Eaton donates $10,000 to High Tech Academy at Henrico ACE Center

, and Citizen Staff Reports

April 23, 2026 . 12:52 PM

2 min read

Students and teachers from the High Tech Academy at the ACE Center at Highland Springs pose for a photo with representatives for Eaton after the company announced a $10,000 donation to the program through AdoptAClassroom.org. (Courtesy Henrico Schools)

A brief testing delay turned into a celebration for Henrico Schools students and teachers in the High Tech Academy program April 17, as they were surprised with a $10,000 donation to the program courtesy of Eaton at the ACE Center at Highland Springs.

Several Eaton representatives were joined by principal Emily Loving and Henrico Workforce and Career Development leaders to announce the $10,000 gift, which is being provided through a partnership with AdoptAClassroom.org. The money will be used to purchase additional supplies and resources to support STEM-focused students in the High Tech Academy and to help inspire and prepare them for future careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

“[Thinking about] the things that we can invest in and do that would be really amazing for [our students] — it’s just incredible,” teacher Allison Buschy said during the surprise presentation in her classroom.

Eaton is an intelligent power management company with a long-standing and growing manufacturing presence in Virginia. Through local investment, employee involvement and long-standing collaborations, Eaton works to build skills, create opportunity and strengthen the communities where it operates.

The company has three facilities in Henrico County and recently announced an investment of more than $50 million in a new manufacturing campus in the area. It was among the employers on site at this year’s Career Rodeo to watch hundreds of Henrico Schools students showcase their career-ready skills at Richmond Raceway.

That annual exhibition not only helped make the donation a reality but also resulted in immediate opportunities — three seniors from the Electricity and Cabling program from the ACE Center at Highland Springs signed contracts at Wednesday’s CTE Letter-of-Intent Signing Day to join Eaton’s workforce after they graduate in May.

“Eaton is proud to work alongside High Tech Academy, and this donation reflects Eaton’s continued commitment to helping build skills and drive opportunity,” said Daylin Russo, human resources manager at Eaton. “Supporting STEM education in Henrico County is an investment in the future workforce and the strength of our community.”

High Tech Academy is a dual-enrollment STEM program at the ACE Center at Highland Springs that gives students the opportunity to take college-level engineering, math and physics classes in a challenging environment.

HTA students, who come from every high school in Henrico, can earn college credits through VCU and Reynolds Community College during their junior and senior years of high school. It is offered alongside other career and technical education programs via Henrico Workforce & Career Development.

For details, visit cte.henricoschools.us.