Back in April, in a design-thinking session related to Virginia Western’s G3 planning grant, about 30 faculty, staff, and administrators across the college had the opportunity to interview eight students about their experiences at VWCC. Over and over again, the students talked about the personal relationships they developed on their journey, as well as the many resources and supportive services that helped them along the way. Some in attendance were surprised to learn students with a current VWCC student ID can ride Valley Metro buses free of charge, prompting the comment from one dean: Maybe the college should be regularly updating faculty and staff about all of these student resources during in-service? And that’s exactly what happened eight months later, when I emceed the “Superheroes, Assemble! A Resource Roundup for Students” during the January 2020 in-service session. A total of 12 speakers from across 10 departments each spent about 5 minutes talking about their services, the best ways to help students, and any fun facts or surprising data points from their departments. The purpose was to empower all of us — no matter our role at the college — to help students connect with resources beyond the classroom. You can… Continue Reading 20 ways to be a Virginia Western superheroRead More
If you missed the “5 Secrets to a Funded Innovation Grant” session during in-service, you can see the same presentation during the following times in the grants office conference room (top floor of Fishburn Hall, Room 204): Monday, Feb. 3, 3 to 4 p.m.Wednesday, Feb. 5, 10 to 11 a.m.Tuesday, Feb. 11, 10 to 11 a.m.Thursday, Feb. 13, 11 a.m. to noonFriday, Feb. 21, 11 a.m. to noon Stephanie Seagle will go over the application and will answer any other questions you might have about the process. Please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080c4aadaa28a1f85-5secrets1 Note that in order for your grant proposal to be eligible for consideration, you must meet with grants office staff (Stephanie) at least once for guidance in completing the application. These sessions fulfill that requirement. If you prefer a one-on-one discussion with Stephanie, please email sseagle@virginiawestern.edu or call 540-857-6084. About the Innovation Grant: These annual grants are awarded by the Virginia Western Community College Educational Foundation. The maximum award is $10,000. All members of Virginia Western faculty and classified staff, including adjunct faculty and part-time employees, are eligible to submit proposals. The deadline for applications is Friday, March 27 … but there are key requirements due before then,… Continue Reading Curious about Innovation Grants? Sign up to learn moreRead More
We’re on the home stretch before winter break … and just before we leave, I’d like to challenge us to dream up cool ideas for grants, whether they be for Innovation Grants (from the Educational Foundation) to professional development grants (from the VCCS), and beyond. Too often we get bogged down in the rules and bureaucracy and every reason why something won’t work, but for now, I just want to start from a place of joy … open our minds … and ask: Wouldn’t it be cool if … I’m like a PEZ dispenser of wacky ideas, so I’ll just share my own list to help get you started: Wouldn’t it be cool if … We started a “Career Bus Tour” of employers (like in manufacturing or healthcare), similar to all the food/brewery tours in the region. The travelers would get to actually see those careers in action … and in between stops, hear about how VWCC’s programs will help them on those career paths. Wouldn’t it be cool if … Whenever VWCC sets up a table at a job fair or community event, we send a mobile headshot booth and take free professional photos for LinkedIn/social media profiles. We… Continue Reading Wouldn’t it be cool if … (a grant idea generator)Read 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
- Have you heard? October 28, 2024
- The Game of Life – Innovation Edition! August 29, 2024
- Why Try An LOI? May 10, 2024
- Grant Nerds Unite! March 12, 2024
- The Power of Collaboration November 17, 2023