|
Posted:
May 8, 2002
Larry
Ford and gang had a busy day today! In an effort to
reinforce Manatt's, Inc. commitment to education, our Ames
facility hosted another 5th grade group from Ballard West
School in Slater for the 7th year straight.
Every
year, Larry Ford (Ames Plant Manager) spends a class period
with the 5th graders at Ballard West. He shows them the
1999 Manatt recruitment tape and discusses the many facets of
the construction industry. Larry gives them the lowdown
on everything from laborers to engineers. In keeping
with our commitment to education, he stresses the importance
of grades and attendance and how both can contribute to
success when looking for that first job. Today
the same group of students were welcomed to our Ames
Production facility where they were introduced to dispatch
techniques and concrete technology. Part of the concrete
technology is learned in the quality control lab by our very
own Cindy Dela Rosa (who is famous in Brooklyn for her award
winning pico de gallo). Over the years, Cindy has done a
marvalous job creating visual aids so the students will have
an even greater understanding when they leave. This part
of the tour is concluded with rock candy (cement) enjoyed by
each student. Next
the students get to tour the plant and pour their very own
concrete! They have to wheelbarrow the concrete from the
truck to the forms where they take turns running a shovel to
fill the forms. They all try to "edge" and
"trowel" the concrete. Once they are satisfied
with the finish, they get to put their hand prints in it (and
not get in trouble). Tomorrow we will strip the forms
and take the finished product to their school where they are
used as sidewalk. They currently have 7 years worth of
sidewalk that gets added to after each visit! It's
something all the kids talk about every time Larry makes a
visit! They're quite proud of their sidewalk, as are we!
They've
had a full day, but it isn't over yet! Once they are
finished pouring the concrete, they get to sit inside a mixer
and blow the air horn. During this time they are
educated about safety around construction equipment.
They see first hand the restricted view the drivers have to
work with. Hopefully they walk away understanding the
dangers and keep their distance on other construction sites
they may venture onto in the future.
Click
the link below to view a slideshow of all the fun . .
.
|
