PPG has renewed its partnership with education nonprofit Centrum JongerenCommunicatie Chemie (C3), supporting programs including C3’s Beta Tournament, where students work in teams on practical challenges.

“We are proud to continue our collaboration with C3 and contribute to impactful programs that bring science to life for students across the Netherlands,” said Arnout Boele, PPG general manager, Benelux, Architectural Coatings. “Together with partners like C3, PPG is helping to reach thousands of students through lab experiences, paints and coatings challenges, and high-quality educational tools and teacher training. This partnership plays an important role in building a strong pipeline of future talent in the chemistry and STEM fields.”

PPG has renewed its partnership with education nonprofit Centrum JongerenCommunicatie Chemie (C3), supporting programs including C3’s Beta Tournament, where students work in teams on practical challenges. (Source: PPG)

The announcement coincides with the conclusion of C3’s Beta Tournament, a national laboratory competition for pre-vocational secondary education (VMBO) students. During the tournament, students work in teams on practical challenges, including PPG-developed experiments focused on paint and coatings, using SIGMA COATINGS™ paints by PPG, and covering biological and physical chemistry concepts. With support from PPG, the Beta Tournament is expected to reach up to 1,450 students during this partnership.

Additional activities supported by the funding will focus on classroom educational modules such as “The Paint Experiment” and “The Sustainable Paint Factory” digital lessons. It will also be used to develop the online STEM platform www.exactwatjezoekt.nl which provides learning support and career orientation for students, and the annual national chemistry teacher conference.

“We are very pleased with this renewed partnership,” said Jeroen Sijbers, director of C3: “It allows us to help VMBO students discover where their talents lie. In recent years, the VMBO curriculum has paid less and less attention to STEM, making this support extremely necessary.”

PPG’s global community engagement efforts and the PPG Foundation aim to bring color and brightness to PPG communities around the world. We invested $18.1 million in 2025, supporting 400+ organizations across nearly 30 countries. By investing in educational opportunities, we help grow tomorrows 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 here.