85R9453 JGH-D

By: Guillen H.R. No. 479

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, For the past eight years, the Community Historical Archaeology Project with Schools program of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has worked to raise awareness of the region's rich cultural and natural history; and

WHEREAS, Established in 2009, CHAPS brings scholars from UTRGV into partnership with area schools and other community institutions in order to create archaeologically and historically literate citizens; these experts work with area schools to train students from kindergarten through high school in the stewardship of historical sites and vital natural resources while preparing them for continuing studies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; and

WHEREAS, Contributors to CHAPS include faculty from the university's anthropology, history, geology, communication, education, and biology departments, faculty and students from the Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship and The Studio, and staff from the Border Studies Archive and the Special Collections Library; and

WHEREAS, The project has also forged relationships with such local and county institutions as the Brownsville Historical Association, the Cameron County Historical Commission, the Hidalgo County Historical Commission, the Roma Historical Commission, the King Ranch Museum, the Museum of South Texas History, the Peñitas Historical Society, the Port Isabel Museum, the Starr County Historical Museum, the Webb County Heritage Foundation, and the Zapata County Museum of History, as well as such state entities as Texas Tropical Trails and the Texas Historical Commission and such federal agencies as the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the International Boundary and Water Commission; this outstanding program has benefited from the leadership of its director, Dr. Russell K. Skowronek, and from the expertise and hard work of Roseann Bacha-Garza, Christopher Miller, Juan L. Gonzalez, Kenneth R. Summy, Nick Taylor, Rolando Avila, Bobbie Lovett, John Milford, and Margaret Dorsey; and

WHEREAS, The program's successful efforts have included student-led research into the Valley's prehistoric peoples and early pioneers, a project to interview World War II veterans, and the creation of lesson plans on the history of the Rio Grande Valley; one of the most recent initiatives has been the development of the Rio Grande Valley Civil War Trail, which includes highway and street signs marking Civil War sites across six counties, from Laredo to Brownsville; the project has also created a bilingual map, guide, and brochure, as well as a website and a series of podcasts, that identify the sites and explain their significance; and

WHEREAS, In 2016, CHAPS received two awards from the Texas Historical Commission: an Award of Merit for preserving the cultural and historical resources of Texas and the Chairman's Award for Community Education for the Rio Grande Valley Civil War Project; in 2017, the program earned the prestigious Daniel G. Roberts Award for Excellence in Public Historical Archaeology from the Society for Historical Archaeology; and

WHEREAS, CHAPS has proven to be a dynamic and innovative educational endeavor, one that is enlightening and inspiring countless young people throughout the Rio Grande Valley; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas Legislature hereby commend the Community Historical Archaeology Project with Schools for its visionary approach to education and extend sincere best wishes to all those associated with the program for continued success in their important work; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for CHAPS as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.