So perhaps you have some creative ideas floating around your head … ideas to help students succeed, or possible solutions to help with student retention. If you’re like me, your idea might feel a bit half-baked … the start of something cool, but you feel like you need to talk it out with another colleague.… Continue Reading Thinking about an Innovation Grant? Don’t skip these important first stepsRead More
More than 20 years since I first watched “Apollo 13,” I’m often reminded of one particular scene. And no, it’s not, “Houston, we have a problem.” In order to save the Apollo crew, a group of NASA engineers raced against the clock to create a carbon dioxide filter from the limited equipment available in the spacecraft. They… Continue Reading ‘Western, we have a problem’: 5 tough takeaways from Dr. Monty SullivanRead More
As I’ve emphasized before, ideas — our imagination — are the real power behind grants. And I collect rando ideas like some people collect Star Wars action figures. I read like a maniac because it helps stuff my brain with as many ideas as possible — and then, like magic! — some joke or frustration… Continue Reading Wait! Before you log off for winter break …Read More
Before we get bogged down in the details of the Paul Lee Professional Development Grant, I thought I’d expound on an idea that I mentioned in a previous blog post. In “The Power of Moments,” authors Chip Heath and Dan Heath introduced me to the Course Design Institute (CDI), a week-long workshop offered at the… Continue Reading Here’s an idea for the Paul Lee Professional Development Grant. What are yours?Read More
Pictured: The Instructional Technology Mini-Conference at Virginia Western in July 2016. I’m hoping you’re as excited about professional development as these folks are, because the VCCS offers two types of professional development grants: The Paul Lee Professional Development Grant, with a maximum stipend of $2,500 for the summer.The Paul Lee Workshop Mini-Grant, with a maximum… Continue Reading Got a workshop idea for the summer? VCCS Paul Lee grant applications due Feb. 1Read More
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the Student Success Kits that are mailed to each new student at Western Governors University. The kits include practical tools to help these students succeed at an online university, including a webcam. But more importantly, the act of receiving — and unpacking those kits — have become… Continue Reading Thanks for sharing your creative Student Success Kit ideasRead More
Perhaps this idea has floated around campus before … but I thought I’d share a noteworthy nugget that popped into my Twitter stream. Apparently all new students at Western Governors University (WGU) — an online university — are mailed a Student Success Kit at the beginning of their first term. I know this because WGU… Continue Reading What would you put in a Virginia Western Student Success Kit?Read More
If you’ve ever been in my office in Fishburn, you probably noticed my bulletin board. Half of it is designated as an “Idea Shelf” — where I jot down creative thoughts to use for later. The other half prominently features a Busch Gardens park map. Let me explain. Months ago, as our office brainstormed through… Continue Reading If Virginia Western were a theme park …Read More
It’s my favorite time of year — Halloween! — so I thought I’d discuss wicked problems. Wicked problems are complex, social problems that are constantly changing — which are exactly the kind of problems we face at Virginia Western. Design thinking is a methodology that can help us address these wicked problems (and write grants… Continue Reading We face wicked problems, personally and professionally. Design thinking can help.Read More
One of my favorite genres of articles involve creativity in the schools, which are usually about K-12 initiatives that stretch way beyond our standardized-testing mania. I can’t resist sharing some of my favorite ideas I’ve learned about in the last few months: Grand Rapids Public Museum School, where a struggling school district opened a school *inside*… Continue Reading Let’s ask students: How might Virginia Western boost enrollment and retention?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