I, like many in the region, sat down to watch the President’s State of the Union speech last night.  It’s an annual event that always engenders much anticipation (at least among the media pundits, political junkies, and those living in and around our nation’s capital), and this year was no exception.  Many called it “the” campaign speech, kicking off the 2012 election cycle.  Just a day before the speech, the White House said that the President would “outline his vision for an America where hard work and responsibility are rewarded, where everyone does their fair share, and where everyone is held accountable for what they do.”  Economic fairness was lauded as this year’s theme.

This month, we invited our Grantee Partners to share some of their New Year’s resolutions with us.  Their passion and commitment to transforming the lives of women and girls and improving our community are evident in the aspirational goals they’ve set for themselves this year.

In this week’s roundup of news affecting women and girls in our community: We wonder what Dr. King might say about the high rate of poverty among women and girls in the DC area.  The top five findings of 2011 from the Institute of Women’s Policy Research.  The impact of Pre-K on the achievement gap.  Is it time for a poverty revolution?  Plus, a young, aspiring scientist is headed for a national competition as her family deals with homelessness.

The 2010 American Community Survey has just been released and The Women’s Foundation has already identified grim statistics related to women, girls and poverty in our region.  Unfortunately, the number of women and girls living below the poverty line continues to rise: more than 202,000 live in poverty, up from 177,000 the previous year.  Click here for a pdf copy of the fact sheet.

Today is Day of the Girl, the kick-off of a year-long celebration of girls and the recognition of a movement to make girls’ worlds bigger and better.  To recognize the day, we’re taking a look at the barriers to success faced by girls in the Washington metro area, and we’re listening to what they have to say about their lives.

With many kids in our area headed back to school today, we thought it would be a good time to re-visit some educational statistics that Washington Area Women’s Foundation shared in our most recent report 2010 Portrait of Women & Girls in the Washington Metropolitan Area (Portrait Project 2010).

April is Month of the Young Child – a time to recognize the needs and rights of young children and their families.  According to the CDC: “the early years of a child’s life are crucial for cognitive, social and emotional development.  Therefore, it is important that we take every step necessary to ensure that children grow up in environments where their social, emotional and educational needs are met.”

Wendy-Nia Griffin is the S.I.S.T.E.R.S program director at Family Support Center, a Maryland nonprofit that offers social and mental health services to families and schools in the metro area.  FSC has received grants from The Women’s Foundation for the S.I.S.T.E.R.S. (Self, Image, Strength, Tenacity, Empathy, Responsibility, Success) after-school empowerment program. S.I.S.T.E.R.S. offers comprehensive outreach, education and mentoring for pre-adolescent and adolescent girls.

In today’s rundown: Cuts to a D.C. program that helps out grandparents who are raising their children’s children won’t be as deep as first proposed. | Changes could be coming to the way the District aids homeless families. | Listen to WAMU today for a discussion on the challenges faced by local LGBT youth. | A follow-up to yesterday’s story about a unique job training program.

In today’s rundown: While the full-time employment rate in the region has been stable, part-time workers here have faced some of the worst pay losses in the country. | Why climbing out of poverty is nearly impossible for former inmates. | A large number of DCPS students are now getting three meals a day at school. | A new report finds that women are bearing most of the caretaking burden when it comes to Alzheimer’s, and it’s affecting their health.