Barona Tribe Awards $5,000 Education Grant to Normal Heights Elementary School

SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwired - Oct 1, 2014) - Students and educators at Normal Heights Elementary School gathered to accept a $5,000 education grant today from the Barona Band of Mission Indians. The San Diego area Pre-K through 5^th grade school plans to use the grant money to purchase four Apple computers to update the technology in the school computer lab.

The school's grant was sponsored by Toni Atkins, Speaker of the California State Assembly, whose district includes the Normal Heights community. Normal Heights Elementary is a 21^st century, state-of-the-art school that opened its doors in 2006 and represents a socioeconomically disadvantaged student body of diverse ethnic backgrounds.

"New technology is extremely important for students' success in education today but with tight budgets and rapidly advancing technology it can be difficult for schools to stay current," said Clifford LaChappa, Chairman of the Barona Band of Mission Indians. "Normal Heights Elementary School prides itself on offering students abundant opportunities to use state-of-the-art technology and we are pleased to be able to support them and other schools through the Barona Education Grant program."

Since 2006, the Barona Band of Mission Indians has awarded over $2.3 million to 474 schools statewide to help bridge school budget gaps and share resources through its Barona Education Grant Program.

The program is the first of its kind in California created and administered by a Tribal Government. The goal of the program is to create strong educational opportunities for the children of California building upon the success of the Barona Indian Charter School, which operates under a continuous improvement model. Schools throughout California can apply for educational grants from Barona to purchase much needed supplies and materials that promote academic improvement. Each grant awarded by the Barona Education Grant Program is $5,000. Applications can be downloaded at http://barona-nsn.gov/education.

About the Barona Band of Mission Indians
The Barona Band of Mission Indians, recognized by the United States government as a sovereign nation, has lived on the Barona Indian Reservation in rural eastern San Diego County since 1932. Prior to that, the Tribe lived on the Capitan Grande Reservation which was established by the federal government in 1875. Long before living on a reservation, the Tribe traveled across Southern California in tune with the seasons and what nature provided. Today, the sovereign nation, governed by an elected Tribal Council, is serving its Tribal members, their families, and sharing with the San Diego region. One of the most successful gaming Tribes in the country, Barona also owns and operates the Barona Resort & Casino, San Diego's leading gaming resort, casino and golf course. For more information, visit www.barona-nsn.gov.