23
Sep
If you’re anything like me, then you have been streaming *a lot* of TV during this pandemic. I just finished “The Witcher” on Netflix, and whew … it rocked my world. Left me in angry tears. A more serious documentary called “Hungry to Learn” also left me in a puddle when I first watched it… Continue Reading ‘Hungry to Learn’ documentary about college student food insecurity now streaming for freeRead More
21
Sep
When I was in college, I wrote a relationship column for the student newspaper called “Rose and Thorn.” (And yes, I named it after that Poison song. *Facepalm*) We invited love questions from readers, and then I wrote the answers from the sweet and constructive point-of-view of “Rose” … along with the more cynical, devilish… Continue Reading Rose, Thorn, Bud method can turn failures into a bouquet of lessonsRead More
The grants office is excited to report a few projects that were funded over the summer. Congratulations to everyone who helped make these projects happen — grants are definitely a team sport. Below, I have included ways YOU can help students benefit from these programs as well. Don’t assume students know about them already …… Continue Reading 3 new grant awards you should know about (and how you can help)Read More
We’ve all been, uurmm, a little busy since March, so you may have forgotten Virginia Western’s Educational Foundation funded another round of Innovation Grants in late spring. The college shared a news release in June, touting these creative projects. Your colleagues deserve a round of applause for their successful proposals, which they submitted just as… Continue Reading A round of applause for our innovative colleagues!Read More
Back in the Before Times, I was planning to blog about some inspiring examples of faculty and staff who excelled at creating communities, where students had a sense of belonging and trust. Our G3 planning grant discussions reinforced that relationships are the “secret sauce” to student success, and I saw specific examples across Virginia Western.… Continue Reading How do you build relationships in an online world?Read More
Last week, I shared some of the Virginia Western ingenuity and teamwork that we’ve witnessed during the pandemic. I continue to welcome more of your emails! Pam Woody, an advisor in the School of Health Professions, shared the following: “I would like to recognize everyone on the Help Desk team — especially during the last… Continue Reading Thank you, Team IET!Read More
Last week, I shared how my family and I were coping with the pandemic … and I asked the college how the Campus Engagement workgroup might help. The engagement team’s purpose is to help enhance internal communication and knowledge sharing across Virginia Western. Becky Kraemer, VWCC’s Assistant Recruitment Coordinator (who also serves on the engagement… Continue Reading Look at this ingenuity and teamwork!Read More
Last week, I tuned into a free webinar by IDEO U called “Remote Collaboration.” Sacha Connor, Founder of Virtual Work Insider, shared strategies for staying collaborative and creative while working from home (and none are about improving your Zoom background!) Here are my top three takeaways : 1. Spend some time thinking about new communication… Continue Reading 3 tips for remote collaborationRead More
25
Mar
The first time I cried was after I read that commencements across the VCCS had been canceled. The second, more intense sobbing happened as I overheard my daughter’s teacher reading excerpts of “The BFG” during their first classroom Zoom session. Waves of emotion continue to crash over me during my days at home …. fear,… Continue Reading How I’m coping with the pandemic … and how can the engagement team help?Read More
Early in 2019, I checked out the business book “Traction” (by Gino Wickman) from Brown Library. I heard about the book at the VCCS Hire Education conference, where folks from Lord Fairfax Community College explained how they used it to transform their Workforce division. It was my favorite session of the conference, as it was… Continue Reading One year later: How ‘Traction’ keeps changing my life & workRead More
About Shelley
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.
Recent Posts
- Why Try An LOI? May 10, 2024
- Grant Nerds Unite! March 12, 2024
- The Power of Collaboration November 17, 2023
- Time to Innovate October 4, 2023
- How to tackle grant season? August 14, 2023