PPG announced the completion of a Colorful Communities project in East Point, Georgia, that provided a colorful makeover for Tri-Cities High School as part of the company’s New Paint for a New Start initiative. More than 70 volunteers joined representatives from educational nonprofit Heart of America to paint a fresh coat of color throughout the school’s classrooms and hallways.

Student-designed murals were a focal point of the day, with participants using some of the company’s most popular paint colors to bring their works to life. The halls of Tri-Cities High School will be on trend due to the use of PPG’s 2022 Colorful Communities Color Palette, which includes 2022 Color of the Year Olive Sprig (PPG1125-4), Golden Hour (PPG1214-6) and Juniper Berry (PPG1145-6).

In addition to providing paint and sundries for the project, PPG Foundation will donate science, technology, engineering and math supplies for students to use in the coming school year.

The Colorful Communities program provides volunteers and products along with financial contributions to bring color and vitality to communities where the company operates around the world, such as in East Point, where the manufacturer employs more than 70 people in its production facility.

Tri-Cities High School serves more than 1,500 high school students and strives to transform its adolescent learners into college and/or career-ready citizens who are empowered to change the world.

“Tri-Cities High School is so grateful for the hard work that was put into this beautiful transformation today,” says Dr. Ethel Lett, principal at Tri-Cities High School.

The Colorful Communities project was supported as part of the company’s newest initiative—New Paint for a New Start. With this program, company employees around the world are volunteering their time throughout July to transform more than 25 schools. Using paint products and color expertise, each project aims to create engaging spaces for students to learn and grow.

“Through our global Colorful Communities program, paint can make life-changing differences by protecting and beautifying special places in our lives, and East Point is that special place,” says Scott Bartlett, PPG’s vice president of Global Operations for Architectural Coatings. “The goal was to create engaging spaces for students to learn and grow, and I’m confident this team accomplished that.”

“Throughout July, we’re creating fresh starts and new beginnings with revitalized spaces to celebrate students and educators and help students feel excited, supported and ready to learn,” says Malesia Dunn, executive director of PPG Foundation and Corporate Global Social Responsibility. “As students and teachers embrace in-person learning after the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic over the last two years, we have identified educational spaces in need of a bright and beautiful refresh and empowered our employees to carry out those projects.”

The Colorful Communities program, a signature initiative for supporting communities, aims to protect and beautify the neighborhoods where the company operates around the world. Through the Colorful Communities program, committed volunteers contribute their time and paint products to help transform community assets—from painting classrooms to bringing color to a maternity ward and redesigning a playground. Since 2015, the company has completed nearly 400 Colorful Communities projects, impacting more than 7.4 million people in 42 countries.