The latest news, analysis and opinion on the state of low-income women and their families from Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity

 Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, a national foundation-led initiative, is excited to collaborate with the Women’s Foundation to bring you the latest news and analysis on women and poverty.  

– A lunchtime program at a Maryland high school is allowing young women to “open up and speak their minds.”  Click here to hear what members of Forever Sisters have to say.

– New York Avenue NW is about to get a lot more colorful, thanks to a new public art project organized by the National Museum of Women in the Arts.  In April, sculptures of three women in colorful bathing suits will be placed in the median.  The artwork is by the late French sculptor Niki de Saint Phalle.  Click here for more details about the project.

On Wednesday afternoon, Maryland’s state senate will hold a hearing that could help put thousands of local students on a path toward making smart, well-informed financial decisions.  The bill that is the subject of the hearing will require the State Board of Education to develop a curriculum on financial education – a course high school students would be required to complete in order to graduate.

– $15.4 million in federal stimulus funds are coming to the D.C. government and two local health-care organizations.  Among other things, the money will be used to train people for careers in health care and health information technology.  Click here to read more.

– This week, Maryland lawmakers are considering a bill that would make financial literacy a requirement for high school graduation.  While supporters of the bill say that students should know all about credit scores and finance charges before they graduate, some lawmakers are concerned about how to pay for the instruction.  Click here for more details.

– Eviction has become a “particular burden” on low-income black women, according to new research. “Just as incarceration has become typical in the lives of poor black men, eviction has become typical in the lives of poor black women,” said the sociologist who conducted the research.  And evictions often send families further into debt.  To read more, click here.

The latest news, analysis and opinion on the state of low-income women and their families from Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity

Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, a national foundation-led initiative, is excited to collaborate with The Women’s Foundation to bring you the latest news and analysis on women and poverty.  Spotlight is the go-to site for news and ideas about fighting poverty.

Do you have compelling new research findings about what helps low-income women with children achieve economic security and financial independence – even in these difficult economic times? Would you like to share them with the community of Washington Area Women’s Foundation?

If you answered yes to these questions, please consider presenting your research at the annual Washington Area Women’s Foundation Stepping Stones Research Briefing, scheduled for the morning of Friday, May 7, 2010, at The Urban Institute in downtown Washington, D.C.

– Prince George’s County Tennis & Education Foundation — a Women’s Foundation Grantee Partner — is featured on the official website of the United States Tennis Association in celebration of Black History Month.  Click here to read an article that describes the program and the impact is has on young athletes in Maryland.