Young women learn computer science with nonprofit organization Girls Who Code. Photo courtesy Girls Who Code.

Huffington Post: A new study released this week by Stanford University’s Center for Education Policy Analysis revealed that black and Hispanic students are significantly underrepresented at the nation’s most selective colleges. The study, which analyzed race, income and enrollment patterns at top-tier universities from 1982 to 2004, showed that white students were more likely than black and Hispanic students to not only apply to selective schools, but to gain admission as well.

Stanford’s study also took a look at the enrollment rates of low-income students, independent of race, and revealed that they were underrepresented at high-tier colleges as well. Almost 58 percent of the students enrolled at the nation’s most selective schools come from families in the top quartile of income distribution, while only six percent come from the bottom.

Even though the United States is in the midst of an economic downturn, colleges’ price tags continue to grow. This makes it harder for low-income students to afford an education at more selective schools, which tend to be more expensive. For many students, the price of a post-secondary education is enough to discourage them from even applying. More must be done to help students, regardless of race, ethnicity and income class, be able to afford the schools that best fit their education and career goals.

New York Times: Budget cuts are not only affecting students academically, but physically as well. In its biennial survey of high school students across the nation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported last month that nearly half said they had no physical education classes. In addition, in an attempt to fit more classroom time into the school day, many schools are cutting time from, or entirely eliminating, recess.

While it’s important to make sure students are developing their minds, we must also acknowledge that physical education classes give students the opportunity to expend excess energy, fight obesity, and learn new passions and skills. All of this helps them win in the classroom. Communities In Schools affiliates across the nation offer numerous opportunities for students to be active, including self-defense classes, soccer and basketball clubs, and field trips to bowling alleys and ice skating rinks.

GOOD: With 1.4 million computer science-related job openings expected to be available by 2018, majoring in the subject during college is a pretty safe bet. So why are only 14 percent of women graduating with computer science degrees? Many nonprofits are closing the gender gap by giving young women exciting opportunities to explore computer technology. For example, Girls Who Code is a new nonprofit dedicated to inspiring and equipping 13- to 17-year-old girls with the skills and resources to pursue opportunities in technology and engineering. This month they launched their first intensive summer camp in New York City, where they will be teaching attendants robotics, web design and mobile development, among other subjects.

One of Communities In Schools’ Five Basics is to make sure that every student has a marketable skill to use upon graduation. Organizations like Girls Who Code not only see a gap in the job market, they’re utilizing the Five Basics to make sure young women are prepared to graduate from high school and successfully fill in that gap.