May 11, 2012—The PPG Industries Foundation recently donated $5,000 to Ohio State University’s Women in Engineering (WiE) program to support the WiE CHEER summer day camp for ninth grade girls.
Ohio State’s WiE program is designed to increase the number of women who earn educational degrees in engineering, PPG said. Through partnerships with various school alumni, corporations, and community and educational organizations, WiE develops programming to introduce girls to a variety of careers and opportunities available to engineers.
The PPG grant, which was made for the second consecutive year, helps cover materials and activity costs for the five-day WiE CHEER program scheduled for June 18-22. PPG said participants with the WiE CHEER program visit local businesses to gain insight into the careers of various chemical engineers. The girls engage in hands-on activities that introduce them to chemical engineering concepts, including experiments and projects.
This year, PPG said WiE CHEER participants will visit its coatings manufacturing facility in Delaware, Ohio.
“We are grateful for PPG’s continuing support of the WiE CHEER program,” said Shawna Fletcher, associate director of outreach for Ohio State University. “Corporations participating in the program offer young women a chance to learn about real-world chemical engineering practices at a crucial point in their educational trajectory, as they are about to start high school. The students also learn about chemical engineering research areas and concepts that back up their observations of practicing chemical engineers.”
“PPG is strongly committed to supporting the communities where it has a presence, especially through programs that encourage youths, and girls in particular, to pursue technology-related education,” said Dave Moss, plant manager at PPG’s plant in Circleville, Ohio. “We are excited to support Ohio State’s WiE CHEER program once again and help interest participants in pursuing chemical engineering careers. It’s exciting to visit the camp and meet young women who may be the future faces of the chemical industry.”
For more information, visit ppgfoundation.com.
