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.