Educator Update: Stories about housing, agriculture, young people and the issues shaping Santa Cruz County

Welcome back to school! A summer roundup for your classroom

Happy back-to-school season!

As you’re getting back into the swing of things, I wanted to start the school year with a roundup of some of the biggest stories Lookout covered this summer – and, more importantly, stories that could spark an interesting conversation in your classroom.

If you’ve been getting this newsletter for a while, welcome back! And if you’re new here: Hi! I’m Jamie Garfield, director of student and community engagement at Lookout Santa Cruz.

Each week, I’ll curate a roundup of local stories that I think could be useful or interesting to you and your students. I’ll also share discussion questions, student-written articles, opportunities from Lookout and our community partners and other resources to help make it easier to bring current events into your classroom.

Because when students see their own community in the news, learning becomes more relevant. My goal is to help you connect your students to the people, places and issues shaping Santa Cruz County – while giving them opportunities to build the critical thinking and media literacy skills they need to understand the world around them.

A reminder: Secondary teachers and students get free Lookout access

If you haven’t signed up yet, secondary teachers receive free Lookout memberships, plus classroom-ready resources, lesson plans, tools and classroom visits from Lookout staff. Sign up for your free teacher membership →

If you signed up last school year, your free teacher access is set to be extended for another school year. Unless you choose to opt out, the term of your free access to Lookout Santa Cruz will be updated to restart with this school year. Email me, jamie@lookoutlocal.com if you would like your free teacher access to lapse instead.

Secondary students, as well as Cabrillo College and UC Santa Cruz students, receive free access to Lookout. Have your students sign up through the link on our classroom page so they can read every Lookout story for free.

Now, on to the headlines!

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HIGHLIGHTED STORIES

What happens when a community loses a major buyer?

One of the biggest local stories of the summer was Lily Belli’s coverage of Martinelli’s pulling back from its contracts with Watsonville-area apple farmers.

• As Martinelli’s cancels contracts, Watsonville apple farmers lose their biggest buyer – and a way of life
• As Martinelli’s pulls back, local schools and nonprofits rally to support Pajaro Valley apple growers
• The root of the crisis: Martinelli’s contract cuts are just the latest blow to California apple farmers

Why it matters: For generations, apple farming has been an important part of the Pajaro Valley’s economy, culture and identity. But Martinelli’s decision to cancel or reduce contracts with local growers has left some Watsonville-area farmers facing a difficult question: What happens when the company that has bought your crop for generations no longer needs it?

The story also opens the door to bigger questions about agriculture: rising costs, changing markets and what happens when farmers depend heavily on one major buyer.

In the classroom:

• What happens to a community when an important local industry is threatened?
• Why might losing a major buyer be especially difficult for farmers?
• What other challenges are California farmers facing?
• Who should be responsible for supporting local farmers — consumers, businesses, government or some combination?

Extension idea: Ask students to think about an industry or business that is important to their own community. What would happen if it suddenly disappeared?

Why is housing so expensive in Santa Cruz County?

Alongside stories of agriculture, Max Chun’s reporting looked at another issue that affects nearly every part of life in our community: housing.

The unwanted top spot: Santa Cruz County remains most expensive rental market

Why it matters: Santa Cruz County has once again been named the most expensive rental market in the country — for the fourth year in a row. A full-time worker here would need to earn $81.04 an hour to afford a typical two-bedroom rental without spending more than 30% of their income on housing.

That number can be a powerful starting point for students because housing isn’t just about rent. High housing costs can affect where people work, whether families can stay in the community and who can afford to live here.

In the classroom

• Why do you think housing is so expensive in Santa Cruz County?
• What factors determine how much rent costs?
• How does the $81.04-per-hour “housing wage” compare with what you think people in our community actually earn?
• What could local leaders do to make housing more affordable?
• What might happen to a community if the people who work here can no longer afford to live here?

Extension idea: Have students investigate what jobs in Santa Cruz County pay and compare those wages with the cost of housing. What do they notice?

STUDENT STORIES

One of my favorite parts of this work is seeing students recognize that they have a place in local journalism, too. Here are a few stories from and about young people that could be great classroom reads. These are great examples to share with students who might not think of themselves as “writers” or “journalists” but have a story, perspective or experience worth sharing.

And here’s a roundup of other Lookout stories that you might find interesting. You can always browse all of our recent coverage here →.

MORE CURRENT EVENTS

One last thing

Thank you for all the work you do in our community – and welcome to another school year! The work you do every day helps students become more informed, curious and engaged members of their communities. You’re helping the next generation understand not just what is happening around them, but how to ask questions, evaluate information and participate in the places they call home.

That’s exactly why I believe local journalism belongs in the classroom.

If you’d like to learn more about our school programs, schedule a classroom visit, get involved or just have a question, please reach out anytime at jamie@lookoutlocal.com.

I’m looking forward to another year of working with you and your students!

Best,

Jamie Garfield
Director of Student & Community Engagement
Lookout Santa Cruz

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