board. School leadership has since revised the policy, which will be reviewed and finalized in February, underscoring the impact of community input.
In the classroom: What are the reasons for the students’ apprehension about the new policy; what do the survey responses indicate they have concern for? How might the revised policy create more logistical concerns for teachers? Do you think the proposed revisions are a fair balance between student and administrative concerns?
Local News
Watsonville residents pack city’s downtown plaza to protest latest Minneapolis shooting, immigration enforcement
By Tania Ortiz and Kevin Painchaud
Hundreds filled Watsonville’s downtown plaza Sunday afternoon to protest immigration enforcement around the country and denounce the killing of a Minneapolis ICU nurse, just two weeks after a federal agent shot and killed Renee Nicole Good.
Ask Lookout: Why are beach hazards more frequent and dangerous in winter?
By Cassidy Beach
Storms in the North Pacific Ocean deliver sneaker waves, rip currents and longshore currents to Santa Cruz County’s shores in winter, making it a dangerous time for beachgoers.
OPINION: Let’s decriminalize mental illness: Santa Cruz doesn’t need a mental health jail
By Kasi Tkaczyk and Julia Gratton
Santa Cruz County Sheriff Chris Clark has floated the idea of a new “mental health jail,” pointing to the high number of incarcerated people on psychiatric medication. But jail is not treatment, and incarceration only deepens trauma and mental illness, write Kasi Tkaczyk and Julia Gratton. The real crisis is decades of underfunded community behavioral health systems and policies that criminalize illness rather than care for it, they write. Instead of building new jail cells, they believe Santa Cruz County should invest in robust community mental health services, diversion programs, bail reform and early intervention that keep people out of jail and connected to care.
Interested in more stories? Browse all our recent coverage here.
California News
Trans youth still have a safe haven in California — but that could change
By Carolyn Jones / CalMatters
Lawsuits and Trump administration policy changes are targeting trans athletes, bans on outing by school staff and health care. Some California policies are in jeopardy.
Educator Resources
Reduce Student Anxiety (and Your Own) During Uncertain Times
From CommonSense Media, implementable strategies to have a healthy relationship with stress-inducing news and media with some specific lesson plans linked regarding literacy skills and media balance.
Journalism Scholarship – A few weeks LEFT TO APPLY!
Lookout is accepting submissions for our journalism scholarship contest from November to February. We invite all high school students in Santa Cruz County to apply. Top three winners win $500 each and top ten winners get published on the Lookout site. The deadline to apply is February 16.
Book a class visit with Lookout Santa Cruz
We’d love to visit your classroom! Lookout staff can come to your classroom and lead a workshop about various things from journalism to elections. These workshops last the length of one class period and are a great way to get your students engaged in different aspects of learning. Reach out if you are interested.
Thank you for all the work you do in our community. Your efforts help younger generations build media literacy skills, engage with their communities, and grow as active democratic citizens. If you’d like to learn more about our school programs, get involved, or have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at interns@lookoutlocal.com or my mentor Jamie Garfield (Director of Student and Community Engagement) at jamie@lookoutlocal.com
Best,
Ava Salinas
Educational Program Assistant
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