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.

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"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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SOURCE Valspar