EAST CHICAGO | An East Chicago Central High School teacher is one of a dozen teachers across the country chosen to participate in the U.S. House of Representatives Fellows Program.

Gale Gillis-Carter, 50, of East Chicago, a social studies teacher, is set to attend the weeklong institute in Washington, D.C., in June. She will learn about the history and practices of the U.S. House.

U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Ind., who made the announcement last week, said Gillis-Carter will return to East Chicago Central with a better understanding of the legislative process and knowledge to share with her students, fellow teachers and the community.

Gillis-Carter said she hopes to see more than what is offered in textbooks, including how politicians cooperate and compromise to pass legislation.

Gillis-Carter was chosen by the Office of the House Historian, which created the Fellows Program in 2006 to provide teachers with insight into how the House functions.

Gillis-Carter also is on the Teacher's Board for the State of Indiana for Prentice Hall Publishing Co., where she and other teachers preview portions of textbooks that deal with Indiana, providing comments on the books and supplemental material.