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PPG’s New Paint for a New Start initiative transforms secondary school lab and playgrounds in Turkey

September 19, 2023

BURSA, Turkey, Sep. 19, 2023 – PPG (NYSE:PPG) today announced that it has completed a colorful makeover and renewal at the Meliha Cemal Bagci Secondary School in Bursa through its global New Paint for a New Start initiative, part of the company’s COLORFUL COMMUNITIES® program. PPG supported this project with more than $28,000 (650,000 Turkish lira) which brought together more than 30 PPG volunteers, who spent two days repainting the Science Laboratory, playgrounds and a number of benches at the school with fresh colors and an inspiring mural.

PPG volunteers completed a colorful makeover at the Meliha Cemal Bagci Secondary School in Bursa through the company's New Paint for a New Start initiative.

PPG volunteers completed a colorful makeover at the Meliha Cemal Bagci Secondary School in Bursa through the company's New Paint for a New Start initiative.

PPG donated more than 160 liters of TIKKURILA® and other paints by PPG to support the project, including Tikkurila Nova 20 water-borne paint for professional interior painting and Tikkurilla Ultra Classic paint with excellent properties against weathering. The color scheme was based on a palette especially designed for the New Paint for a New Start initiative.

Meliha Cemal Bağcı Secondary School, which has more than 1,900 students and educators, was selected by local leadership and PPG employees due to it being located in a disadvantaged area. The volunteers also completed a science-themed mural designed to inspire and educate students about harmony between different diciplines of science. They were guided by Baturay Bostancı, a local professional muralists from Turkey. Besides repainting the laboratory, PPG donated new laboratory equipment including, teacher unit, student units, chairs, supply cabinets, chemical supplies cabinet with special ventilation system, renewed water infrastructure and nearly 170 more items, including test tubes, posters, anatomic sculptures and experiment materials. The items were part of the list of mandatory experimental materials, which were provided by the Turkish Ministry of National Education.

“We have been so glad that the project was completed without any delay. We hope this beautiful project will be the beginning of a partnership between our school and PPG, which we look forward to continuing for a long time" said Abdullah İnce, Head teacher, Meliha Cemal Bagci Secondary School. “One of the main objectives of the project was to create a beautiful and colorful laboratory for the children where they can feel more comfortable, and we believe that such a surrounding will inspire them to achieve their future goals.”

In the second year of New Paint for a New Start, PPG employees around the world volunteered their time throughout the months of June, July and August to transform more than 25 schools. Using PPG paint products and color expertise, each project aims to create engaging spaces for students to learn and grow.

"Education sits at the helm of the innovation that will shape our world for generations to come," said Olga Kolevatova, PPG general manager, Middle East, Turkey and Eygpt. "Thanks to the determined work of our volunteers, we are happy to donate this science laboratory to the school. We believe that by investing in education and fostering a passion for STEM subjects, we are contributing to the development of a brighter, more sustainable future for all."

Click here to see a video of the project.

The Colorful Communities program, PPG’s signature initiative for supporting communities, aims to protect and beautify the neighborhoods where PPG operates around the world. Through the Colorful Communities program, PPG’s committed volunteers contribute their time and PPG paint products to help transform community assets – from painting classrooms to bringing color to a maternity ward and redesigning a playground. Since 2015, PPG has completed more than 470 Colorful Communities projects, impacting more than 8.2 million people in 50 countries.

PPG’s global community engagement efforts and the PPG Foundation aim to bring color and brightness to PPG communities around the world. We invested $16.2 million in 2022, supporting hundreds of organizations across more than 35 countries. By investing in educational opportunities, we help grow today’s skilled workforce and develop tomorrow’s innovators in fields related to coatings and manufacturing. Plus, we empower PPG employees to multiply their impact for causes that are important to them by supporting their volunteer efforts and charitable giving. Learn more at communities.ppg.com.

PPG: WE PROTECT AND BEAUTIFY THE WORLD®
At PPG (NYSE:PPG), we work every day to develop and deliver the paints, coatings and specialty materials that our customers have trusted for 140 years. Through dedication and creativity, we solve our customers’ biggest challenges, collaborating closely to find the right path forward. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, we operate and innovate in more than 70 countries and reported net sales of $17.7 billion in 2022. We serve customers in construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets and aftermarkets. To learn more, visit www.ppg.com.

Colorful Communities, the PPG Logo and We protect and beautify the world are registered trademarks of PPG Industries Ohio, Inc.
Tikkurila is a registered trademark of Tikkurila Oyj.

PPG Media Contact:
Andrew Wood
Corporate Communications, EMEA
+31 6 5121 6579
awood@ppg.com
communities.ppg.com

Multimedia Files:

PPG volunteers completed a colorful makeover at the Meliha Cemal Bagci Secondary School in Bursa through the company's New Paint for a New Start initiative. 4608 x 3072 jpg 12.47 MB
PPG donated laboratory equipment and furniture for science laboratory at Meliha Cemal Bagci Secondary School in Bursa. 4608 x 3072 jpg 2.64 MB
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