WHITTIER, Calif., November 21, 2023 – Together, X-Bots Robotics, the PPG Foundation and Boys & Girls Club (BGC) of Whittier and Pico Rivera provided youth participants with an opportunity for hands-on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) learning that brought independence, smiles, and mobility for toddlers. This past weekend, 50 youth were trained to customize 10 electric powered ride-on cars to be used as physical therapy cars that increased the toddler’s mobility through X-Bots Robotics Mobility Program presented by PPG.

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The STEM program partners middle school and high school students from a Robotics team with Boys & Girls Club youth participants, who together build specially designed electric cars for toddlers with mobility challenges. X-Bots Robotics uses an open source program called Go Baby Go that allows children with physical limitations move, play and explore their world.

“With the support of PPG Foundation, these STEM workshops for the Boys & Girls Club youth participants help us expand this program to reach an underserved population,” said Elisa Avila, Executive Director of X-Bots Robotics. The program has helped hundreds of families over the years increase their toddlers’ mobility when faced with cerebral disorders and other neurological challenges that impede movement to reach children’s developmental milestones.

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X-Bots Robotics provides students with unique opportunities to engage in hands-on technical engineering training that develops their leadership skills. Rio Hondo Community College and Whittier College students also were trained with the hope of providing ongoing support of the program to the BGC of Whittier and Pico Rivera.

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The program exposes youth to various STEM fields and gives them a taste of how a job can make an impact in their communities. Youth participants heard from 11 PPG employees who volunteered at the event, sharing their career pathways and serving as mentors throughout the workshop.

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“At PPG, we know that education sits at the helm of the innovation that will shape our world for generations to come. Through this partnership, our aim is to open future opportunities to both the students who will find and explore their passions in STEM fields and families who will benefit from the new mobility cars,” said Malesia Dunn, Executive Director, PPG Foundation and Corporate Global Social Responsibility. “In all that we do, we aim to protect and beautify the world. The X-Bots Robotics program reinforces this by fueling future inventors with inspiration and the joy of experimentation and discovery while experiencing the immediate impacts both community service and STEM concepts make in the lives of others.”

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With the support of The PPG Foundation, X-Bots Robotics is able to provide STEM educational opportunities to impact a greater number of students, toddlers, and their families. As a global supplier of paints, coatings, optical products, and specialty materials, PPG recognizes the importance of immersing young people in STEM concepts that are linked to real-world solutions and innovations, such as robotics and mobility technology that may one day redefine solutions for our global society. To learn more about the X-Bots Robotics Mobility Program, visit https://www.xbotsinc.com/gobabygo.

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About X-Bots Robotics Inc.:

X-Bots Robotics Inc. is an organization that provides mentorship to middle and high school students aiming to inspire the next generation of STEM leaders by developing a passion for STEM careers at a young age. They provide distinctive hands-on technical engineering training opportunities developing students' leadership skills to inspire others through outreach efforts.

 

About PPG Foundation

PPG’s global community engagement efforts and the PPG Foundation aim to bring color and brightness to PPG communities around the world. We invested $13 million in 2020, supporting hundreds of organizations across more than 30 countries. By investing in educational opportunities, we help grow today’s skilled workforce and develop tomorrow’s innovators in fields related to coatings and manufacturing. Plus, we empower PPG employees to multiply their impact on causes that are important to them by supporting their volunteer efforts and charitable giving. Learn more at Home | PPG.

PPG: WE PROTECT AND BEAUTIFY THE WORLD®

 

At PPG (NYSE: PPG), we work every day to develop and deliver the paints, coatings, and materials that our customers have trusted for more than 135 years. Through dedication and creativity, we solve our customers’ biggest challenges, collaborating closely to find the right path forward. With headquarters in Pittsburgh, we operate and innovate in more than 75 countries and reported net sales of $13.8 billion in 2020. We serve customers in construction, consumer products, industrial and transportation markets, and aftermarkets. To learn more, visit www.ppg.com.

                                                                       

Media Contact Information:

Marisol Barrios Perez, APR | Mission Driven PR

310-713-8567 or marisol@missiondrivenpr.com