SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwire - April 1, 2011) - More students at San Diego's Longfellow Spanish Immersion School will have access to Spanish and English books required to complete their curriculum as a result of the $5,000 education grant awarded today by the Barona Band of Mission Indians. Senator Christine Kehoe (D-San Diego) joined Principal Cynthia Arce in accepting the grant that was presented to the school by Edwin "Thorpe" Romero, Chairman of the Barona Band of Mission Indians.

"Barona is very pleased to provide Longfellow Spanish Immersion School with resources to purchase new Spanish and English books," said Chairman Romero. "Learning a new language takes time and dedication and we hope these new books help inspire the students to read and achieve great results in school."

Part of the San Diego Unified School District, the Longfellow Spanish Immersion School is a K-8 magnet school where kindergarten through second grade is taught solely in Spanish, and English is formally introduced in third grade. According to school officials, Longfellow is especially in need of newly published Spanish fiction and non-fiction for middle school-aged children in grades 6-8, who need to continue to challenge and advance their Spanish reading skills.

"We are very grateful to Barona for helping us acquire the essential literature for our school library that will help further our students' academic and cross cultural education, especially in the grades where it is most needed," said Principal Arce.

The Barona Band of Mission Indians has been sharing resources through its Barona Education Grant Program since 2006, awarding over $1.3 million to more than 250 schools statewide. The Barona Education Grant Program, created and administered by Tribal Government, is the first of its kind in California. The goal of the program is to create strong educational opportunities for the children of California by 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://www.barona-nsn.gov/index.php?q=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.

Contact Information:

CONTACT:
Sheilla Alvarez
619-402-0182

Kelly Jacobs Speer
619-933-5013