Since the beginning of the year, what has often seemed like a firehose of information, proposed, enacted, litigated, disputed, and forthcoming has been shared across the internet, through podcasts and news airwaves, federal agency communications, and White House executive orders and administrative announcements. It’s been a wild ride to try and decipher what is happening, what changes and impacts will take place, and what we must simply monitor while waiting to see what ultimately happens. Virginia Western has had a group of individuals connecting, sharing information, and seeking to evaluate the impact on the college based on what we know and what we may need to anticipate. This group was cognizant of the need to share with the larger college community what resources could help us all understand what most have landed on calling “The Changing Federal Landscape“. Thus, the creation of the Federal Guidelines & Resources page on VWCC’s SharePoint that was mentioned during our Fall In-Service. More on those resources in a bit, but let’s talk about this concept of “The Changing Federal Landscape“. If you search up “the changing landscape phrase meaning” here is the immediate response which AI provides: The phrase “the changing landscape” refers to… Continue Reading Federal Funding, where are we, and where might we be headed? Read More
Innovation: noun something new or different introduced. the act of innovating; introduction of new things or methods. The Educational Foundation at Virginia Western each year offers Faculty, and Staff the opportunity to innovate. The Foundation elaborates on the definition above by noting that “Innovation is creativity in action: The introduction of new ideas, projects or methods to address a need or solve a problem. The Foundation application process starts with an LOI. A letter of intent (LOI) can be thought of as a first step in the grants process and is designed as a tool to generate interest. The idea is to generate the interest of a grant provider, based on the requested initial information. LOI’s can be requested when a funder is seeking to support projects in key specific priority area, such as the local Community Foundation Serving Western Virginia LOI process for projects related to Community Vibrancy, Education and Youth, or Health. What is the benefit of the LOI? First and foremost, this step in the process saves time. Time for both the funder and the applicant. An LOI gives you a chance to share the 50,000 ft. view and provides an opportunity for further details as requested. The… Continue Reading Innovation, and the LOI.Read More
Summer Spotlights Summer can offer the ability to plan and reflect on where we have been, what we have accomplished and how to consider moving forward. So, I’m sharing some recent good news and some highlights from different areas of the College for this past grant year. Grant News! TRIO! – We were excited to receive notification of the approval of a new 5-year grant cycle for TRIO with word coming in from Department of Education leading up to the 4th of July weekend! Our application had been submitted since last summer, so the good news was definitely worth the wait! Congratulations to the TRIO team, we are excited to see your continued efforts to support students in the year ahead. And For Continued Goodness, Here Are A Few Grant Highlights Another Shoutout to TRIO – Cheryl Hilton, Project Director shared the highlight of the TRIO year which honors TRIO Graduates. Graduation day is always a highlight made possible by grant funding. From listening to TRIO graduates share their inspiring stories of perseverance, support, and gratitude during the morning brunch to watching them cross the stage in the evening wearing their regalia and TRIO Scholars stole, nothing compares to the… Continue Reading Some 24/25 HighlightsRead 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
- Federal Funding, where are we, and where might we be headed? October 27, 2025
- Innovation, and the LOI. August 25, 2025
- Some 24/25 Highlights July 16, 2025
- Have you heard? October 28, 2024
- The Game of Life – Innovation Edition! August 29, 2024