Immigrant Latino parents in Yolo County are learning how to use computers, software and the Internet, thanks to an exchange program being tested by the University of California, Davis.

Simply giving out computers is not enough to help people cross the digital divide, explains Jim Grieshop, designer of the exchange program and a Cooperative Extension specialist in the UC Davis Department of Human and Community Development.

"You are going to have to help them understand what computers are, how they operate and, when they crash, how to get them working again," he says. The curriculum has been designed for cultural compatibility, so that the immigrant families not only understand how to use computers but also how their use can fit within their daily lives.

The basic barter program consists of 40 hours of computer training for the parents. At completion, parents receive an updated computer, a printer and Internet access. In exchange, they agree to volunteer 40 hours at their children's school.

Grieshop is also testing a second adult-education program taught in Spanish through the Woodland Adult Education Program that would teach parents simple repairs and troubleshooting and other intermediate computer skills.

Once the pilot projects are finished, school districts throughout California will be able to use the bilingual computer curriculum. Work is under way to translate the curriculum into English. It will be available on the Web site Extension en Español. Grieshop is also working on a source guide for locating free rehabilitated computers and Internet connection services.