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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, In June 2009, Hortense Brice retired from teaching
3after dedicating 41 years to education in the Chicago Public
4School system; and
 
5    WHEREAS, She received her Bachelor of Science Degree from
6Illinois State University, her Master's Degree in Curriculum
7and Instruction from the University of Illinois in Chicago, and
8trained for 36 hours in Science Education at the Illinois
9Institute of Technology; and
 
10    WHEREAS, After obtaining her degrees she partook in
11workshops, conferences, and graduate-level courses in various
12fields of science at respected universities to further her
13knowledge in the subject and expand her capability to teach it
14to high school students; and
 
15    WHEREAS, She created the first biotechnology curriculum in
16the Chicago Public School system; and
 
17    WHEREAS, In the mid-1990s she taught elements of
18biotechnology at Whitney Young Magnet High School and taught
19the first full-time biotechnology course at Lindblom Math and
20Science Academy in Chicago Illinois; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Her meeting with Dr. George Keiffer of the
2University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana secured a grant from
3the National Science Association that helped to provide formal
4training in biotechnology to more Chicago Public high school
5educators; and
 
6    WHEREAS, She arranged for Chicago Public high school
7teachers to enroll in the two-year biotechnology training
8course at the University of Illinois; and
 
9    WHEREAS, In the spring of 2006, she worked with the After
10School Matters program to develop a successful pharmaceutical
11drug curriculum for high school students; and
 
12    WHEREAS, She has been recognized as an outstanding
13educator, researcher, and trainer for the next generation of
14young scientists by receiving the iBio Institute iCON Knowledge
15Builder Award for grades 6-12; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Even after retirement, she continues to attend
17science training programs, including the five-day
18biotechnology immersion program held by the Biotechnology
19Institute at the BIO International Convention; and
 
20    WHEREAS, After her retirement Ms. Brice established, in
21partnership with Baxter International, Inc., the Biotechnology

 

 

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1Center of Excellence, a professional development course for
2Chicago Public School teachers to learn the fundamentals of
3biotechnology; the Center has, in 3 years, taught nearly 90
4teachers at the junior high and high school levels, and has
5brought both acumen and biotechnology tools into the classroom;
6therefore, be it
 
7    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
8NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
9we recognize Hortense Brice for her dedication to the teaching
10of advanced science to high school students in Chicago Public
11Schools; and be it further
 
12    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
13presented to Hortense Brice as a symbol of our respect and
14esteem.