PPG Industries employees Veronica Levoy and Rob Laskowski (right) present RRCSD Superintendent Dr. Michael Shoaf and Dianna Foley with a check for $10,000. The funds will be used to purchase equipment for the RRHS Makerspace.
The Rocky River High School Makerspace was awarded a $10,000 grant by PPG Industries Foundation. Funds from the grant will be used to purchase a digital circuit printer, circuitry kits, robotics, a digital research microscope and a stereomicroscope. Rob Laskowski, an employee of PPG Industries and RRCSD parent, was instrumental in working with District personnel to apply for and receive the grant.
The mission of the PPG Industries Foundation is to demonstrate the values of PPG Industries, Inc. by enhancing the quality of life in communities where PPG has a presence. PPG Industries Foundation's K-12 education focus is STEM education.
PPG Industries was founded in 1883 as Pittsburgh Plate Glass by Captain John B. Ford and John Pitcairn and in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Today, PPG is a global supplier of paints, coatings, optical products, specialty materials, glass and fiberglass. PPG Industries' Cleveland operation manufactures and conducts research and development for automotive OEM coatings.
Opened in the spring of 2015, the RRHS Makerspace provides students with access to equipment, education and the opportunity to collaborate with peers. Students design, prototype and create manufactured items using equipment not otherwise available to them. Guest speakers are invited to present workshops to students on manufacturing and to highlight career possibilities. Student technicians work in the Makerspace, training users, developing manuals and maintaining the equipment.