I recently attended a child’s birthday party in a beautiful city park, and it involved a piñata. After joking with another parent about why we love this tradition — where kids beat their cartoon heroes with a stick until candy falls out — I focused my attention on Birthday Dad, who was managing the festivities. I noticed how he was able to get this group of 15ish kids — most around the age of 8 and all sugared-up with birthday cake — to follow some basic rules, the most important being: Stay behind this stick I’m holding until it’s your turn. This was a critical maneuver, as the kids mobbed the ground under the piñata any time candy went flying. He ensured every child got a swing, asking them to raise their hands each round. Birthday Dad was cheerful, crystal clear, and fair. Most importantly: There were no injuries, and everyone was able to get some treats. I congratulated both parents, as they had gracefully — almost effortlessly — controlled pure chaos without feeling autocratic. “Yes, he was once a camp counselor,” laughed Birthday Mom, as she made sure my daughter’s goodie bag was full. Image by Alexander Kliem from… Continue Reading Don’t be the piñata: 5 lessons learned as a workgroup facilitatorRead More
Hello! Are you looking for information about the G3 program at Virginia Western? *** Hello, and welcome back to the Virginia Western Game of Trivia, which is really a quiz, but GOT is the only acronym that makes any sense. (Cue the laugh track) The game is a quick way to relay important data points and random bits of trivia about our college … and also an excellent excuse for our game host to learn how to use Google Forms. (Ba-dum-tisssss!) But first … do yourself a favor and play this background YouTube music to get the full quiz show experience! Can you hear those happy horns? OK, much better. Today, we have two (2) questions for you about the new G3 tuition assistance program, which you can learn all about here. So let’s get to the quiz … (and be sure to click “View score” after you answer) … Loading… In case you missed Round 1 of our Game of Trivia, catch up here. Did I hear someone ask about a prize? Ahhhhh, yes. We all win a valuable prize pack full of … knowledge! And maybe some lemon lasagna at some point? 🙂 Thanks for playing the (deep, dramatic… Continue Reading Time again for the Virginia Western Game of Trivia (G3 edition)Read More
Did you read Highlights magazine as a kid? One of our neighbors — a retired military colonel who I only remember as “The Colonel” — gifted our family a subscription when I was just learning to read in San Antonio, Texas. The subscription continued when we moved to Roanoke — and one of the features I remember most vividly was “Goofus and Gallant,” which is still published in Highlights. This is a didactic comic that contrasts two young boys: Goofus, who is always rude and selfish, and Gallant, who models virtuous and respectful behavior. As you can imagine, it is often parodied. From the July 2020 issue of Highlights I was reminded of “Goofus and Gallant” while learning about another fictional composite character: ALICE, an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. ALICE households — which made up about 29% of Virginia families in 2018 — are employed and earn above the federal poverty level, but they do not earn enough to afford basic household necessities. An additional 10% of households lived in poverty, which adds up to 39% of the state struggling to support their families. And keep in mind this is 2018 data … before the COVID disaster. … Continue Reading How to build better relationships with Goofus, Gallant and ALICERead 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
- Why Try An LOI? May 10, 2024
- 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