PPG Industries Inc. has completed its third annual "New Paint for a New Start" initiative, part of the company's Colorful Communities® program, transforming 27 schools worldwide during June, July and August 2024. More than 1,600 PPG volunteers and community partners dedicated 8,000 hours to enhance classrooms and learning spaces for over 16,200 students and educators. 

PPG provided over $1 million in support to recipient schools, including educational supplies and nearly 6,200 gallons of paint products. The projects aimed to create engaging spaces for students to learn and grow, utilizing PPG's color expertise. 

Examples of projects around the world include:

  • Columbus, Ohio: The library and entrance hallways at the Ohio School for the Deaf received a vibrant makeover from volunteers from PPG’s Delaware, Ohio facility and the company’s Automotive Refinish team.

  • Stuttgart, Germany: More than 150 volunteers from five PPG sites used 3,000 liters of paint over six days to transform the Gemeinschaftsschule Weilimdorf school. 

  • Chimalhuacán, Mexico: Over 100 preschool children benefited from a project to paint 10 classrooms and a playground at FAE Fundación para la Asistencia Educativa, FAE I.A.P. 

  • Wroclaw, Poland: PPG volunteers created a new outdoor classroom for students at a local primary school while completing gardening activities, building birdhouses and creating five murals about local biodiversity. 

  • Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: More than 3,000 community members will benefit from freshly painted classrooms for continuing education and workforce development completed by employees from PPG’s Protective and Marine Coatings business. 

  • Zhangjiagang, China: 1,700 students at Zhangjiagang Deji Primary School were greeted by colorful and transformative murals and an eco-farm.

The Colorful Communities program, PPG's signature initiative for supporting communities, aims to protect and beautify neighborhoods where PPG operates around the world. Since 2015, PPG has completed more than 500 Colorful Communities projects, impacting over 8.2 million people in 50 countries.