HR0851 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0851 LRB097 19083 KXB 66671 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, In June 2009, Hortense Brice retired from teaching after dedicating 41 years to education in the Chicago Public School system; and

WHEREAS, She received her Bachelor of Science Degree from Illinois State University, her Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Illinois in Chicago, and trained for 36 hours in Science Education at the Illinois Institute of Technology; and

WHEREAS, After obtaining her degrees she partook in workshops, conferences, and graduate-level courses in various fields of science at respected universities to further her knowledge in the subject and expand her capability to teach it to high school students; and

WHEREAS, She created the first biotechnology curriculum in the Chicago Public School system; and

WHEREAS, In the mid-1990s she taught elements of biotechnology at Whitney Young Magnet High School and taught the first full-time biotechnology course at Lindblom Math and Science Academy in Chicago Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Her meeting with Dr. George Keiffer of the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana secured a grant from the National Science Association that helped to provide formal training in biotechnology to more Chicago Public high school educators; and

WHEREAS, She arranged for Chicago Public high school teachers to enroll in the two-year biotechnology training course at the University of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, In the spring of 2006, she worked with the After School Matters program to develop a successful pharmaceutical drug curriculum for high school students; and

WHEREAS, She has been recognized as an outstanding educator, researcher, and trainer for the next generation of young scientists by receiving the iBio Institute iCON Knowledge Builder Award for grades 6-12; and

WHEREAS, Even after retirement, she continues to attend science training programs, including the five-day biotechnology immersion program held by the Biotechnology Institute at the BIO International Convention; and

WHEREAS, After her retirement Ms. Brice established, in partnership with Baxter International, Inc., the Biotechnology Center of Excellence, a professional development course for Chicago Public School teachers to learn the fundamentals of biotechnology; the Center has, in 3 years, taught nearly 90 teachers at the junior high and high school levels, and has brought both acumen and biotechnology tools into the classroom; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize Hortense Brice for her dedication to the teaching of advanced science to high school students in Chicago Public Schools; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Hortense Brice as a symbol of our respect and esteem.