Michelle Obama: Girls, Don’t Hold Back In School.

The AP (9/30, Peltz) reports that there is no shame in outshining males in the classroom, according to First Lady Michelle Obama. “‘Compete with the boys. Beat the boys,’ she told about 1,000 schoolgirls and young women Tuesdayat an event aimed at publicizing her ‘Let Girls Learn’ campaign to expand girls’ access to education in developing countries.” Charlize Theron, “who founded an AIDS-prevention charity in Africa, and former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard” also participated in the Glamour-organized discussion at the Apollo Theater. The Washington Post (9/30, Strauss) meanwhile points out in its “Answer Sheet” blog that the First Lady has “traveled to several countries to promote” the initiative, “which involves numerous agencies and departments of the federal government.” For instance, “since 2013, the US Department of State and USAID have committed more than $22 million to the Safe from the Start initiative to strengthen prevention and response to gender-based violence at the onset of humanitarian emergencies.” And in Ethiopia, “where one in seven girls is married by the time she turns 15, USAID is facilitating ‘community conversations’ with girls, their families, and their community members to discuss the impact of early and forced marriage and to explain the importance of providing resources for the mental and physical health of girls.”