PPG Donates $10,000 for Palmdale Aerospace Academy

The PPG Industries Foundation donated $10,000 to the Palmdale School District in California for the new Palmdale Aerospace Academy charter school. The grant was made on behalf of PPG Industries’ aerospace business, which operates a facility in nearby Mojave, Calif.

“We greatly appreciate PPG’s support of our new school, which emphasizes science, technology, engineering and mathematical (STEM) skills through the lens of aerospace,” states Laura Herman, headmaster, Palmdale Aerospace Academy. “The goal of this school is to prepare students for college and 21st-century careers that are aligned with workforce needs in the local area and beyond, so it’s very valuable to form partnerships with local industry employers such as PPG.”

The grant helped fund Palmdale Aerospace Academy’s startup costs for labs and academic materials. The school brings academic concepts to life through a core curriculum with an aerospace theme as well as specialized elective classes, internships at the secondary level, clubs, guest speakers, presentations and other enrichment activities all stemming from local aerospace industry partnerships.

The school opened in August 2012 to seventh-, eighth- and ninth-grade students. Herman said a grade level is to be added to the school each year until it includes all grades, K through 12.

“PPG is strongly committed to supporting the communities where its employees work and live, especially through educational initiatives that encourage students to pursue technology-related studies and careers,” said David Morris, PPG general manager and vice president, Americas, aerospace. “Because of its unique curriculum, supporting the Palmdale Aerospace Academy is key to PPG’s aerospace business. The school’s students will be integral to the future of our industry, and the unique programming the school provides shows the value of industry’s collaboration with academia and the community.”