Flint, Michigan is a city that knows resilience. Once a thriving center of the American auto industry, Flint has faced more than its share of challenges in recent decades; from economic downturns to a national water crisis. But what often gets overlooked is the powerful spirit of innovation, determination, and hope that still defines this community.
At The Valentine Foundation, we believe that education is one of the most powerful tools for transformation and that rebuilding begins with opportunity. That’s why we’re proud to partner with Kettering University to provide 20 scholarships each year to students who are ready to lead, create, and inspire.
Why Flint and Why Kettering?
Kettering University is one of Flint’s brightest beacons of progress. Known for its rigorous STEM programs and co-op education model, Kettering equips students not just with degrees, but with hands-on experience and the mindset to solve real-world problems.
Many Kettering students go on to become engineers, scientists, innovators, and leaders in their industries. But just as important, they carry with them a connection to a city that’s writing its next chapter: one of growth, grit, and possibility.
By investing in these students, we’re both helping them succeed in the classroom and helping reestablish Flint as a place where greatness is born.
The Ripple Effect of a Scholarship
Each scholarship is more than financial aid. It’s a vote of confidence and a chance to break cycles. It’s a spark that can ignite a career, a business, a breakthrough. And in a city like Flint, those sparks matter more than ever.
Here’s how your support is helping change lives:
20 scholarships per year = 20 future leaders with the tools to thrive
Many recipients are first-generation college students, opening doors for their families and communities
Graduates go on to work in fields like clean energy, robotics, healthcare, and infrastructure; areas that change lives both locally and globally
A Vision for the Future
At The Valentine Foundation, we don’t see Flint as a city in crisis, we see a city of potential. Through our partnership with Kettering University, we’re making a long-term investment in this community and the next generation of innovators.
When you support our scholarship program, you’re helping rewrite the story of Flint. You’re helping turn talent into opportunity. And you’re helping show the world what’s possible when we believe in people.
Rebuilding a city doesn’t happen overnight, but it does happen one scholarship at a time.