Increasingly, public K-12 schools have noted and looked for ways to incorporate the ever-growing research that toxic stress or trauma affects the brain development and function of children, as shown in numerous reports by the Harvard Center on the Developing Child. In response to this research, Dr. Bruce Perry from the Child Trauma Academy has developed the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics, which provides neuroscientific approaches to working with children who have experienced serious, chronic or extreme forms of trauma.

With the nation's consciousness raised about cyber crime after North Korea's attack on Sony Pictures, the Santa Cruz Public Library is partnering with law enforcement and education agencies to encourage residents to better protect themselves online.

Raising a puppy is a good test of responsibility for any teenager.

But four Soquel High students face a bigger task than just making sure their new furry friends are walked, fed an watered.

As part of a first-ever offering within the county's Regional Occupational Program animal sciences course, the students will care for and socialize yellow Labrador retrievers who eventually will become guide dogs for the blind.

There is much to learn among the mammoth stacks of donated food, the gargantuan warehouses and the vast refrigerators at Second Harvest Food Bank.

There, hundreds of employees and volunteers every day perform countless tasks, from administrative duties to shipping and receiving to sorting food into the boxes and bags that go to hungry families. 

"Where would you go if wanted to feel content? What makes you happy?" Karen Lemon, ROP Photography Instructor at Renaissance High School, encouraged her students to ponder these questions, look closely at their world through a different lens and express their thoughts through photographs.  

Twenty Pajaro Valley High School ROP Green Careers students were granted a rare and special tour of two different types of research vessels at the end of November. Scientists George Matsumoto, Senior Education and Research Specialist, and Jared Figurski, Ocean Observatory Technician from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), gave the class a tour to remember. Since the vessels are large and contain proprietary technologies, the students were required to wear security badges in order to be admitted to the vessels.

Beth Hollenbeck, a professional singer-songwriter in her fifth year as Director of Music for Scotts Valley Middle and Scotts Valley High, has led the program to numerous accolades. The honors include the GRAMMY Foundation Signature Enterprise Award and the National Association of Music Merchants Award for "Best Communities for Music Education" in 2013 and 2014.

On Saturday, November 15, 2014, the Regional Occupational Program (ROP) Video Production students screened their work at the Rio Theater as part of the Santa Cruz Film Festival. The student show, Reel Fresh, has been a part of the film festival for the past five years. The short films shown this year were the products of students enrolled in the ROP Video Production classes at Santa Cruz, San Lorenzo Valley, Harbor, and Aptos High Schools. This year's films showcased the students' skills in advanced techniques and emerging technologies including the use of drone footage, underwater cinematography and computer animation. The screening included music videos, documentaries, animations, action films and short form experimental narratives. Santa Cruz High student Diego Diaz-Lundquist said, "It's a dream come true-it's definitely the best thing at school. It's why I wake up every day."  

For the first time, Santa Cruz County schools, Cabrillo College, UC Santa Cruz and others collaborated to create a week of activities centered on a single issue: how to prepare local youth for eventual careers. College Awareness week, organized by Cabrillo and Santa Cruz County College Commitment (S4C) began Oct. 25 with a UCSC campus open house, followed by college workshops at local high schools and middle schools. The week culminated with Cabrillo's College and Career Night on Monday, a fair attended by thousands of county teenagers and parents. 

Teenage chefs across the county toiled for hours this week, preparing items such as smoked trout crostinis and tomatillo salsa for the 250 guests at the Seed to Table business luncheon Friday.

Around 150 students from the county's Regional Occupational Program not only cooked food, but also harvested vegetables, grew flowers, designed banners and edited videos used for the 14th annual event - a thank you for local professionals who have spoken on career panels and hosted job shadowing events for the students.

Emilie Stevens, 12, scooped teaspoon after teaspoon into her cup, showing classmates how much sugar is in a Rockstar energy drink. The answer, 15.5 teaspoons, was not surprising, said Emilie, an eighth-grader at Branciforte Middle School. "I could tell it's really bad for you," she said. "I'm not allowed to drink it."  

Emilie was one of about 300 Santa Cruz County students who converged on UC Santa Cruz's organic farm Thursday morning for the Food, What?! Harvest Festival. Food, What?!, a youth nonprofit housed on UCSC's campus, employs low-income high schoolers as interns not only to grow, cook and distribute organic produce, but also educate peers.