Ridgewood Elementary School and the Crawford Co. in Rock Island have become family.

The sheet-metal contracting business is the school's new education partner.  Crawford volunteers will give students role models, mentoring, and help them form positive relationships with adults.  Schools and teachers also get a helping hand with special events, classroom activities and other services.

Modern Woodmen began the tradition of pairing Rock Island businesses with district schools in 1997.  Lincoln Elementary and Modern Woodmen became the first partnership.  Ten others have followed.

Volunteers from businesses have since logged hundreds of hours with students.  They read to them, go on field trips, tutor and join a variety of other activities.  They go where their schools need them.

"We've been looking for a partner for Ridgewood for quite a while," said Modern Woodmen public relations assistant Jane Van Vooren Rogers.  Horace Mann is the only elementary school without a partner, she said, but that's because the school has such "strong parental involvement already."

Crawford volunteers will start making their mark at Ridgewood in about a month, she said.

First they must attend the annual training workshop with other volunteers.  The official training session for the 200 volunteers district-wide is from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. today.

They will learn what to expect from students, some tutoring tips and how to maneuver classroom visits around their work schedule.

"The program is going to involve people from our office helping (the school) with whatever the need," said Crawford vice president Jim Maynard.

Crawford opened in the Quad Cities in 1952 and was one of 53 companies honored in 2001 by the Quad City Chapter 50 National Association of Women in Construction for an outstanding construction project.

Employees from Crawford's subsidiary, DSP Monoxivent, also will volunteer at the school, Mr. Maynard said.

"It should be exciting, he said. "It's good for them (the school).  I know they are short-handed."

Ridgewood principal John Frieden said the school and company met last week to discuss the partnership.

"We're going to start slow and work our way into it,"  he said.  About 15 employees are interested in helping kids in reading, Exchange City, and family reading nights, he said.

For now, employees and classrooms will work on building relationships with each other to ensure the partnership's success.

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