PPG has announced the completion of a COLORFUL COMMUNITIES project in Brno, Czech Republic, that helped to brighten the local Jana Babáka primary school. The Colorful Communities program provides PPG volunteers and products along with financial contributions to bring color and vitality to communities where the company operates around the world, such as in Brno, where PPG operates a Shared Services Center with about 320 employees.

The project brought together more than 100 PPG volunteers from the Shared Services Center and the company’s architectural coatings business, along with about 40 teachers and 80 parents of students at the school. Also, about 80 students helped to design colorful murals to brightening and updating interior corridors. Together, the group spent three days revitalizing interiors and exteriors of the school, including beautifying the entrances and the walls surrounding the playground. PPG provided about $18,500 to assist with the project, including about 210 gallons (800 liters) of its Balakryl brand paint products and Czech brand Primalex.

“No significant investments had been made to upgrade the Jana Babáka school since it was built in the 1950s, and we thought it would benefit the community to give the building a more modern look,” said Iris Finger, PPG managing director of the Brno Shared Services Center. “This revitalization would not be possible without all the volunteers who participated in this inspiring project, which we are sure will bring happiness to both the students and teachers at the school.”

The Colorful Communities program is PPG’s signature initiative for community engagement efforts, with the aim to protect and beautify the neighborhoods where PPG operates around the world. The program increases PPG’s commitment to invest in communities by adding $10 million to support efforts made during a 10-year period. It supports projects that transform community assets, providing PPG volunteers and donated PPG products. PPG completed 11 Colorful Communities projects in 2015, and it expects to complete more than 30 this year.