CHICAGO – A number of Illinois teachers have been selected to take part in The Biotechnology Institute’s National Teacher-Leader Program which is taking place in Chicago.

The Teacher-Leader Program is part of the Biotechnology Institute's Education Conference, which is being held April 6-9 in Chicago before the BIO 2006 Annual International Convention.

The Biotechnology Institute’s National Teacher-Leader Program builds a network of teachers who are dedicated advisors, committed to teaching biotechnology to students and serve as a resource for other teachers. As part of the program, the teachers attend field trips to local biotech industry sites, interact with panels, speakers, and leaders of the industry on key issues in biotechnology, and develop skills, content knowledge, and strategies to incorporate biotechnology into the classroom.

The Illinois biotechnology Teacher Leaders will be meeting in early May with leaders from Illinois biotechnology business/industry and university researchers to deliberate a possible biotechnology education plan for statewide consideration and implementation. In addition, it is anticipated that the CPS teacher leaders will work to help CPS teachers strengthen their life science content knowledge, and assist with implementation of the life sciences curriculum.

Teachers who were selected to take part in the conference are:

• Eva Aseves, Washington High School, Chicago
• Hallie Askuvich, Canter Middle School, Chicago
• Jean Barker, Homewood-Flossmoor High School, Flossmoor
• Thelma Johnson-Bond, Mose Vines Prep Academy, Chicago
• Pamela Byrne, Princeton High School, Princeton
• Laura Cohen, Lake Zurich High School, Lake Zurich
• Jeri Dempsey, CUSD 275, Franklin Grove
• Matthew Flach, Dunbar High School, Chicago
• Teresa Franklin, Chester High School, Chester
• Marilyn Havlik, Walter Payton College Prep, Chicago
• Matt Knoepke, Hyde Park Academy, Chicago
• Alberta Smith-Lawrence, Simeon Career Academy High School, Chicago
• Jean Mason, Kenwood Academy High School, Chicago
• Maureen Miller, Edgewood Middle School, Highland Park
• Olivia Parker, Coulterville USD #1, Coulterville
• Robert Pawlicki, Washington High School, Chicago
• Mary Ann Quivey, Monroe-Randolph ROE, Waterloo
• Maria Santiago, Chicago Public Schools, Chicago
• Ann Trent, Iroquois West Middle School, Onarga
• Carolyn Zanto, UIUC, Urbana
• Sally Zurlinden, Lincoln Community High School, Lincoln
  

More information is available at http://www.biotechinstitute.org/.