PPG’s New Paint for a New Start Transforms 27 Schools Worldwide with Colorful Makeovers

PPG announced that the second year of its New Paint for a New Start initiative, part of the company’s COLORFUL COMMUNITIES® program, transformed 27 schools worldwide during June, July and August 2023. More than 1,500 PPG volunteers and community partners took part in the initiative, dedicating more than 10,000 hours to transform classes and learning spaces for more than 12,200 students and educators.

PPG provided more than $1 million in support to recipient schools through the New Paint for a New Start projects, which included educational supplies for several schools and nearly 4,000 gallons of PPG paint products. Using PPG’s color expertise, each project aimed to create engaging spaces for students to learn and grow.

“As year two of New Paint for a New Start comes to an end, I’d like to recognize the employees and community partners who volunteered their time during this special Colorful Communities initiative,” said Diane Kappas, PPG vice president, global sustainability. “Beyond the numbers, our volunteers harnessed the power of paint to give students an opportunity to learn, grow and develop in colorful learning environments.”

Examples of projects around the world include:

• Martin Luther King Jr. Early College in Denver: Students returning for the 2023-24 school year were greeted with new colors and a vibrant mural in the music hallway.
• Meliha Cemal Bagci Secondary School in Bursa, Turkey: More than 1,900 students were welcomed by a science-themed mural designed to inspire and educate about harmony between different disciplines of science.
• Carolina Ometto Pavan School in Américo Brasiliense City, Brazil: A mural with an environmental theme in the playground was inspired by local artist Beto Ferreira.
• Caochang Primary School in Jingmen City, Jubei Province, China: PPG partnered with SAIC-GM Chevrolet as well as combining PPG’s Colorful Communities program with the Chevrolet Red Chalk teacher support program for schools in rural regions.

“We’re proud to have created revitalized spaces to celebrate students and educators and help students feel excited, supported and ready to learn,” said Malesia Dunn, executive director, PPG Foundation and Corporate Global Social Responsibility. “We know that color can enhance learning and create spaces where both educators and students feel comfortable and encouraged.”