The PPG Foundation recently donated a combined $89,000 to support educational initiatives in the Pittsburgh area. The grants reportedly highlight PPG’s commitment to supporting its local communities and the foundation’s priority of increasing educational opportunities for youth in the areas of math and technology.

“We are pleased to support these great educational initiatives in PPG’s hometown,” said Sue Sloan, executive director of the PPG Foundation. “We believe it’s important to prepare today’s youth for the opportunities that will be available to them in advanced manufacturing and also to stimulate their curiosity about the world around them.”

The grant recipients and programs were:

Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania: $50,000 to support the development of Discovery Place, an interactive exhibition and learning space to inspire children and foster science, technology, engineering and math skills.

ASSET Inc.: $15,000 to underwrite the costs of professional development programs and courses for under-resourced educators to teach inquiry-centered science, technology, engineering and math subjects. The grant also funds related research-based, hands-on learning materials for their students.

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh: $10,000 to support Super Science, a program that provides children with opportunities to engage in hands-on science activities.

Barrels by the Bay: $9,000 for a program inviting students in area schools to use vibrant paints and their imagination to decorate white plastic rain barrels for later use in lessons about water conservation.

National Aviary: $5,000 to support aviary programs that bring bright, colorful feathered visitors and related education to patients at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC.

For more information, visit www.ppg.com.