PPG Foundation takes 'Great Color Caper' to North, South Carolina

Educational outreach about science, colors

Sue Sloan is chasing an evil villain, called "Monochrome," across the United States and she wants as many young students as possible to help her defeat him...and in the process have fun learning about the science behind color.

Sloan, executive director of the PPG Foundation, recently teamed with Discovery Place (a non-profit science museum) in Charlotte, N.C., to present "The Great Color Caper" - an educational outreach program about science and technology. It's a two-pronged initiative that combines a school assembly with hands-on science activities for kindergarden through eighth-grade students.

The Great Color Caper was unveiled last week at PPG's fiber glass plants at Lexington, N.C. Shelby, N.C. and Chester, S.C., and the company's nearby coatings plant in Greensboro, N.C. School officials, community leaders and PPG employees were given special presentations before The Great Color Caper was open to the public at the Discovery Place.

The program uses interactive multimedia that enables students to help solve the mystery of the missing colors of a fictional town named "Spectropolis" after Monochrome steals the colors from the city. The comic-book style theme teaches students about the nature of light, energy, reflection and how colors are derived from light and pigments.

"Students become 'color cadets' and help the presenters figure out how to defeat Monochrome and win the colors back," Sloan said. "It teaches kids about the nature of color and the science behind it. We're excited to be expanding and delivering this program to an increasing number of students."

The Great Color Caper program began in Pittsburgh in 2006 when the PPG Foundation partnered with the Carnegie Science Center. "The foundation, whose mission is to enhance the quality of life in communities where PPG has a presence across the nation, wanted to expand the program into the communities around PPG manufacturing sites because of the program's success and the excitement it has created at schools," according to Sloan.

"Teachers and schools really need to work hard to get students excited about math, science and technology. The Great Color Caper engages students and we encourage PPG employees to bring the program to their community schools," said Sloan, adding that the Foundation is examining the possibility of expanding The Great Color Caper to other countries.