Last year, Roanoke’s newspaper reported on a New York Times analysis that ranked Roanoke in the bottom 10 in the nation for economic mobility. Just today — Oct. 1 — the Census Bureau and researchers at Harvard and Brown universities published the Opportunity Atlas, which maps searchable, nationwide data about the outcomes of adult children and the neighborhoods where they grow up. Or, as the New York Times put it, data that will make it possible to pinpoint “where children of all backgrounds have the best shot.” As the Times story notes, what seems to matter most for success is the neighborhood within about a half a mile of a child’s home. “For any government program or community grant that targets a specific place, this data proposes a better way to pick those places — one based not on neighborhood poverty levels, but on whether we expect children will escape poverty as adults.” Researchers believe the findings will help cities identify new sites for Head Start centers, or where students might receive more priority for selective high schools or other programs. “The larger question is how to convert struggling neighborhoods into places where poor children are likely to thrive.” Explore… Continue Reading 3 brief bits about one big issue: PovertyRead More
That’s me dressed as “Social Media Butterfly” … with “Captain Classified” … at a “Superheroes of Journalism” party years ago. Guess who suggested the party theme. Have you ever thought about what kind of superhero you would be? Like, if you assembled with the Avengers or Justice League or Guardians of the Galaxy, what would be your talent … your thing? I think about this a lot — and not because I’m a huge fan of spandex or superhero movies. It’s just a fun way to explain my philosophy of life and approach to being a parent … which means, I keep asking: What are your superpower(s), and how will you use them to help others? My mission as a parent is to raise an empowered, creative soul who can recognize her strengths while also seeing beyond herself and her own needs. To help her develop a careful balance of confidence and empathy so she can work effectively in a team (think “Avengers”) … ideally in a life of service. Now, how might my family — and countless hours of schooling — help my daughter do this? By nurturing a sense of agency and purpose, which author/filmmaker/entrepreneur Ted Dintersmith thinks… Continue Reading Calling all Virginia Western superheroesRead More
For the past few years, a creative team at VWCC has pulled together proposals for a competitive federal grant through the National Endowment for the Humanities. This program encourages the blending of humanities with other disciplines at community colleges ( details here ). So far, we have been unsuccessful … but I thought I would share some “idea seeds” from other schools that might inspire some innovation right here at Virginia Western. Oakton Community College in Illinois was awarded one of these Humanities grants to develop an eight-week summer field study called “Plants, Society and Human Nature: Scientific and Ecocritical Perspectives.” The six-credit honors class combines biology with the humanities and is team taught by professors of biology and English. Also: The class featured a 17-day camping trip that included stops at Yellowstone and Badlands national parks. Read more about the class at the Community College Daily …. and Oakton’s interdisciplinary Environmental Studies concentration here. What interdisciplinary projects might enhance Virginia Western’s strengths? If we’re not doing it already, how might we take advantage of the abundant natural resources in our backyard — and integrate them into curriculum? Would we even need a grant to make that happen?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