PPG announced the completion of a COLORFUL COMMUNITIES^® project that helped revitalize Benedek Elek Institute for Special Education Methodology (EGYMI) in Budapest. The school serves children with learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorder. The project brought together more than 30 PPG and community volunteers, who spent more than 260 hours beautifying the facility.

PPG donated more than $33,000 (30,000 euros) and provided more than 215 gallons (800 liters) of HÉRA™ paint by PPG to support the project, including Héra Ceramic paint, which provides excellent rubbing resistance and washability. The centerpiece of the project is a large artwork created under the direction of Hungarian mural painters Zoltán Nagy and Katalin Benkő, which features the legendary fairy tale heroes of the institution's namesake, Elek Benedek. 

PPG also organized a roundtable discussion with external speakers aimed at raising awareness about the power of storytelling. The discussion focused on how fairy tales can be used as a tool for understanding and coping with disabilities. In addition, hundreds of activity booklets depicting the mural design and applying the principles of story therapy were produced for the kindergarten and school children of Benedek Elek EGYMI.

“At PPG, diversity and acceptance, as well as support for those in need, are core values. We believe that providing equitable experiences for our people results in better engagement, increased business performance and more opportunities for all,” said István Miavecz, PPG General Manager, Central Europe. Architectural Coatings. “It is important that these core values define our philosophy of life from an early age and hopefully can be passed on to children from this school through the world of fairy tales.”

This project is part of the third year of PPG’s New Paint for a New Start initiative, under which PPG volunteers carried out more than 25 colorful and transformative school and educational space makeovers worldwide.

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 500 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 more than $17.5 million in 2023, supporting hundreds of organizations across nearly 40 countries. By investing in educational opportunities, we help grow tomorrow’s STEM innovators and skilled workforce 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.