Local news in the classroom: Weekly roundup 10/7/25
Here’s your weekly educator update designed just for you – high school educators – where we hand-pick several stories that we think will resonate with you and your students – especially those that might spur discussion. First, I wanted to introduce myself, Ava Salinas, as Lookout’s new Educational Program Assistant who will be curating these weekly educator newsletters for this school year. I am a second year Literature major at UC Santa Cruz considering several paths after graduation, including teaching, publishing, and library sciences. I look forward to learning from you – the wonderful educators in our county – about the modes and methods best for promoting community engagement and critical-thinking skills in students. I hope you enjoy the following news and materials, and am always open to any feedback, and/or suggestions you may have! You can reach me at interns@lookoutlocal.com.
As for the news, this week we see safety and wellbeing issues for several groups in Santa Cruz being voiced. A homeless encampment on the Pajaro levee was recently cleared away due to concerns about the structural integrity of the levee, leaving outreach teams struggling to reconnect with their clients. Meanwhile, Latino affairs commissioners attempt to connect with and urge county officials to take a larger stand on protecting information about the immigrant community from being shared with federal agencies or collected by surveillance technology. Read this week’s highlighted stories and some discussion questions you may want to use with your students.
Local news makes learning personal. By weaving stories like these into lessons, students see how policy choices and community voices influence their own paths and futures. And remember: All Santa Cruz County high school educators and students receive free Lookout memberships, giving full access to reporting, events, and perks.
Now let’s get to it!
This week’s highlighted stories
Why it matters: At the end of August, homeless tents and shelters along the Pajaro levee belonging to about 150 residents were cleared away to maintain the levee’s structural integrity. Residents have since moved in two opposite directions into areas harder and more dangerous to access. A homeless outreach team is finding it hard to maintain connections with those displaced and get them into temporary housing or into mental health programs, illuminating some of the practical challenges to supporting these communities.
In the classroom: Ask students to consider why it may be important to have a human connection for programs aimed at housing and supporting the homeless. What are the benefits of this approach, and what are some of the practical challenges to overcome?
Why it matters: Officials are being pushed to take more action in affirming Santa Cruz County’s sanctuary status, such as a legally binding sanctuary ordinance, rather than verbal pronouncements and promises.
In the classroom: Ask students why groups such as the Latino Affairs Commission might believe that resolutions and pronouncements aren’t enough. What are the limitations of statements; how much can they affect real community results? What might codified laws do that official statements cannot, and how can they provide consistency about legal questions and what actions or behaviors officials are allowed to do?
More current events to use in your classroom
Interested in more stories? Browse all our recent coverage here.
LOCAL NEWS
Here’s how the federal shutdown is affecting Santa Cruz County governments, schools and nonprofits
By Lily Belli, Max Chun, Christopher Neely, Hillary Ojeda, and Tania Ortiz
Most Santa Cruz County agencies and nonprofits say they have monthlong buffers against the federal government shutdown, though some child care and agricultural programs could face threats if the impasse stretches well beyond October.
Vector control ballot measure takes on new urgency as invasive mosquitoes resurface in Santa Cruz County
By Alonso Daboub
As Santa Cruz County’s mosquito control program seeks more funding from voters, an invasive species of disease-carrying mosquito is resurfacing in Boulder Creek, two years after it was eradicated from the area.
Letter to the editor: Driscolls, please go all-organic
By Letter to the Editor
In a letter to the editor, a Santa Cruz resident urges berry giant Driscoll’s to go organic and stop using harmful pesticides.
CALIFORNIA NEWS
As immigration raids shake families, school counselors help students cope with fear and loss
By Ana B. Ibarra / CalMatters
Kindergartners repeat worries heard at home. Older kids text to check on parents during class. As the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown continues, therapists say mental health is at risk now and in the long term.
Student Stories
Cultivating Community: Jóvenes Sanos hosts mental health resource fair and vigil in Watsonville
A youth leadership group in Watsonville shares details about the Community Resource Fair they will be hosting on October 10 to provide access for various mental health resources and explains what the event means to them.
Health Career Expo opens doors for Santa Cruz County students
UC Santa Cruz student and Your Future is our Business intern writes about her experience at last year’s Health Career Expo. She also invites you to register at this upcoming one at Cabrillo College on November 14.
Educator Resources
PBS Student Reporting Labs: 2025-2026 school year prompts
Students can report stories with SRL this school year through social media videos, podcast features for On Our Minds, and in-depth video packages on topics like immigration, AI, art in communities, and teen caretakers. Selected work may appear on PBS NewsHour’s broadcast, digital platforms, and other outlets. Check out the school year prompts now!
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 different 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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