HP and NBA Launch Digital Assist Competition

NBA All-Star Antawn Jamison to Help Tip Off Education Grant Competition Providing Underserved Public Schools a Chance to Win More Than $450,000 in HP Technology

WASHINGTON D.C., HP and the National Basketball Association tipped off the HP Digital Assist education grant competition. HP and NBA executives were joined by All-Star Antawn Jamison at Jefferson Junior High School in Washington, D.C., to launch the competition, which ends Nov. 20.

More than 5,000 students from approximately 100 selected Title 1 middle schools in Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Miami, the San Francisco Bay Area and Washington, D.C., will compete for grants worth more than $80,000 in HP mobile digital classroom technology, NBA tickets and merchandise, visits from NBA stars and other awards

The competition invites student teams to create projects that make classroom concepts real and relevant to the outside world by engaging students to combine the power of technology and the excitement of NBA basketball. In addition to enhancing learning, these projects will allow students to demonstrate how they learn best and – through a public competition website at http://www.hpdigitalassist.com – enable other students and teachers to benefit as well. HP and NBA Cares are working with the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), which will provide learning kits and judging rubrics for the competition and professional development for winning schools.

“HP is pleased to combine a shared interest with the NBA in improving education with our long-standing relationship with ISTE to explore the exciting possibilities that exist at the intersection of teaching, learning, and technology,” said Engelina Jaspers, vice president, Corporate Marketing – Americas, HP. “We are proud to launch the HP Digital Assist grant program and help foster excitement about learning while providing technology and professional development to underserved public schools that have a critical need for resources.”

HP Digital Assist is a component of HP and NBA Cares’ ongoing efforts to improve student academic success in vital subjects including math, science and reading that will create engaging opportunities to both learn and teach, while encouraging creativity.

“HP Digital Assist is a great complement to our education and outreach efforts,” said Kathy Behrens, executive vice president, Social Responsibility and Player Programs, NBA. “Allowing students to combine their passion for basketball with advanced technology is a great way to tap into their creativity and help them to achieve their potential.”

HP Digital Assist is a component of HP and NBA Cares’ ongoing efforts to improve student academic success in vital subjects including math, science and reading that will create engaging opportunities to both learn and teach, while encouraging creativity.

Participating schools will each receive two HP Tablet PCs and an HP PhotoSmart All-in-One Printer with which student teams will develop sports- or basketball-themed digital media projects that demonstrate their knowledge of math, science, or reading.

HP, NBA Cares, team representatives and education experts from ISTE will announce the six regional winners of the HP mobile digital classroom grants including HP Tablet PCs, mobile storage cart, wireless and printing technology, and teacher professional development in December 2009.

About ISTE

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is the trusted source for professional development, knowledge generation, advocacy and leadership for innovation. Representing more than 100,000 professionals worldwide, ISTE is the premier membership association for educators and education leaders engaged in improving teaching and learning by advancing the effective use of technology in PK-12 and teacher education. Visit www.iste.org to learn more about ISTE.

About NBA Cares

NBA Cares is the league’s social responsibility initiative that builds on the NBA’s long tradition of addressing important social issues in the United States and around the world. Through this umbrella program, the NBA, its teams and players have donated more than $110 million to charity, provided more than one million hours of hands-on service to communities around the world, and created more than 425 places where kids and families can live, learn or play. NBA Cares works with internationally recognized youth-serving programs that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes, including: KaBOOM!, Special Olympics, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, UNICEF, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis.

About HP

HP, the world’s largest technology company, simplifies the technology experience for consumers and businesses with a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com/.