The war in Ukraine is being watched worldwide.
Images and news reports that spread instantly through social media and the internet are finding their way into local classroom discussions.
Mark Van Over starts his first-period current issues class every morning with a discussion on the latest news from the war zone in Ukraine. He also teaches history at Canyon Crest Academy in Carmel Valley. His students study what is accurate and not fake news.
“It’s important to know what’s happening to the people and the human story that is part of a war," Van Over said. "That is something that textbooks don’t get well documented because of the past and the way things worked then.”
He also said he sometimes has to quickly update lesson plans because of constantly changing actions overseas.
The San Diego County Office of Education has also provided resources to schools to help students in learning about the conflict.
Senior Elizabeth Campbell-Budilenko, 17, sits in the front row of Van Over’s class, watching history unfold on computer screens. The war has directly impacted her mother’s family.
“They evacuated Ukraine and crossed the border, so thankfully they’re safe in Poland,” she said.
Campbell-Budilenko does not mince words when she tells her story, calling it "terrible."
"The whole thing is a mess ... [it] shouldn’t have happened in the first place," she said. "There's so many things that could have gone differently, should have gone differently.”
Across the Canyon Crest Academy campus, Stuart Polloch is teaching U.S. Government. He has students who are seniors about to graduate and are old enough to vote in the next election. Polloch is committed to the truth in his classroom.
“It is always a challenge to make sure the sources that we’re using are accurate as can be and also to help the students understand how to make those decisions and judgments for themselves as they get older,” he said.
Sasha Rudakov is an 18-year-old Russian American with family and friends still in the war zone. She is ready to have her voice heard at the ballot box.
“Many people think this is Russia versus Ukraine, but in reality, it is Putin versus Ukraine," she said. "Most Russians who support this don’t know any better.”
Canyon Crest senior Frankie Sauceda, 18, believes the NATO coalition will end this war with military strength when the time comes.
“It’s really up to the Russians at this point," he said. "If they attack let’s say, Poland. They’re basically signing their own death warrant.”
