June 2021 - Growing Up in Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz Mountain Pump tracks

growingupsc — Thu, 17 Jun 2021 20:26:47 +0000

Get Pumped! Our Guide to Santa Cruz County’s Kid-Friendly Pumptracks Do you have an up-and-coming cyclist in your life? Take them to a local pumptrack and boost their skills! A pumptrack is akin to a skate park but is built for cyclists of all ages — even the littlest ones. It’s called a pumptrack because, instead of pedaling or pushing, you generate momentum by pumping your body up and down. Pumptracks are a great way for young riders to build their skills and confidence, and provide hours of fun for the whole family. Here in Santa Cruz, we’re blessed to have a multitude of pumptracks throughout the county. To figure out which ones are best for kids, we chatted with our friends over at Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship (SCMTS). They’re the local nonprofit trail stewardship organization behind popular outdoor experiences like the Harvey West Pumptrack and Emma McCrary Trail in Pogonip, and gave us the inside scoop on the best places to get in some laps with the kiddos. Harvey West Pumptrack SCMTS built and opened the Harvey West Pumptrack in the City of Santa Cruz’s Harvey West Park (directions here) in 2016. Their team worked closely with the city to design, build, and maintain a world-class pumptrack right in the heart of Santa Cruz. Since its opening, the pumptrack has transformed a portion of the park that had previously been a hangout for transients into a thriving community resource. Harvey West is a great spot for riders of all abilities to build confidence and push their skills. The track includes multiple line options that allow riders to choose small or large features. Pro tip: Bring a picnic lunch with you when you visit the Harvey West Pumptrack! There are some picnic tables right next to the track that are perfect for mid-ride snack breaks. Chanticleer Pumptrack In March of 2020, the SCMTS Trail Crew led groups of dedicated volunteers and gave the Chanticleer Pumptrack in Live Oak (directions here) a major makeover. The track now has rebuilt berms, rollers and jumps that are suitable for both beginner and expert riders. During the 2020 rebuild, the SCMTS Trail Crew also installed advanced drainage and a larger starting area to reduce maintenance and increase the fun. The Chanticleer Pumptrack is a great spot for the whole family to enjoy—check it out next time you’re in the Live Oak area! Ramsay Park Pumptrack In conjunction with the City of Watsonville, Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship recently opened the largest (and only paved!) pumptrack in Santa Cruz County. Riders of all skill levels can enjoy nearly 20,000 square feet of pristine rollers, berms and jumps at the just-opened Ramsay Park Pumptrack (directions here). The Ramsay Park Pumptrack is currently open to cyclists from sunrise to 8 p.m., seven days a week. The north side of the track features larger technical rollers, berms and jumps, while the south side of the track hosts smaller features that are more accessible to youth users or pumptrack novices. This latest centerpiece of Ramsay Park complements the existing ball fields, skatepark, picnic area, and community center to appeal to a wide range of user groups of all ages. The Ramsay Park Pumptrack brings critical outdoor recreation infrastructure to South Santa Cruz County, and offers a COVID-safe opportunity for users of all ages to get outside, build their skills and exercise together. Check out this awesome video about the Ramsay Park Pumptrack, courtesy of Bell Helmets. Build a New Westside Pumptrack. Win a Kids’ Bike. All for $5. Support development of the all-new Westside Pumptrack and get a chance to pump up your little one with some new wheels. Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship (SCMTS) is currently constructing an all-new outdoor pumptrack for cyclists, skateboarders, scooterers, and more on the Westside of Santa Cruz. Their team is replacing an old, loved-to-death track with a fresh, kid-friendly design and upgraded features, but are still a little short of their fundraising goal. To help keep the project on schedule, Trek and Epicenter Cycling are donating THREE Trek kids’ bikes for SCMTS to give away. For as little as $5, folks can support their work at the Westside Pumptrack and earn an entry to win the Trek kids’ bike of their choosing. Check out the project page for all the details, then grab your entries! Scotts Valley Pumptrack The Scotts Valley Pumptrack is located in the Skypark area of Scotts Valley (directions here), and has a little something for everyone. This traditional dirt pumptrack is regularly maintained by SCMTS staff and volunteers, and includes features that are suitable for beginner cyclists. Check it out next time you’re in the Scotts Valley area! Bonus: When the kids start getting tired, there’s a beautiful field, rest area and playground just across the park. McGregor Pumptrack & Skateboard Park The McGregor Pumptrack & Skateboard Park is conveniently located right off Highway 1 (directions here) and boasts tracks perfect for both cyclists and skateboarders. With a multitude of features ranging from small to large, all members of the family are sure to find some fun out at the track! Get in the Dirt with the SCMTS Team Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship staff and volunteers maintain many of the tracks listed in this article at their Thursday Pumptrack Maintenance events. Locations rotate each week, but the fun stays the same! Kids are welcome at all pumptrack maintenance events—check out the full calendar here to secure your spot and give back to your favorite track. Read More Parenting Articles

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MOM-ing Glitter

growingupsc — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 22:54:40 +0000

June 2021 Coloring page

growingupsc — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 22:42:30 +0000

Dolphin Family Deadline July 20 Submit your coloring entry to christy@growingupsc.com and win prizes. You can also mail them to Box 3505, Santa Cruz, 95063 Read More Coloring Pages

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Check out These Red Balls

growingupsc — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 22:35:41 +0000

Forget Blue Ball Park: Check out These Red Balls In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History, the internationally renowned public art installation known as the RedBall Project will be popping up across Santa Cruz County this June. The RedBall Project is an inflatable mobile sculpture created by Kurt Perschke that has been making headlines around the globe since 2001. Considered “the world’s longest–running street art work” the RedBall has been to over 30 cities from Paris to Portland. “On the surface, the experience seems to be about the ball itself as an object,” said Perschke, “but the true power of the project is what it can create for those who can experience it.” The playful art piece, which is 15 feet in diameter and weighs 250 pounds, will be in Santa Cruz County beginning Tuesday, June 8 through Sunday, June 13, 2021. Wedged into unexpected places with a burst of bright color, the giant orb will explore the area’s unique architectural landscape and history in a series of daily installations, ranging from the Santa Cruz Wharf to Downtown Watsonville to the MAH itself. “The RedBall Project is a great representation of the spirit and vision of the MAH, which for twenty-five years has pushed beyond its four walls to be out in the community,” said Robb Woulfe, executive director of the MAH. “It challenges us to reimagine familiar spaces and, like the MAH, meets people where they are to create new connections.” The public can find the RedBall squeezing itself into and around well-known Santa Cruz landmarks by following the MAH and the artist on social media (@santacruzmah and @redballproject). With an aim to delight and surprise, the community is encouraged to follow the travelling artwork each day as local buildings, parks, piers, and more become the canvas for this celebratory installation. RedBall Santa Cruz Schedule Tuesday, June 8, 11 am to 6 pmSanta Cruz Wharf21 Municipal Wharf, Santa Cruz Wednesday, June 9, 11 am to 6 pm Del Mar Theater in Downtown Santa Cruz1124 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz Thursday, June 10, 11am to 6 pm Esplanade Park Bandshell near Capitola Village120 Monterey Avenue, Capitola Friday, June 11, 11am to 6 pm Cabrillo College Downtown Watsonville Center318 Union Street, Watsonville Saturday, June 12, 11am to 6 pm The MAH in Downtown Santa Cruz705 Front Street, Santa Cruz Sunday, June 13, 11am to 6 pm Cowell’s Beach21 Municipal Wharf, Santa Cruz Read More Parenting Articles

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Expanding Broadband in Santa Cruz County

growingupsc — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 22:31:08 +0000

Expanding Broadband in Santa Cruz County by zach friend, county supervisor It is estimated that as many as 1 in 3 California households lack broadband access with a disproportionate number of those households consisting of seniors, those with low-incomes and adults self-identifying as having a disability The pandemic highlighted the critical need for access to affordable, high-speed internet. For students participating in remote learning, parents attempting to work remotely and our families needing to access tele-health, high-speed internet is an essential resource. Yet, many households in our community, and throughout the state, either have limited bandwidth to meet their needs or are priced out of options. The County has taken some steps to improve the availability of broadband and the state and federal governments are also making efforts to expand access. It is estimated that as many as 1 in 3 California households lack broadband access with a disproportionate number of those households consisting of seniors, those with low-incomes and adults self-identifying as having a disability. Similar challenges exist in Santa Cruz County. For context, 92 percent of households nationwide with incomes between $100,000 and $150,000 have broadband service, while only 47 percent of households making less than $25,000 a year access these technologies. For areas that are covered, most of the lack of service stems from cost, and for those in rural areas (or even relatively suburban areas of our county) there are little to no high-speed internet options – increasing the digital divide. County EffortsThe County of Santa Cruz has developed a series of policies and programs to encourage public and private investment and proliferation of broadband infrastructure. These policies include a “dig once” policy where fiber conduit will be installed whenever public rights-of-way are broached (significantly reducing the cost and also preventing the need to dig up a road that was recently paved in order to add conduit later). Additionally, the County revised permitting fees to directly reflect actual county cost and streamlined the permitting process for fiber infrastructure projects. The County established common technical specifications for broadband infrastructure projects to speed up the process for those increasing this type of infrastructure, created a master lease agreement for companies interested in locating their infrastructure on County assets and the developed a Broadband Master Plan to guide future policy and infrastructure development. Lastly, the Board of Supervisors voted to allocate some of the recent federal relief funding toward increasing broadband access and infrastructure – and previously, relief funds were given to our local libraries to provide for wi-fi hotspots to be checked out by patrons. This has led to a number of areas in the unincorporated area seeing increases in speeds and some reduction in costs. New fiber lines are running through major corridors like Soquel, Freedom, San Andreas and other locations that provide the framework for increased services. State Efforts A recent report commissioned by the California Public Utilities Commission found that the cost of building high-speed internet fiber connections to every unserved building and house in the state could occur with an investment of approximately $6.8 billion. The California State Association of Counties (CSAC), which represents the interests of counties at the state level, has been working with the Newsom Administration to invest $8 billion of the federal relief funding and other new funding made available for this purpose to close the digital divide. As CSAC notes, this level of investment could give households, businesses, schools, and hospitals access to high-speed 100 Mbps broadband and give a giant boost to programs that would spur the adoption of internet service (such as devices, digital skills training, service subsidies, and language access programs and products). What exactly would the state funding do? Most of it would provide 100/10 Mbps fiber optics to buildings and houses currently without it. About a third of it is proposed to construct a statewide middle mile network (to close location gaps where fiber infrastructure occurs) so that any provider could tap in and provide services to underserved areas. This funding would come from the new one-time funds available from the federal relief funding, which includes funding specifically for broadband infrastructure and also more flexible funding that can be applied for things such as broadband expansion. Federal EffortsOne of the largest federal efforts to increase broadband access has been in the recent relief funding. For example, The Emergency Broadband Benefit provides a discount of up to $50 per month towards broadband service for eligible households (such as those at 135% of the federal poverty guidelines or that experienced a substantial loss of income during the pandemic). The federal funding also provides significant offsets for schools and libraries looking to provide high-speed internet services and funds will be allocated directly to states to help build out broadband infrastructure projects. Additional federal legislation has been proposed to close the digital divide even further that is currently under consideration. These local, state and federal efforts will help ensure equitable access for broadband and close the digital divide for communities such as ours. As always, I appreciate hearing your feedback on this or any other issue I can help you with. Feel free to call me at 454-2200 with any questions or comments. Read More Parenting Articles

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A Plethora of Pets

growingupsc — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 22:26:37 +0000

Families Have Added Exotic New Members During the Pandemic by Jeanette Prather Who can turn down that furry little faced-friend, or even a not-so-snuggly yet scaly reptile? Pets come in all shapes and sizes, providing pet owners mountains of happiness, friendship, messiness, and love. One of the silver linings of sheltering in place during the pandemic is that pet adoptions are up all over the country. People have had more time to raise and train animals and happy to have a companion…and in some cases, some unconventional ones. Who can turn down that furry little faced-friend, or even a not-so-snuggly yet scaly reptile? Pets come in all shapes and sizes, providing pet owners mountains of happiness, friendship, messiness, and love. FURRY FRIENDSDespite ferrets and gerbils being two of the more popular pets in the United States, according to Neil Shouse of Shouse California Law Group, they are illegal in California. “Ferrets are Mustelids, the biological family that also includes otters, mink, weasels, and polecats,” wrote Shouse on his 2016 blog titled, “5 Popular Animals that are Illegal as Pets in California.” “Like ferrets, gerbils are popular pets in the United States. If you are looking for a rodent as a pet, therefore, we recommend that you stick to those rodents that are legal in California – specifically, domesticated races of golden hamsters, dwarf hamsters, rats, mice, guinea pigs, and chinchilla.” Shouse goes on to explain that hedgehogs, monkeys, and squirrels are among the list of popular illegal pets in California as well. “The people we bought our house from had five ferrets!” said Bonny Doon mom, Kim Furnish. “They even had one of the bedrooms all to themselves. Took us months to get the smell out of that room! They are adorable though!”“I had a ferret years ago, he was awesome,” said Jessica Laces, a Santa Cruz mom. “I was sad to learn they’re illegal here.” “Our family has a Bengal cat,” said another Santa Cruz mamma, Amber LB.“We have a house rabbit (litter box trained) who we adopted the day we returned home from CZU evacuation,” said Diana Wilson, Santa Cruz mom. TAKING THE FARMA little bit more maintenance, still part of the family, and essential to the agriculture scene in Santa Cruz County, are livestock and other farm animals. In fact, according to the 2019 Santa Cruz County Crop Report, livestock and animal products (which includes the animals, honey, and eggs), accounted for $7.68 million of the overall agriculture value in Santa Cruz County. Especially in the local scene, livestock and other farm animals make popular pets.“I have pot belly pigs, goats, miniature ponies, ducks, turkeys and chickens,” said Wauhillau Ward Erbe, grandmother from Watsonville. “Of course, they all require different care and right now I have lots of chicks, so I have three different heating lamps going. The herd animals are all very tame and require interaction with people. [It is] a lot of work, but I enjoy it!” “We have a rather exotic-looking sheep,” said Santa Cruz mom, Jamie Lafollette. “[The sheep is] called a Soay sheep and is one of the ancient breeds. It looks more like a goat. “We also have horses,” continued Lafollette. “The care regime for our sheep is letting him out every morning. He has an electric net fence we move around to keep the weeds down. Around dusk we lock him in his shed… He likes plums and pumpkins as treats. That’s about it.” “We adopted our [four] pigs,” said Aptos mom, Sarah Jukes. “Many [pigs] end up in shelters because they grow bigger than people expect, can be destructive, and are very stubborn. Our smallest is 125lbs, largest 350lbs [and they] love belly rubs. They eat twice a day, just a cup of pig pellets and enjoy vegetables. They get fat easily, so we have to watch what they eat. They also eat grass but root it up so not much is left. They don’t need to go for a walk but like space to root about and live outside. They sleep in a big shelter with blankets and people donate blankets to us. We love them, but they are not always easy.” “We have the run of the mill; hamster, rabbits, llamas, cows, horses, chickens, goats, dogs, cats, parrots, canaries, cockatiels, fish, pigs, etc.,” said Rahbecka Galvan, Santa Cruz mom. SCALY BUDDIESAnother not-as-common-as-some-would-think category of pets are reptiles. According to the American Pet Products Association’s 2017-2018 National Pet Owners Survey, of all the US households that own pets, 9.4 million account for reptiles. Of course, that’s no 94.2 or 89.7 million like our popular cats and dogs, respectively, but it’s still a significant cohort of reptile-loving Americans.“We had silkworms, Madagascar cockroaches, iguana, boa constrictors, red-eared slider turtle, Sucata tortoise and rats, too,” continued Galvan. “We adopted Eliza [our bearded] dragon because the previous owners no longer had time for her,” continued Jukes. “It was a steep learning curve and expensive to get her enclosure and lights all set up. Eliza eats crickets and super worms and fruit and vegetables. She spends most of the day by the glass sliding doors under a heat lamp. She asks to go outside so we sit outside, and she sunbathes. To survive she needs UV and should not be kept in an enclosure 24/7! She makes no noise and is very laid back.” “[Our two iguanas] were married this year after the girl, Meme, was rescued from a tree in Felton. The boy is Rexie. His human moved to Hawaii and left him in our care,” said Santa Cruz mamma, Malika M Bell. “As intimidating as they look, most kids find it comforting to know that they live off a vegetarian diet of organic baby greens with various fruit treats. They have no desire to eat any meat.”“We have an endangered Mojave Desert Tortoise named Sheldon who lives in our backyard,” Berra Yazar-Klosinski, Santa Cruz mon. “We also have a banana piebald ball python named Skittles.” AIR & SEA CREATURESSea life and poultry, which take a backseat to their more popular cat and dog counterparts, made a small cameo when it came to what types of unusual pets’ dwell locally. “We had hermit crabs!” Exclaimed Alicia Potes, Aptos mom. “They were fun [and] easy to care for. You have to mist their tank regularly, feed, and change their water, but they were very easy and a fun pet if you are ok with them not being snuggly.”“My grandsons have two pigeons that they have raised since they were chicks,” said local grandmother, Ward Erbe. “They are free to fly away but they stay home, landing on heads and sitting on shoulders. [It’s] so funny.” Whether it’s scaly and wild, warm and fuzzy, or large and loud, pets come in all shapes and sizes, and Santa Cruz runs a gamut of eclectic animals. Once a part of our family, these little critters shine their personalities and take on identities all their own! Read More Parenting Articles

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Killian Rose O’Brien

growingupsc — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 22:22:18 +0000

Killian Rose O’Brien Local Artist Killian is finishing up the 2nd grade at SLV Elementary. She was first drawn to art when her Aunt Laura took her to some Drawn-2-Art classes when she was in preschool. She is currently taking weekly art classes with our small pod of friends from her other Aunt Suzanne, she is so lucky to have such artistic people in her life! In her own words: “Art is fun to me and it is just a thing I do to calm myself down. It is fun to me to draw weird shapes and make it into a creature. I like shading and that is what I like to do.”

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Kate Pavao

growingupsc — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 22:15:23 +0000

Kate Pavao of the Live Like Coco Foundation by suki wessling Welcome back to our monthly feature of moms who have faced the task of pandemic parenting while also continuing their work in our community. Research has shown that women have suffered greater economic and personal fallout from the pandemic, losing jobs or having to work while also caring for children. When local mom, writer, and community volunteer Kate Pavao talks about ‘Marie Kondo-ing’ her life, she’s not referring to physical stuff. She’s working on focusing on what’s important, especially at a time when so many people need so much. “I used to manage a freelance writing/editing business as well as running the Live Like Coco Foundation, so I am used to working at home and juggling a lot of responsibilities,” Kate explains. “This has been another level, though! When the pandemic started, a lot of my writing projects were put on hold, and I haven’t really had time to pursue too many new assignments.” Kate has taken this time to focus her work on the foundation, named in memory of her daughter who died in 2015, which hosts book giveaways and beach cleanups, funds scholarships, and places Little Free Libraries in our local parks. On top of distance schooling this past year, that work was enough. “My house is small and sometimes I stand on the stairs on the way up to my room (where my husband works) and I can hear all three of them in virtual calls at once,” Kate says. “Add a barky dog and it’s a lot of chaos to manage!” As someone who has focused much of her time on fulfilling needs in our community, this year has been especially difficult, presenting challenges since most of their work was done in person. The best solution that Kate has found for keeping it all together is mindfulness. “I really feel so much better after my morning walks at the beach, instead of just trying to start the day with my to-do list,” she explains. “Often, I am more productive afterward anyway. My son’s teacher in particular has made mindfulness a real priority in her class, and I have tried to model that at home, too, either by doing the meditation or breathing exercises with my kids, or just trying to keep us all in the moment a bit more.” She’s particularly proud of her husband’s ‘bread ministry’—he makes and delivers sourdough bread at people’s houses when it’s their birthday or they are feeling low.For its part, the foundation continues its mission as best it can. Over the past year, it has adapted to pandemic-era norms. “At first I was so worried about losing our community and cancelling our events,” Kate remembers. “But I have learned that our community is still there. I am proud that we’ve been able to be adaptable and stay focused on what we could do. We’re all kind of floating around on our own little islands right now, but when I think about the Live Like Coco community, in particular, I see a lot of people who still want to connect, who still want to make a difference.” At this writing, school is about to end and Kate’s family are making summer plans including swimming and vacation. The Live Like Coco Foundation, she says, is ready to move forward. “I am excited to start passing out books again and connecting with community!” Kate says. “In July, we will do a book giveaway each Friday at the Watsonville Farmers Market.” It’s a good message for all of us: Focus on what’s important, nurture each other, and never give up on community. Read About More Moms Who Make a Difference

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Exploring New Options

growingupsc — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 22:10:33 +0000

High School Grads are Exploring New Options The pandemic hasn’t stifled them. It’s opened new doors By Jeanette Prather Gap years, YouTube sites, starting college while in high school…these are some of the new ways local teens are facing graduating during a historically challenging pandemic. Many have given up on the usual go directly to college path. “It’s been a full year since COVID-19 flipped life on its head. High school students everywhere have adapted to quarantine, switched to online learning, and seen their junior and senior years widely transformed,” wrote blogger Jeff Rutherford early in 2021 on KnowledgeMatters.com. “At the forefront are our 2021 high school graduates, who are preparing to walk into a world that has seen traditional pathways to the workforce changed dramatically. With unemployment still high, vaccines still rolling out, and an increasingly digital workforce, it’s no wonder that graduating students feel overwhelmed.” Rutherford says support for these recent grads can range from helping equip students with virtual job-hunting skills (including optimizing resumes with keywords and setting up students with professional social media accounts); inspiring students to master hard skills by utilizing free course and certification programs; preparing students to align the short-term with the long-term through exploration of multiple career options and actionable future plans; and reminding students of the ever-evolving adage, “Anything can happen!”Within the chaos, however, there seems to be some respite offering a breath of fresh air to upcoming graduates through a growing gap year trend. Gap year“The pandemic and all that has happened to me and my family this year changed my perspective on life,” said Kirby School graduating senior, Fiona Landau, who is currently planning a year abroad of studying in Denmark. “It made me think about what’s important to me. It has always been a dream of mine to spend a year abroad. I decided to live my life doing what will make me the happiest.” She says she would have gone directly to college in a regular year because that’s what everyone else would be doing. “But the disruption of COVID made her more open to following her dreams,” said Kirby School Communications Director, Paige Berardo. “We do have a couple of students who decided to take a gap year, citing that the pandemic gave them the freedom to explore alternative paths to college.” gap year is a growth in progress, a reflection year, said Ger Vue, school counselor of Roseville Area Schools in Minnesota. “The gap year is more common now with the pandemic. In the past it was a smaller percentage as the trend was going to college or a trade school.” Vue said that if the student has a clear purpose and focus for why they want to take a gap year, as well as what they’d like to get from it, the experience can be very beneficial. “In high school, there are constant daily reminders about what a student will do post-graduation,” he said. “Once you leave that setting and really embark on adulthood, there aren’t a lot of people who will prompt you or ask questions about the future anymore. Setting a deadline and point of return (for example, committing to a six-month gap year) is a good idea because once you wait too long, you’ll have bills, loss of concentrated education, and other grown-up things to worry about.” Financial impact Another critical factor for upcoming high school graduates and their families, according to Vue is the cost. “Financial literacy and understanding the cost of education should remain in the back of family and students’ minds,” he said. “You can’t talk about graduation without talking about student debt. There is $1.7 trillion in student debt. How are upcoming graduates going to navigate that? It’s critical for families to educate themselves about finance, especially these days.” Dual enrollmentSome high school students have started college, virtually, during the pandemic.“Taking simultaneous dual college and high school courses presents a small solution in regard to collegiate expenses,” he said. Four-year SchoolLocally, student options look similar while the four-year academic plans mostly remain intact. “Kirby students are still mainly pursuing four-year degrees after graduation,” said Berardo. “There has been a slight uptick in students beginning their degrees at a local community college with the intent of transferring to a UC, primarily due to increased costs of higher education.” Berardo admits that although Kirby School hasn’t experienced that drastic a difference in trends post-graduation, she does notice some student options that have opened in favor of specific student groups. “We also noted that students with strong GPAs applied to more colleges than they had in past years because of the absence of standardized testing (the SAT/ACT),” she said. “Test-optional proved advantageous for many, creating new opportunities to apply to a wider breadth of schools. Test-optional also helped with student stress levels during a very stressful year.” To no one’s surprise, students have had to think out of the box, along with everyone else. “Counselors are helping to deal with and guide students into expanding their trajectories beyond the here and now because that’s essential as we’re currently, as a society, in survival mode,” said Vue. “We want to give them the options and choices to earn better. High school kids are resilient, and they’ll make things happen.” You tubeA YouTube experiment is an example of what kids are doing, according to Rutherford. The channel Unus Annus—which was online for only a year and was hugely popular– is a great representation of how much life can change as well as how impermanent things (especially virtually) are. “Mark Fischbach (better known as Markiplier) and Ethan Nestor, uploaded vlog content every day for a year, and then deleted it all for good after a final 12-hour livestream,” said Rutherford. “The two YouTubers hoped to teach a dual lesson…anyone can change their life in the space of one year, and nothing, no matter what, is permanent.” Nestor, who graduated high school in 2015 with his own story of an uncertain future, struck a deal with his parents that included a gap year post-high school to pursue his dream of becoming a YouTube gamer for 12 months. They agreed that if that failed, he would go to college. His current YouTube subscribership is over two million. “It’s a fantastic case study in going after your dreams, and although you may not want to encourage your graduating class to place all their hopes in YouTube, it applies equally well to applying to selective universities, making a splash in the workforce right out of high school, or striking out on one’s own as a business owner,” wrote Rutherford. “Maybe it’s no longer the time to dismiss some students’ wilder dreams as impractical – not as long as they’re backed by a solid skill set and a clear plan of action. It’s 2021, after all. Anything can happen.”

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Your Pets

growingupsc — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 22:04:05 +0000

Your Pets! We asked you to share your favorite pictures of your pets, and boy did you! We received so many adorable photos, it was hard to choose just a few! Previous Next Read More Parenting Articles

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