What ideas are exciting you lately? Anything you want to learn? Anything our campus should be talking more about? Don’t hold back … your ideas could turn into reality. The VCCS offers two types of professional development grants for projects you would like to see happen in Spring 2019: The Paul Lee Professional Development Grant,… Continue Reading Paul Lee professional development grants due Sept. 15Read More
Back in March, when a state grant paid to bring Diane Mulcahy to Virginia Western to speak about the gig economy, I had the good fortune to be seated right next to the author during our group lunch at Cedars in downtown Roanoke. I asked Mulcahy which schools were doing it right — who was… Continue Reading How might we design a “robot-proof” education?Read More
During the summer after I graduated from George Mason University — almost 20 years ago — I remember buying exactly three books to signify my passage into adulthood. I was wise enough to know that my new bachelor’s degree did not address some important life skills, like cooking and managing money. One of those books… Continue Reading The money book I wish I read in collegeRead More
So two related things happened this past week: I finished a book by Harvard business professor Clayton Christensen — “Competing Against Luck: The Story of Innovation and Customer Choice,” — one of the books recommended during the Data-Driven Innovation Boot Camp at RAMP, the new business accelerator in downtown Roanoke. I wrote about my top… Continue Reading 3 numbers that blew my mind about online learningRead More
So I’ve probably mentioned that I have an “Idea Shelf” in my office. This is a whiteboard where I collect all kinds of random ideas as they might relate to this community college, ranging from outdoor preschools to a trades academy for historic renovation to a “Made in Roanoke” fair. I love ideas. I *live*… Continue Reading The most important lesson from Innovation Boot CampRead More
04
May
I love practical tips … and I love lists, especially short ones. I couldn’t resist sharing this story from the Chronicle of Higher Education, which I’m constantly reading for grant ideas: The 5 Tips for Student Success That a Longtime Instructor Swears By Tony Holland The tips are from Tony Holland of the Alabama Community… Continue Reading 5 teaching tips to boost student completion and retention … what are yours?Read More
If it seems like I’m a little obsessed with the buzzword “collaboration,” it’s because a bunch of grant funders are, too. Let me give you two recent examples: 1. GO Virginia You may have heard about the GO Virginia program, which has funded some economic development projects in the Roanoke region, including the RAMP business… Continue Reading Why we must collaborate, inside and outRead More
I painted my fingernails blue and gold, y’all. I was shopping the Elizabeth Arden warehouse sale in Salem this past weekend (where we get a 10% discount with our VWCC ID badge!) and found the $2 nail polish along the back wall. I thought the colors would be perfect during the week of Spring Fling,… Continue Reading How do you show your Virginia Western spirit? (And why it matters.)Read More
12
Feb
You’ve heard of speed dating, right? Where you meet with a bunch of potential romantic interests in efficient, 10-minute increments? Based on my own comic experience at Roanoke’s now-defunct Saltori’s in the early 2000s, I can’t wholeheartedly recommend this method for actual dating. But I think the concept might help some of us out with… Continue Reading I tried speed dating once … and how it relates to Innovation GrantsRead More
31
Jan
How are those Innovation Grant proposals going? I’ve been hearing some good questions from your colleagues about the process, and I thought I would post some tips for generating grant-winning ideas. Here are five: 1. Think “Project Runway” So if you’ve ever chatted with me for more than 5 minutes, then you probably know I’m… Continue Reading If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas for the Innovation Grant …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
- 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
- Welcome to Grantology February 3, 2023