Barona Tribe Helps Los Angeles Charter School System Reach Out to Gang-Affected Communities With $35,000 Grant

LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - Oct 19, 2012) - Soledad Enrichment Action (SEA) Charter School will soon be able to put laptops in the hands of its students thanks to $35,000 in Barona Education Grants. Today, the Barona Band of Mission Indians presented seven $5,000 grants to the charter system, which gives children in gang-affected communities throughout Los Angeles, Long Beach and Pomona a chance at a top-notch education. California State Senator Kevin De Leon and SEA Superintendent Margaret Godinez were in attendance to receive the grant on behalf of the school from Chairman Edwin "Thorpe" Romero of the Barona Band of Mission Indians. Since 2006, Barona has awarded more than $1.8 million to over 350 schools statewide.

"Our schools deal with some of the most disadvantaged students in some of most underserved areas, which is why the support SEA schools receive from the Barona Education Grant is so crucial," said Margaret Godinez, superintendent of the SEA Charter School system. "These monies go a long way in helping us weather the challenges created by today's hard economic times. California can't afford to write off any of its young people."

SEA will use the $35,000 to purchase laptops that will be distributed throughout seven of the system's campuses. The school will also use the money to purchase 21 ELMO document cameras, which are portable next-generation projectors that allow teachers to easily move from room to room or campus to campus to show students how to work math problems, diagram sentences and share examples with their students during lessons. The Soledad Enrichment Action, Inc. system operates 17 learning centers that serve nearly 1,200 students in gang-affected communities throughout Los Angeles through education, family services and counseling.

"It is an honor for us to help support schools like SEA during these difficult economic times," said Chairman Romero. "These additions to the SEA campuses will play a role in giving at-risk students throughout this city the great education they deserve."

SEA was nominated for the 2012 Barona Education Grant by a long list of Senators and Assembly members from the Los Angeles area. Senators Kevin De Leon, Gloria Negrete-McLeod, Ron Calderon, and Ed Hernandez, and Assembly members Gil Cedillo, Holly Mitchell, and Qarren Furutani each nominated a campus in their areas.

As school budgets statewide continue to be cut, the Barona Band of Mission Indians has shared resources through its Barona Education Grant Program.

The Barona Education Grant 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.