Sally Ride, the first American woman in space. Photo courtesy NASA.

Chronicle of Philanthropy: A new study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation revealed that in 2010, 15.7 million children in the United States lived below the poverty line. This is a marked increase from the Foundation’s 2005 study of the same subject, and signifies the long-term effects of the 2007-2009  recession.

As people across the country deal with unemployment or underemployment, their children struggle to gain access to the resources they need to succeed. During the 2010-2011 school year, 87 percent of the 1.26 million children Communities In Schools served were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Our site coordinators work around the clock to make sure students get everything they need to survive and thrive, including food, medical care and clothing. We also make sure their emotional needs are met during this stressful time by providing mentors, counselors and more.

Education Week: This week is the 2012 International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C. In connection with the conference, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new statistics about the spread of HIV and AIDS in the United States and their effect on our youth. As of 2009, people ages 15-29 make up 21 percent of the U.S. population; but they account for 39 percent of all new HIV infections. And according to the CDC, while about half of all teens report they are sexually active, only 60 percent of those having sex report using condoms.

The Education Week article offers an enlightening look at how sex education differs in schools across the United States, and asks whether or not promoting abstinence-only programs is what’s best for today’s students.

GOOD: This week we said goodbye to Sally Ride, the first American woman in space. Since her historic journey on the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1983, Ride has served as a powerful role model for young women with a passion for science, technology, engineering and math. She was a leader in the fight to break down gender barriers and promote the role of women in STEM subjects. Among many speaking engagements and initiatives, in 2001 Ride and other female scientists founded Sally Ride Science, a company dedicated to producing classroom materials and programs for students that promote diversity in the workplace.