SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwired - Nov 7, 2016) - The Barona Band of Mission Indians recently awarded students and teachers at Escondido Christian Academy a $5,000 Barona Education Grant. The school will use the donation to upgrade their current computer systems and projectors so that teachers can share modern educational technology resources with their students.
"I am thrilled that the Barona Band of Mission Indians has selected to honor Escondido Christian Academy in my district with the Barona Educational Grant of $5,000. This tremendous grant will go a long way to benefit the students' education," said Marie Waldron, State Assembly member, 75AD. "Thanks and appreciation to the Barona Band for their generosity and commitment to our youth and to improving the educational opportunities in our region."
Barona Tribal Vice Chairman Ray Welch and Tribal Councilwoman Bonnie LaChappa presented the Escondido Christian Academy check to grant sponsor California State Assemblywoman Marie Waldron, the school's Executive Director Christine Filipovich and students.
"Having different technological resources is such an important part of the learning experience for both students and teachers," said Clifford LaChappa, Chairman of the Barona Band of Mission Indians. "Escondido Christian works incredibly hard to set its students up for success and Barona is proud that we can contribute to those efforts."
Escondido Christian's current classroom computers are too old to effectively upgrade operating systems and will soon become prone to malware and viruses before becoming obsolete. Therefore, teachers plan to use the grant to purchase Chrome-based computers and video projectors to provide an enhanced and more engaging experience for the students in their classrooms.
"Escondido Christian is extremely grateful for the generosity of the Barona Band of Mission Indians and to Assemblywoman Waldron for recommending us for this grant," said Christine Filipovich, Executive Director at Escondido Christian Academy. "We are very excited about introducing the elementary students and teachers to Chromebook technology. We at Escondido Christian are so blessed by the outreach of such a caring community."
Since the Barona Education Grant program was launched in 2006, Barona has awarded over $2.9 million to California schools statewide. The program has equipped 587 schools with hundreds of computers, thousands of books, iPads, computer software programs and various other technologies and school supplies.
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.
