CIRCLEVILLE, OH – The PPG Industries Foundation donated $5,000 to the Women in Engineering (WiE) Program at The Ohio State University to support the 2011 WiE CHEER (CHEmical Engineering Rocks!) summer program for girls about to enter ninth grade. The grant was made on behalf of PPG Industries’ coatings manufacturing facility in Circleville, OH. 

“We thank PPG for its support of WiE CHEER, which offers young women a chance to learn about chemical engineering concepts as well as real-world practices,” said Shawna Fletcher, Associate Director of Outreach for The Ohio State University. “The program engages students at a crucial point in their educational trajectory, as they are about to start high school. It’s great for them to get to meet chemical industry professionals, such as the PPG employees who came to see the participants’ final project presentations.” 

The PPG grant helped to cover materials and activities for the six-day program, which was held in June. For the first five days, WiE CHEER participants left campus to visit an area business or corporation where chemical engineers offered glimpses of their careers. Upon returning to campus, the girls engaged in hands-on activities that introduced them to chemical engineering concepts, conducting experiments and projects as if they were practicing chemical engineers. On the last day of camp, Plant Manager Dave Moss and three other PPG Circleville employees, as well as other WiE CHEER corporate sponsors, visited the Ohio State campus to meet participants and see their final project presentations. 

“PPG is strongly committed to supporting the communities where it has a presence, especially programs that encourage younger generations, and girls in particular, to pursue technology-related education,” Moss said. “We were very happy to support WiE CHEER and help spark these young women’s interest in chemical engineering careers, and we greatly enjoyed meeting the participants and seeing what they learned through the camp.”