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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Home economics is a field of study that deals with
3the economics and management of the home, family, and
4community; it deals with the relationship between individuals,
5families, communities, and the environment in which they live;
6and
 
7    WHEREAS, Home economics had its start in Lake Placid, New
8York during a series of annual conferences held between 1899
9and 1910; organized by MIT sanitary engineer Mary Richards,
10librarian Melvil Dewey, and a host of other educators, the
11meetings were dedicated to finding ways to apply the latest in
12science and technology to improve life in the American home;
13and
 
14    WHEREAS, In 1908, the conferences led to the creation of
15the American Home Economics Association, which lobbied the
16federal government to fund educational programs, and the
17resultant classes were a means of guiding young people through
18modern consumer culture; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Some school systems have managed to breathe new
20life into the course by divvying it up into more specialized
21classes, such as courses that specifically address food
22preparation, which might be more attractive to prospective

 

 

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1students in the age when Food Network-style programs inject fun
2and excitement into life in the kitchen; however, because home
3economics is typically classified as an elective course, it,
4like art and music classes, is prone to being eliminated from a
5school's course offerings; therefore, be it
 
6    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
7HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
8urge that home economics be brought back into high school
9curriculums with a comprehensive approach covering basic
10cooking techniques, caloric requirements, sources of food,
11budget principles, food safety, and the effects of food choice
12on well-being, including the risk of chronic disease; and be it
13further
 
14    RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
15delivered to the United States Secretary of Education, the
16Chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education, and the
17Illinois State Superintendent of Education.