Labeling Technician Rick Mayberry, of the PPG industrial coatings plant in Mount Vernon, Illinois, sponsored grants that total nearly $2,000 to fund laboratory equipment and engineering projects for over 75 Fairfield Community High School students. Biology Teacher Scott McElravy and Science Teacher Brent Sutton worked with Mayberry to request funding through the PPG Foundation’s Innovative Classroom Grants program, which allows PPG employees to connect with their communities by supporting education initiatives.

“Students need all the help they can get to compete in today’s workplace,” Mayberry said. “I am proud of the schools and students who benefit from these grants, and I am happy to sponsor them.”

Mr. McElravy’s classes will enjoy hands-on learning with five new probes to collect sensor data. The probes work in conjunction with LabQuest software to allow students such as Brice Todd (above left) and Jenny Odom (above right) to measure the concentration of oxygen in the outdoor environment or the lab. The probes can be used in biology, chemistry, ecology and integrated science courses.

Kensey Smothers, Brittany Potoroff, Gabby Hopfinger and Selena Vaughan (above right) prepare materials for tower and bridge projects in Mr. Sutton’s class. These engineering projects focus on stress and strain in buildings and bridges, and they are graded on overall weight and how much weight they can support before collapsing. Ryan Walter (above left) demonstrates one sample structure.