Milwaukee public schools get federal sex-ed grant

Milwaukee's public school system received a $1.1 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to create a sex education program to boost student awareness of the risks of teen pregnancy as well as HIV and sexually transmitted disease infection, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports. The program is being designed as an after-school component provided to interested middle and high school students. "I think we've done a good job of trying to prevent tobacco and alcohol use and improving nutrition. This is another area where we want to focus and now have the resources to do so," said Judy Gerrity, program coordinator for health and physical education for the school district. The money will go specifically toward building or strengthening school health teams, in-service training for teachers and guidance counselors, and new textbooks that include updated information on HIV and other STDs.