NORWAY – Volunteers from the New Balance facility on Cottage Street were at the Waterford Memorial Elementary School recently to plan this year’s projects for their education partnership.

Each week New Balance volunteers travel from Norway to Waterford to assist with reading and math skills. In addition to volunteering in the classrooms, the staff has offered to judge science fairs at the school, assist with Dr. Suess Day, April TV turn-off week and the end of the year field day.

Last year they donated both a box of children’s sneakers and a book on the history of shoemaking.

During the December holiday season, the Waterford chorus will sing at the New Balance Cottage Street facility and each month the students send artwork that is hung in the retail store window.

The Waterford New Balance partnership was initiated in September 2002 when Oxford Hills Community Education Exchange Director Maureen Howard contacted the Boston corporate office.

In November of last year, Ariane Kjellquist, associate manager of Internal Communications for New Balance Corp., toured the school and discussed various activities that the Norway facility staff and the students could partner with. The partnership is coordinated locally by Heather MacIsaac and Charles Siffermann, both Human Resources staff members at the Cottage Street facility.

The Education Exchange’s goal has been to create and coordinate similar partnerships for each school in the school district.

If a business is interested in partnering with a school, call Maureen Howard at the Education Exchange at 743-8972.