Uncategorized Archives - Page 5 of 13 - Grants Development & Special Projects at Virginia Western

Feb

Time to play the Virginia Western Game of Trivia!

February 25, 2021Uncategorized

Hello, and welcome to the Virginia Western Game of Trivia, which is really a quiz, but GOT is the only acronym that makes any sense. (Cue the laugh track) The game is a quick way to relay important data points and random bits of trivia about our college … and also an excellent excuse for… Continue Reading Time to play the Virginia Western Game of Trivia!

Feb

We transform ourselves by learning like our students

February 23, 2021Uncategorized

“Transform yourself to transform the world.”Grace Lee Boggs, author and social activist, 1915-2015 Long before Virginia Western was awarded our Title III grant, I had a crush on Achieving the Dream (ATD). I first learned about ATD as our team prepared our first Get REAL grant proposal in 2017; our budget includes money to pay… Continue Reading We transform ourselves by learning like our students

Feb

My valentine to Roanoke starts with a mean tweet

February 9, 2021Uncategorized

The timing couldn’t be more perfect. Just this week — in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day — a TV critic for The New Yorker disparaged our little city on Twitter. Emily Nussbaum tweeted to her 280K followers: “LOL, just watched an episode of The Dating Game in which the prize was a trip… Continue Reading My valentine to Roanoke starts with a mean tweet

Jan

Planning your time is boring. Create quest maps instead!

January 26, 2021Uncategorized

When I was about to turn 30 — and shortly after watching “The Holiday” starring Kate Winslet — I made a bold decision. I would travel to London for vacation. Alone. Just me, giving myself the gift of adventure while I thought about what I really wanted in life. And I would save money by… Continue Reading Planning your time is boring. Create quest maps instead!

Jan

Summary: Get REAL (Refocus Education on Adult Learners)

January 26, 2021Uncategorized

Curious about Virginia Western’s Title III grant? Our grant narrative might have been 55 pages long, but we were able to boil main points down to one page. You can download the summary as a PDF and print, or find the overview below (updated as of March 2021): Get REAL One Sheet SummaryDownload Get REAL… Continue Reading Summary: Get REAL (Refocus Education on Adult Learners)

Jan

Are we a relationship-rich college?

January 13, 2021Uncategorized

I only remember two things from my first day of college: What I was wearing, and meeting Sophia. And I only recall my outfit — a risky combo of black skirt with tan tights — because Sophia joked about it months later. Our “integrative studies” program at George Mason University was a pretty radical cohort… Continue Reading Are we a relationship-rich college?

Jan

Friday will be fun! (Even if it doesn’t snow)

January 6, 2021Uncategorized

I’ve been following the snow buzz very closely this week, as this “wintry intrigue” may interfere with the Improv for Teaching and Learning workshop we have been planning for almost a year. The Zoom workshop is currently scheduled for 9 to 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 8, and it’s open to all faculty and staff. I’m… Continue Reading Friday will be fun! (Even if it doesn’t snow)

Dec

Want to be more creative? Join our Improv session during in-service

December 9, 2020Uncategorized

What is the No. 1 soft skill sought by employers? Answer: Creativity, according to a 2019 survey on LinkedIn. I realize the entirety of 2020 has felt like one, big exercise in creative problem solving. But how might Virginia Western teach creativity? Is that even possible? Yes, teaching for creativity is not only possible …… Continue Reading Want to be more creative? Join our Improv session during in-service

Dec

What does a successful adult-focused college look like?

December 2, 2020Uncategorized

I have been struggling with this question for months now, ever since Virginia Western was awarded what Dr. Sandel calls the “holy grail” of community college grants: A Title III Strengthening Institutions Program (SIP) grant, awarded by the U.S. Department of Education. *Woot woot!* This is a 5-year grant in the amount of $1.8 million,… Continue Reading What does a successful adult-focused college look like?

Nov

5 takeaways from my adult learner experience

November 17, 2020Uncategorized

Sometime in late summer — when I must have been in an especially energetic mood — I decided to sign up for an introductory class offered by the Cincinnati Montessori Secondary Teacher Education Program (CMStep), one of the only MACTE-accredited programs in the country that focuses on Montessori education for ages 12-18. The course provides… Continue Reading 5 takeaways from my adult learner experience

1 … 3 4 5 6 7 … 13

Shelley Lyons is glad to be back on campus as she is a Virginia Western alum, and has served as the Administrative Officer for Grants Administration at Virginia Western since early 2022. Prior to VWCC, her career focus was within the Human Services and Arts fields. She wrote her first grant in 1996 on a whim and has continued to plan and learn since that time. She most enjoys seeing a well-planned project come to fruition, where funder, project manager and beneficiaries can all feel success and see impact.