MINNEAPOLIS, July 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Valspar
Foundation has donated $20,000 to the
Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh to support science, technology,
engineering and math (STEM) education and career development
programs for students. Over the past three years, Valspar has
provided a total of $70,000 to the
Carnegie Science Center to help introduce students to STEM
education and encourage them to pursue careers in related
fields.
"Valspar is proud to continue its support of Carnegie Science
Center and its mission of educating and exciting young people to
become future scientists," said Gary E.
Hendrickson, Valspar Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer.
In 2015, Valspar's donation is helping fund five of Carnegie's high-priority programs and events,
which will serve more than 10,000 students:
- Engineer the Future: An opportunity for students and the
general public to explore activity booths sponsored by various
universities, technology companies and professional organizations
that demonstrate all fields of engineering.
- SciTech Days: An event that helps middle and high school
students and teachers connect with real-world scientists and
engineers from over 40 companies and universities through a wide
range of hands-on experiences.
- Pittsburgh Regional Science & Engineering Fair: An
event where more than 1,100 6th – 12th graders compete for over
$1 million in cash and
scholarships.
- ChemFest: An opportunity for students and the general
public to explore basic and applied chemistry.
- Tour Your Future program for girls: A career exploration
program that gives girls ages 11-17 an opportunity to meet female
professionals who work in diverse STEM careers, from zoologists to
accountants, software engineers to surgeons.
"Valspar's generous support helps Carnegie Science Center to
engage more than 10,000 middle and high school students each year
in STEM programs and competitions," said Linda Ortenzo, director of STEM Programs at
Carnegie Science Center. "These experiences inspire students to
explore STEM careers by doing exciting, hands-on activities and
interacting with STEM professionals. For example, in 2014, Valspar
became the presenting sponsor of Tour Your Future, a program
designed to increase girls' interest in STEM. With Valspar's
support, the program grew by 65%, and it's now serving more than
300 girls."
In addition to the financial contribution, Valspar scientists
volunteer at the events to share their knowledge and experiences
with students.
Valspar: If it matters, we're on
it.®
Valspar is a global leader in the coatings
industry providing customers with innovative, high-quality products
and value-added services. Our 10,500 employees worldwide
deliver advanced coatings solutions with best-in-class appearance,
performance, protection and sustainability to customers in more
than 100 countries. Valspar offers a broad range of superior
coatings products for the consumer market, and highly-engineered
solutions for the construction, industrial, packaging and
transportation markets. Founded in 1806, Valspar is headquartered
in Minneapolis. Valspar's reported
net sales in fiscal 2014 were $4.5
billion and its shares are traded on the New York Stock
Exchange (symbol:VAL). For more information, visit www.valspar.com
and follow @valspar on Twitter.
About the Carnegie Science Center
Carnegie Science
Center is dedicated to inspiring learning and curiosity by
connecting science and technology with everyday life. By making
science both relevant and fun, the Science Center's goal is to
increase science literacy in the region and motivate young people
to seek careers in science and technology. One of the four Carnegie
Museums of Pittsburgh, the Science
Center is Pittsburgh's premier
science exploration destination, reaching more than 700,000 people
annually through its hands-on exhibits, camps, classes, and
off-site education programs
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