Photo of Enemy Swim Day School

Enemy Swim Day School of rural South Dakota was the first annual national Tech Savvy Award winner.

Recognized for its Family and Child Education (FACE) program, Enemy Swim uses innovative technology learning to preserve the Dakotah language and culture among American Indian families in the area.

FACE participants

Technology Fluency

The FACE program helps parents and children learn to use technology together. Parents witness the impact of their child's education, and in turn, become advocates for future learning.

In addition to using the computers for Internet research and personal projects, the FACE program offers GED preparation and computer skills training. Adult students also complete class projects, such as creating photo pages and resumes.

RealeBook Sample

Communication and Collaboration

The RealeBook program encourages communication and collaborative learning with a special focus on heritage and culture.

Using computers, digital cameras, scanners and printers, parents produce four original books each month. Books have been created to teach the names of animals, body parts, family members, colors and numbers in the Dakotah language.

RealeBook Sample osample

Through the RealeBooks project, FACE families at Enemy Swim are preserving their native language and instilling pride in their culture.

In addition, adult students are learning important life skills, such as planning, organizing, editing and teamwork.

FACE RealeBook Web Library

The books are shared with all FACE families, kindergarteners, school administrators and school board members to promote literacy and cultural pride throughout the community. Parents and children can even post their books to the Internet to share with friends, family and participants in other FACE programs around the country.