Val A. Henry Legacy Scholarship Fund
Every child deserves the tools
to discover what they can become.
We fund STEM education, robotics, technology and classroom resources for under-resourced Brooklyn schools — so students enter the classroom prepared, and leave it knowing what they are capable of building.
Currently supporting P.S. 375 — The Jackie Robinson School, in Brooklyn, with a goal of five or more schools in 2027.
Why We Exist
Empowering young minds.
Honoring a legacy.
The Val A. Henry Legacy Scholarship Fund was created by the Henry family in memory of Val A. Henry — a man whose life was organized around education, service and the belief that opportunity should not depend on which building a child walks into each morning.
We started the Fund because that belief needed somewhere to go. Access to education and technology changes the trajectory of a young person's life, and in under-resourced schools that access is usually the first thing missing and the last thing funded. So we fund it: the kits, the equipment, the supplies, the partnerships. Not as charity handed down, but as an investment in students who are already capable and simply have not been handed the tools yet.
“Every child deserves the opportunity to discover their potential.”
Deborah HenryPresident, Val A. Henry Legacy Scholarship Fund
What We Do
Four ways we put tools in students' hands
We are not in the business of handing children supplies and leaving. We fund the equipment, the materials and the partnerships that let a student build something, break it, and build it again.
STEM & Robotics
Robotics kits, electronics exploration sets, engineering and construction activities, and magnet and plant science investigations — the materials a student actually puts their hands on.
Technology Access
Hardware, software and lab equipment for public schools, so that a class period is not decided by how many working devices are in the room that morning.
Classroom Resources
Backpacks, notebooks, books and learning materials for students who would otherwise go without — so the school year starts on equal footing.
School Partnerships
We work with the educators already doing the work, adding to the programs they have built rather than arriving with a program of our own.
Don't just prepare children for the future.Give them the tools to build it.
Technology now runs through every career a child might choose. The difference between a student who uses technology and a student who can build with it usually comes down to whether anyone ever put the equipment in front of them. That is the gap we fund.
Mission in Action
This is not a plan. It already happened.
Members of our Board of Directors visited P.S. 375, The Jackie Robinson School in Brooklyn, met with the school's leadership team, and delivered a collection of STEM resources chosen to build on the science lab and STEM programme the school had already built.
We are grateful to Principal Geters, Ms. Maja Jarovic and the entire P.S. 375 community for the work they do every day. Our part was to add to it.
- School
- P.S. 375 — The Jackie Robinson School, Brooklyn, New York
What we delivered:
- Engineering & construction activities
- Electronics exploration kits
- Magnet science experiments
- Plant science investigations
- LEGO® building resources
- Measurement & mathematics activities
Where We're Going
From one school to five or more
We started with one school because we wanted to get it right before we got it big. The next step is to take what worked at P.S. 375 and run it in more Brooklyn classrooms.
2026 · Now
Build the foundation
Deliver and demonstrate real impact at P.S. 375, and establish the partnership model we will use everywhere else.
2027 · Goal
Expand to five+ schools
Bring STEM, robotics and technology resources to at least five under-resourced schools, working alongside the educators already in those buildings.
Longer term
Sustained partnerships
Move from one-time deliveries to lasting relationships that keep modern STEM environments, educational technology and hands-on learning in place year after year.
Our 2027 Targets
Goals we are working toward — not results we have achieved.These figures are the targets we are building toward in 2027. As programmes run, we will report what we actually reached against each one.
Your Support. Visible Impact.
Trust is part of the impact
A donation is a decision someone makes with incomplete information. The least we can do is close that gap. As the Fund grows, we are committed to showing supporters where resources went, which schools received them, and what changed as a result.
Where Funds Go
Donations pay for STEM and robotics materials, technology and lab equipment, and classroom supplies for the schools we partner with. We will publish how support is allocated as our programmes run.
What We Provide
Specific, itemised resources rather than general contributions — the kits, hardware and materials named on this page, chosen with the educators who will use them.
Who We Reach
The schools, the number of students and the programmes reached. We report our progress against the 2027 targets above, including where we fall short.
Turn Purpose Into Action
Join us on October 1
Our inaugural benefit reception is the single largest way we will fund next year's work. It is an evening of community, recognition and entertainment — and every seat pays for robotics kits, lab equipment and classroom resources for Brooklyn students.
- Event
- 2026 Legacy Benefit Reception — “Stay Focused”
- Date
- Thursday, October 1, 2026
- Venue
- Fandi Mata · Williamsburg, Brooklyn
How You Can Help
Four ways to build the legacy
Donate
Fund the robotics kits, technology, lab equipment and classroom resources that go directly into schools.
Make a Donation →Partner With Us
Schools, companies, community organisations and education advocates help us reach more classrooms than we could alone.
Become a Partner →Attend the Benefit
Join us on October 1 for an exceptional evening that funds a year of educational opportunity.
Get Tickets →Follow the Legacy
See the schools, the students and the work as it happens — and share it with someone who should know about it.
Follow @vahlegacyfund →The next generation is already dreaming.Let's make sure they have the tools to build.
Your support can put a laptop in a classroom, a robotics kit in a student's hands, and a possibility in front of a child who had not yet been offered one.
Honoring a legacy.
Inspiring the future.
