| 1 | 1 | | H.R. No. 2257 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, CSTEM Teacher and Student Support Services is |
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| 6 | 6 | | contributing to the future success of Texas by engaging students in |
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| 7 | 7 | | the concepts of communication, science, technology, engineering, |
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| 8 | 8 | | and mathematics, or CSTEM; and |
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| 9 | 9 | | WHEREAS, The organization seeks to close achievement gaps in |
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| 10 | 10 | | those areas by developing, implementing, facilitating, and |
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| 11 | 11 | | sustaining hands-on, project-based learning experiences that are |
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| 12 | 12 | | customized to fit the individual needs of campuses; the idea for |
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| 13 | 13 | | CSTEM came out of the doctoral research of Dr. Reagan D. Flowers, a |
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| 14 | 14 | | former biology teacher at Jack Yates High School in Houston, and she |
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| 15 | 15 | | founded the group in 2002; she serves as chief executive officer of |
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| 16 | 16 | | CSTEM and remains a driving force behind the program's efforts |
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| 17 | 17 | | statewide; and |
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| 18 | 18 | | WHEREAS, CSTEM accomplishes its goals through several |
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| 19 | 19 | | initiatives, including the annual CSTEM Sea Turtle Robotics |
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| 20 | 20 | | Challenge; the only event of its kind in the nation that combines |
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| 21 | 21 | | pre-K through 12th-grade students using a feeder pattern, it allows |
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| 22 | 22 | | students to collaboratively solve problems in science, technology, |
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| 23 | 23 | | engineering, and mathematics while learning about the needs of sea |
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| 24 | 24 | | turtles and designing robots for competition; other CSTEM programs |
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| 25 | 25 | | that can be applied to any campus include the Girls Exploration |
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| 26 | 26 | | Team, FIRST/VEX/LOGO Robotics, and Summer STEM Enrichment Camps; |
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| 27 | 27 | | and |
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| 28 | 28 | | WHEREAS, In addition, CSTEM offers extensive teacher support |
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| 29 | 29 | | services, ranging from curriculum development to professional |
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| 30 | 30 | | development workshops, and it brings together such community |
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| 31 | 31 | | stakeholders as colleges and corporations; moreover, CSTEM has |
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| 32 | 32 | | partnered with the RainbowPUSH Coalition Energy & Science Project |
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| 33 | 33 | | to award two $2,500 college scholarships to students participating |
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| 34 | 34 | | in the Sea Turtle Robotics Challenge; and |
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| 35 | 35 | | WHEREAS, Currently supporting more than 70 schools, CSTEM has |
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| 36 | 36 | | developed a track record for connecting with minority, low-income, |
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| 37 | 37 | | at-risk, and gifted and talented students; in fact, more than 80 |
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| 38 | 38 | | percent of program participants are minority and some 45 percent |
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| 39 | 39 | | are female; and |
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| 40 | 40 | | WHEREAS, Countless young Texans have benefited from the |
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| 41 | 41 | | innovative efforts of CSTEM and its founder, Dr. Reagan Flowers, |
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| 42 | 42 | | and these students' newly acquired knowledge, skills, and |
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| 43 | 43 | | self-confidence will improve their lives as well as the world |
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| 44 | 44 | | around them; now, therefore, be it |
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| 45 | 45 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
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| 46 | 46 | | Legislature hereby recognize September 2009 as Texas CSTEM |
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| 47 | 47 | | Awareness Month and extend to Dr. Reagan Flowers and all those |
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| 48 | 48 | | associated with CSTEM Teacher and Student Support Services sincere |
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| 49 | 49 | | best wishes for continued success. |
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| 50 | 50 | | Olivo |
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| 51 | 51 | | ______________________________ |
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| 52 | 52 | | Speaker of the House |
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| 53 | 53 | | I certify that H.R. No. 2257 was adopted by the House on June |
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| 54 | 54 | | 1, 2009, by a non-record vote. |
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| 55 | 55 | | ______________________________ |
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| 56 | 56 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
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