28
Sep
Hello, and welcome back to the Innovation Lab! We just started an asynchronous workshop series: How to Design a Successful Innovation Grant, and there’s plenty of time to catch up. The series began in September, and it will end in March 2022, the same month Innovation Grant proposals are due to the Virginia Western Educational… Continue Reading Innovation Grant Lab series: What problem are you trying to solve? (October)Read More
Two years ago, I wrote what has become the most popular post on this grants blog: “Why I’m so excited about our G3 grant project” I can only guess the post is popular because prospective students are now Googling information about the state’s G3 program, and this page bubbles up in the search results. But… Continue Reading This is not a goodbyeRead More
31
Aug
Hello, and welcome to the Innovation Lab! This is a virtual lab … a digital makerspace where we ask a lot of questions, experiment, and play. Our first project is an asynchronous workshop series: How to Design a Successful Innovation Grant. The first step in the series begins on this blog today, and it will end in March… Continue Reading Innovation Grant Lab series: Let’s put on our Thinking Caps (September)Read More
Image from Pixabay I’m so excited to launch Virginia Western’s own Innovation Lab. Of course, this will be a virtual lab … a digital makerspace where we ask a lot of questions, experiment, and play. Our first project is an asynchronous workshop series: How to Design a Successful Innovation Grant. What are Innovation Grants? These… Continue Reading Welcome, innovators! The Innovation Grant Lab opens Sept. 1Read More
As you probably know, I’m a big fan of the Future Trends Forum with Bryan Alexander. Every Thursday afternoon, Alexander hosts some really fascinating higher education authors/leaders in a virtual forum that encourages questions from the audience. Back in March, I blogged about his conversation with Dr. Paul LeBlanc, president of Southern New Hampshire University. Years ago,… Continue Reading September: Free professional learning opportunitiesRead More
Image from The Mindful Manager I’ve written before about the book “Traction,” and how it has changed my life. “Traction” is where I encountered Stephen Covey’s “Rocks” analogy for the first time. The visual is powerful, so I promise reading this entire passage is worth it: Picture a glass cylinder set on a table. Next… Continue Reading Let’s ROCK our priorities this semesterRead More
Illustration by Crystal Hall Have you looked through the Fall 2021 In-Service Agenda yet? I’m a former calendar editor who LOVES to sift through itineraries, choosing my own adventures, so that’s what I’ve done below. The Adult Learner Summit, part of our five-year Get REAL project, is a series of sessions peppered throughout the week.… Continue Reading Calendars, ready?: Adult Learner Summit scheduleRead More
I’m just days away from a proper summer vacation, and I’m excited about my beach reads: “High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out” by Amanda Ripley: In a July interview with the American Press Institute, Ripley talked about how journalism can help hyperpolarized communities find common ground. I was intrigued by… Continue Reading What are you reading? (Comments are open)Read More
Virginia Western Community College faculty and staff are invited to our first Adult Learner Summit during fall in-service (the week of Aug. 16). Details coming soon!Read More
13
Jul
As much as I want to eat healthy, so much comes down to convenience. For me, cooking is more of a chore than a creative act. This is why I loved “Meals that Heal,” a cookbook that showed me how to eat more anti-inflammatory foods. Author Carolyn Williams (PhD, RD) recommends having easily accessible, minimally… Continue Reading 6 summer recipes: Transform pantry staples with Co-op Quick Meal CardsRead 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