Two Beeville teachers recently participated in a free workshop in Corpus Christi, organized by Humanities Texas, on the U.S. Constitution.

On Sept. 11, Shannon Martinka, who teaches social studies at Moreno Middle School, and Veronica Molina, teacher of government and U.S. history at A.C. Jones High School, attended the workshop, which offered teachers the opportunity to work closely with leading scholars, studying major aspects of the U.S. Constitution from its adoption through the 20th century. Fifty-three teachers from South Texas participated in the workshop.

The distinguished faculty included Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jack N. Rakove of Stanford University, Michael Les Benedict of The Ohio State University and Laura Muñoz of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

Charles Flanagan, an educational specialist from the National Archives and Records Administration, also served on the institute faculty and provided participants with facsimiles of historic documents that support the teaching of U.S. history and government.

The workshop was held at Education Service Center Region 2.

During the morning, teachers attended dynamic lectures and presentations. In the afternoon, they joined faculty in small workshops to examine primary sources related to constitutional history.

“We were delighted to hold this program in Corpus Christi,” said Humanities Texas Executive Director Michael L. Gillette. “Bringing teachers together to learn from leading scholars and from each other is an effective way to ensure that Texas students continue to receive the best possible educational opportunities.”

The workshop was made possible with support from the State of Texas, as well as from the National Endowment for the Humanities We the People initiative.

Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, sponsors programs promoting heritage, culture and education throughout the state.