SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwired - Dec 10, 2013) - Elementary school educators and students in the small mountain town of Boulevard are celebrating this holiday season as classrooms will soon receive some new technology. Clover Flat Elementary School just received a generous $5,000 Barona Education Grant from the Barona Band of Mission Indians and will use the grant to purchase an iMac desktop, two Macbook pro laptops and 2 Canon camcorders.

Clover Flat Elementary School serves more than 150 Pre-K through 5^th grade students from the Jacumba and Boulevard communities and three neighboring Indian reservations. Councilwoman Bonnie LaChappa personally presented the grant to wish Principal Bill Dennett and all his students' happy holidays.

"It's the season of giving and we are proud to be able to provide students with tools to help improve their education. In today's world, technology is an important aspect of that," said Clifford LaChappa, Chairman of the Barona Band of Mission Indians. "When Assemblyman Brian Jones submitted Clover Flat Elementary for an education grant we saw that they had an immediate need for updated technology."

Since 2006, the Barona Band of Mission Indians has awarded over $2 million to more than 400 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.