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HILLSBORO - Thanks to the donation of a portable computer lab by Hewlett-Packard Company, the Oregon 4-H Youth Program is expanding efforts to help Latino youth cross the digital divide.

The portable lab consists of 13 Hewlett-Packard laptop computers worth $38,000. The equipment will be used in Oregon 4-H computer technology camps and after school 4-H club activities aimed at Latino youth in Benton, Marion, Polk, Yamhill, and Washington counties.

"These programs are intended to introduce learners to computers and information technology with the goal of helping participants succeed in school and in future careers," said Lisa Conroy, 4-H field faculty in the Washington County office of the Oregon State University Extension Service.

The Hewlett-Packard Company's donation was made to the Oregon 4-H Youth Tech Wizards Club in Washington County, which offers Latino youth opportunities to learn about information technology and web design; and to the Oregon 4-H Program's Outreach Initiative, a statewide effort to reach and involve Latino youth and families in Oregon 4-H programs.

"This wonderful investment from Hewlett-Packard will go a long way in helping us enhance and broaden our youth technology programs," said Conroy. "The new laptop computers will be added to some laptops already on hand, allowing us to field a portable computer lab with 20 stations."

The new lab will be further enhanced through the addition of computer microscopes, and iPAQ pocket PCs, worth $12,500, donated by Intel Corporation in Hillsboro. "Intel of Hillsboro has been a long-time supporter of the 4-H Tech Wizards Club," said Conroy. "This latest gift they've provided to our program will make the portable computer lab even more attractive to learners.

The computer microscopes are designed to show items on the computer screen at up to 200X magnification. The iPAQ pocket PCs are programmable hand-held computers.

"The computer microscopes have an almost unlimited range of applications and should be a big hit with the younger kids in our 4-H technology programs," Conroy said. "The iPAQ hand-held computers will be a welcome addition to the GPS-GIS projects we offer in the 4-H Tech Wizards club."

"Designing Oregon 4-H club activities around information technologies to appeal to Latino youth has been very successful in Washington County," said Conroy. "These much appreciated donations of computers and peripherals from Hewlett-Packard Company and Intel Corporation in Hillsboro will help us replicate that success in several other Oregon counties."