Prior Lake, Minnesota - The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community today announces a grant of $25,000 to the Jordan Elementary School in Jordan, Minnesota, for new technology sponsored by the Parent Teacher Association.

The SMART Board technology is a highly interactive whiteboard that changes the way teachers prepare and present curriculum and the way children learn. The total cost of SMART Boards for every classroom will exceed $100,000, with each unit costing $3,500 installed.

Sheila Bauer, coordinating the SMART Board effort for the PTA, said, "It's an extremely generous donation that will enable us to purchase expensive technology that will benefit the education of our children and our overall community. We are so grateful to have this money, so thank you!"

"It will change our lives here; we are ecstatic. Teachers were actually jumping up and down when they heard the news about the SMSC donation. We are a conservative community and don't have a lot of money for extras. We fundraised and did the best we could, but this generous donation will help make this dream come true and be a huge benefit to all the kids here. It is the most innovative use of technology for teaching that I've seen in the past ten years," said Jordan Elementary School Principal Stacy DeCorsey.

The SMART Boards, which are five feet by four feet in dimension, are an interactive technology with internet applications and live video streaming capabilities. "It's like an updated version of the chalkboard," said DeCorsey. "They just open the world to a child."

The school raised funds for two SMART Boards which are currently shared by all the teachers. Students watched the recent space shuttle launch live using the technology.

"This seemed like a viable project that will yield benefits to the children of Jordan for years to come, so the SMSC Business Council decided to support it," said SMSC Tribal Administrator Bill Rudnicki.

The SMSC also made a recent donation to the Jordan Community Family Event, as it has done for several years. This annual event brings in speakers and activities that emphasize making good choices, self-respect, and respect for others.

The town of Jordan is located near the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community in rural Scott County, Minnesota. In 2006 the SMSC made a $10,000 pledge for construction of an outdoor swimming pool facility in the town of Jordan, Minnesota.

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