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 ecosystem in Elkhorn Slough. At the same time, as part of a yearlong review of how to best serve students, administrators at UC Santa Cruz are considering changes to the residential college system.
Before the articles themselves, thank you to everyone who told their students about Lookout’s journalism scholarship! Submissions were a joy to read and any high schooler who submitted should be proud. We have now read them all and chosen our top winners, which won’t be announced until this Friday (2/27) at the Your Future is Our Business (YFIOB) annual luncheon. Stay tuned for the stories popping up the next couple weeks!
And a quick reminder about Lookout for Teachers, giving local middle and high school educators free, unlimited access to Lookout Santa Cruz’s independent, fact-based local journalism. Spots are filling up fast! Sign up today and share with a teacher you know! Secondary teachers can sign up with the link on this page.
This week’s highlighted stories
Through night drama, Elkhorn Slough reveals its salty secret life
Why it matters: Motion-triggered cameras have already captured thousands of movements in Elkhorn Slough as part of the National Estuarine Research Reserve Association’s (NERRA) continent-wide study of coastal wetlands. The study offers reasons to be optimistic about the future of this vital ecosystem.
In the classroom: Why are marshes considered a “sweet spot” and why are rising sea levels threatening that sweet spot? How might the photos and data captured through this study be valuable to both researchers in the field and the public? Consider the last quote in the article by Kenny Raposa, the study’s lead author and research coordinator.
UCSC explores making changes to its unique college system model
Why it matters: Coinciding with university-wide reevaluations in face of a budget deficit, UC Santa Cruz administrators are considering updating the university’s college system model. Since the system has been part of the university since its establishment in 1965, Interim Campus Provost Paul Koch clarified that though administrators are considering various options, they all maintain some semblance of the residential college system.
In the classroom: What is the goal of the college system and how do student and faculty responses reflect the success or failing of this goal? Who is Jeb Purucker (interviewed), and what are his anxieties about campus changes?
More current events to use in the classroom
County officials work to secure nearly $13M in flood recovery for Pajaro Valley; levee project gets additional federal boost
By Tania Ortiz
Santa Cruz County officials say they’re applying for state funding to help support infrastructure improvements following intense storms in 2023, affecting residents around the Pajaro Valley.
In final State of the City address, Keeley lauds Santa Cruz’s progress on housing and homelessness
By Max Chun
In his State of the City address Thursday, Mayor Fred Keeley looked back on the city’s progress with building housing and cutting down homelessness, and discussed how city council districts have affected city government.
How a complicated story was reported with humanity
By Lookout Santa Cruz
When a Watsonville teacher’s recent pro-ICE social media post drew community pushback, the connections and goodwill from Tania’s ongoing work enabled her — and education correspondent Hillary Ojeda — to run down a complicated story, one that included multiple voices, including those of parents drawn offline to discuss charged topics with nuance and humanity.
Interested in more stories? Browse all our recent coverage here.
California News
Modern parenting means apps for sports, school and more. Where is the data going?
By Adam Echelman / CalMatters
California is a national leader in data privacy, yet state law has gaps that allow companies to collect and sell students’ data. A new bill from Assemblymember Dawn Addis aims to add protections.
Educator Resources
Minnesota Star Tribune launches News Literacy Initiative
From the News Literacy Project, a press release outlining a positive promotion of trusted journalism and news literacy–a collaboration between the News Literacy Project, the Minnesota Star Tribune, and the University of St. Thomas’s ThreeSixty Journalism that was created in light of recent ICE activity in Minneapolis.
Student Resources
Free Tutoring
A collaboration between Senderos, UCSC, and The Humanities Department that offers free academic tutoring for students in grades 5-12 every Wednesday 5-7PM at the Branciforte Small Schools Library.
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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