Sweetwater High School Awarded $5,000 Barona Education Grant for School Library Equipment

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Barona Band of Mission Indians has awarded Sweetwater High School in National City a $5,000 Barona Education Grant to purchase a three-in-one Sharp MX M3070 printer/copier for the school library.

Barona Tribal Councilwoman Melissa Donayre presented the $5,000 check, sponsored by California State Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, to Principal Maribel Gavin, faculty and students.

"There are students in the school system that lack technology and tools many of us take for granted," said Edwin "Thorpe" Romero, Chairman of the Barona Band of Mission Indians. "The Barona Tribe is proud to award Sweetwater High School with the funds to purchase equipment that will allow the students to complete their assignments and achieve success in school."

The public secondary school, established in 1920, is one of the oldest high schools in San Diego County. The school district supplies the students with laptops to complete at school and at home, however many do not have access to printers and can't submit their essays and reports to their teachers. The grant will now provide students access to the equipment they need right on the school campus.

Since the Barona Education Grant program was launched in 2006, Barona has awarded over $3.4 million to California schools statewide. The program has equipped 689 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.

SOURCE Barona Band of Mission Indians