County Historical Commissions (CHC) have access to a wide variety of training opportunities. CHC Statutes direct appointees to attend at least two educational trainings each year. The Learn tab of this website will link you to postings for upcoming workshops hosted by THC programs and partner organizations. In addition to the workshops that THC specialists provide, there are history-related organizations that frequently provide presentations and conferences that would benefit CHCs if attended. We recommend that you develop relationships with neighboring CHCs and area preservation organizations to share information and to coordinate education presentations and activities.
Educational Material Free of Charge
The CHC Handbook was created so that every CHC had access to orientation and reference material specific to their role as a county preservation advocate. This handbook is offered free of charge and featured as a downloadable document on this website. Once you have access to this electronic document, you are able to initiate word searches to immediately locate the topics of interest to you.
THC's website has been populated with a wide range of technical advice to enable any individual or organization benefit from our agency's preservation professionals. THC staff provide a variety of workshops throughout the year as time and funding allow. These efforts are featured on the Learn tab of this website along with a list of publications and documents to add to your preservation library.
CHC Outreach Workshops and Presentations
The goals of the CHC Outreach Program involve empowering CHCs through 
training, educating public officials and, creating opportunities for CHCs to expand their communication network. Fully staffed in 2008, CHC Outreach had two program specialists, enabling a great deal of time to be spent meeting with CHCs around the state and providing a number of workshops and meetings with appointees to tackle challenges specific to their county.
Due to budget and staff cuts, CHC Outreach now focuses on educational opportunities that benefit multiple counties rather than presentations to individual CHCs. Efforts such as regional workshops ;and partner conferences maximize the use of time, effort, and travel, as well as create additional opportunities for CHCs to meet on helping CHCs to fulfill statutory responsibilities--issuing/receiving CHC reporting, processing appointee updates, and helping CHCs to align their work with Texas' Statewide Preservation Plan.
CHC Outreach partnered with THC's Certified Local Government Program in 2012 to provide a series of five regional workshops across Texas. A workshop series of this type has not been scheduled for 2013; however, individual THC programs will provide training throughout the year on topics that directly relate to CHC interests. Visit the Learn webpage to find information on upcoming educational opportunities.
The Tom Green CHC (above) and the Milam CHC (below) consistently provide educational opportunities to their region. Take advantage of these activities!
Tracking CHC Outreach Travel
Since the CHC Outreach Program began in 2008, we have provided a wide range of educational opportunities and organizational guidance to CHCs. As of January 1, 2013, CHC Outreach specialists have provided more than 50 meetings with individual CHCs, more than 15 regional workshops, and 4 statewide CHC workshops through THC's Annual Historic Preservation Conference.
