News release

Vancouver School District and HP Announce Opening of Jim Parsley Center

VANCOUVER, Wash., Nov. 1, 2001

Vancouver School District (VSD) and Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HWP) announced today the completion of a new education, family and community center funded by $6.5 million in private-public contributions.

A grand opening celebration will take place on Friday, November 2. Tours of the center will be given at 12:30 p.m., and a ribbon-cutting ceremony, with remarks by Washington Governor Gary Locke and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson, will begin at 1:15 p.m.

The Jim Parsley Center (JPC) and the adjacent Eleanor Roosevelt Elementary School will showcase elements of Cooltown, a visionary program within HP aimed at creating information appliances, software and services for a transformed world of diverse, pervasive and mobile computing using the World Wide Web.

HP's technology-supported solutions will assist students, educators, parents and the greater community in pursuing anywhere, anytime access to education and the resources they need to be successful.

The vision for the Cooltown initiative in Vancouver includes the following plans:

• Three fifth-grade classrooms at Eleanor Roosevelt Elementary School will use a web portal to help teachers manage personalized learning programs and monitor the progress of individual students.

• Students in the Communications Academy, a new district magnet program located within the JPC, will use similar web portal tools.

• The JPC's Impact program also will benefit from HP and HP partner technology solutions. Each student will have an electronic Individual Student Success Plan, or e-ISP, to promote academic, social and personal growth.

• A Community e-Services portal accessible at the JPC will enable Vancouver citizens to find a full array of community-based services customized to their needs.

• VSD and HP will promote a holistic model of personalized education that connects the school, home and community and helps bridge the "digital divide."

The JPC is one of a growing number of community assets initiated by the Vancouver School District and its partners, including HP, to support young people and their families. At the request of community patrons, the center was named in honor of Dr. James F. Parsley, Jr., who has served as superintendent in Vancouver since 1980.

Vancouver residents George and Carolyn Propstra donated $5 million to build the JPC. The City of Vancouver contributed $1 million and the Free Clinic of Southwest Washington raised $500,000. The city will offer recreational and wellness activities at the JPC, and the Free Clinic will provide health education and medical services for economically disadvantaged families.

Other core components of the center include developmental assets, academic enrichment, parent and family involvement, counseling and referral services, career development and business involvement, multicultural appreciation and community service. Technology solutions of HP and its partners will be featured in the JPC's cyber café, after-school enrichment program, and community learning lab.

"The JPC is integral to the strategic relationship between Vancouver Public Schools, HP and its partners as we jointly develop solutions that enable personalized learning in a connected community," said Parsley. "Together, we are bringing innovative new solutions to the challenge of building community capacity and success in learning."

The Jim Parsley Center is located at 2901 Falk Road in Vancouver. A map and directions can be obtained by calling (360) 313-1236.

More about Hewlett-Packard Company and Vancouver Public Schools:

Hewlett-Packard Company-a leading global provider of computing and imaging solutions and services-is focused on making technology and its benefits accessible to all. HP had total revenue from continuing operations of $48.8 billion in its 2000 fiscal year. Information about HP and its products can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.hp.com.

Vancouver (Wash.) Public Schools is recognized nationally by corporate, governmental and educational entities for leadership and innovation in creating programs of choice for students, using technology to enhance learning, building state-of-the-art facilities, and forming supportive partnerships. Located in one of the nation's 10 fastest growing counties, the school district's enrollment is approximately 21,750 students in grades K-12. In June 2000, George W. Bush selected Vancouver Public Schools as the site of a national policy announcement on educational technology. For more information, please visit http://www.vansd.org.