WHEREAS, Claire Beach began her career promoting media literacy in the 1980s in Boston, running a city-wide youth program called "The Demystification of Television," which broke down the audience and message of commercials; and

WHEREAS, This led Claire to a career in documentary filmmaking where she worked on films about peace issues with other women, their work then being immortalized in the Harvard Library; and

WHEREAS, Inspired by the birth of her son Jesse in 1987, she honed her focus on media literacy, producing and hosting a live public affairs show on violence in children's television which won a Commonwealth of Massachusetts outstanding Public Affairs Program Award; and

WHEREAS, Claire began her teaching career in the Seattle and Edmonds communities in 1995, and is a valuable and beloved member of the Edmonds community, having inspired and impacted the lives of hundreds of students over her many years of service; and

WHEREAS, As a teacher, artist, and activist who has consistently worked to lift up the voices and experiences of young people, Claire has imparted to her students a way of thinking that encourages critical analysis, courageous conversations about difficult topics, and art as a form of social change; and

WHEREAS, Claire has a sincere passion for and deep knowledge of the field of media literacy and scholarship, and understands the importance of teaching students how to evaluate films, TV, print news, and other media for accuracy, messaging, and value; and

WHEREAS, Claire's love for media literacy and her students led to her becoming a member, and later the president, of Action for Media Education, where she worked on several media literacy-based projects and grants through the Washington State Department of Health; and

WHEREAS, This passion led Claire to engage with her representatives in the Legislature on the issue, and as a result of her tireless efforts to expand access to media literacy curricula for students in her district and across the state, Washington has been recognized as a leader among all fifty states in the realm of media literacy education, developing a national model for helping students develop the skills to navigate an increasingly digitized world and become engaged, informed, and empowered 21st century citizens; and

WHEREAS, In 2017, Claire began a new fight against ovarian cancer, but has refused to let her work in the classroom stop, continuing to serve as a substitute saying "chemo heals my cancer, teaching heals my soul"; and

WHEREAS, Claire views her work with young people as a part of her healing and has drawn strength from continuing to teach even after her diagnoses and treatments;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Senate recognize the incredible contributions that Claire Beach has made to our state as a result of her tireless advocacy and efforts to improve media literacy in Washington, resulting in our state creating one of the most comprehensive media literacy programs in the country; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we express our profound admiration for Claire's strength in the face of her illness and that we send her strength and fortitude as she continues her work teaching the next generation about the importance of media literacy and digital citizenship; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to Claire Beach and her son Jesse Douglas-Tesch.