Publicolor is a New York City-based nonprofit organization founded in 1996, by Ruth Lande Shuman, an industrial designer with an interest in the psychological effects of color, that aims to improve education in youth by promoting an imaginative use of color in school buildings. Its operations include the recruitment of disadvantaged students to paint the walls of their schools, and the awarding of financial rewards to some for their work; Publicolor also has a number of adult volunteers who participate in the students' painting activities, or provide workshops for students.