The PPG Industries Foundation donated $5,000 to the [Women in Engineering (WiE) Program at The Ohio State University to support the WiE CHEER (CHEmical Engineering Rocks!) summer day camp for girls about to enter ninth grade. For a third consecutive year, a grant was made on behalf of PPG Industries’ (NYSE:PPG) automotive coatings manufacturing facility in Circleville, Ohio.
“We are pleased to continue working with PPG on the WiE CHEER program,” said Shawna Fletcher, interim director of the Women in Engineering Program. “Giving young women the opportunity to learn about real-world chemical engineering practices through experiments and site visits, and having them observe and meet with actual engineers such as those from PPG, provides a unique, impactful educational experience. Campers also learn about research areas and concepts that back up their observations and activities.”

The PPG grant helps cover materials and activity costs for the three-day WiE CHEER summer commuter program, which fills quickly every year. Each day, students participate in an off-campus visit to see real-world chemical engineers working at a local business and in on-campus activities that illustrate chemical engineering concepts. This year, four engineers from PPG’s Circleville plant visited the OSU campus to conduct some fun experiments focused on polymer chemistry with campers.

To add a rising ninth-grade girl to the interest list for WiE CHEER 2014, contact OSU’s WiE Program at wieoutreach@osu.edu.

“PPG is strongly committed to supporting the communities where it has a presence, especially through programs that expose young people to technology-related careers,” said Dave Moss, plant manager at PPG Circleville. “We are happy to continue building a relationship with Ohio State’s WiE Program and to give our employees a chance to show WiE CHEER campers how engineering is fun as well as fascinating. It’s exciting to be involved with a program that sparks young women’s interest in becoming tomorrow’s science and technology leaders.”

Established in 1951, the PPG Industries Foundation demonstrates the values of PPG Industries by enhancing the quality of life in communities where the company has a presence. Interests of the foundation, in order of priority, are education, human services, culture and arts, and civic and community affairs. PPG also supports charitable causes by encouraging employees’ volunteerism and board service with nonprofit organizations.