EdOptions helps students preserve native past using technology of today

HONOLULU, Hawaii –Truesdell Middle School students are keeping the stories of their American Indian elders alive and safely archived in their Wichita school’s library.

Thousands of miles away in Trenton, North Dakota, fifth graders at Eight Mile School are preserving their Native families’ quickly-disappearing languages with the use of audio and video equipment.

Two technology grants sponsored by EdOptions™ and awarded by the National Indian Education Association (NIEA) make it possible—and students are saving pieces of their heritage for future generations.

The President’s Technology awards, each worth $500, are given annually to two educators who submit written plans to NIEA detailing how they would use the funds to promote or incorporate technology in the classroom. The 2008 awards will also include a third $500 award, earmarked for an educator wanting to include technology in an adult education program.

Educators honored with the awards are also invited to NIEA’s annual conference to present their projects.

At NIEA’s conference in October, EdOptions’ President and CEO Dr. Tom Sawner encouraged attendees to watch the presentations and learn about the positive effects technology can have in the classroom.

“We are absolutely thrilled to sponsor the NIEA’s President’s Technology Award,” Sawner said. “We look for ways to make a difference in the lives of students, and I’m proud to see how these educators used the funds to help students preserve their culture.”

EdOptions, an education technology firm headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, has helped thousands of students succeed with its premiere Web-based product, Stars Suite™. Stars Suite features state-correlated courses and products for grades six through 12 with tracks specifically designed to help students recover credit or accelerate their progress, as well as tools to sharpen their skills for the state test, GED, or the transition to high school.

The company has sponsored the President’s Technology Awards for the past three years.


For information on how to apply for the NIEA’s President’s Technology Awards, contact NIEA at (202) 544-7290. Entries must be submitted by January 10, 2008.

Read more about the 38th Annual Conference for the National Indian Education Association.