Here’s a roundup of news briefs from around Southwest and Southside. Send yours for possible inclusion to news@cardinalnews.org.
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SCHEV announces grants for work-based learning efforts
The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and the Virginia Talent and Opportunity Partnership will allocate more than $3.9 million in grants to 20 institutions to support the expansion of paid internships and work-based learning opportunities for students.
The grants are designed to strengthen collaborations between higher education institutions and Virginia employers and are made possible through the Commonwealth Innovative Internship Fund, according to a news release announcing the awards.
Vision Grant awardees
Roanoke College and Virginia Wesleyan University each will receive a one-year Vision Grant of $25,000 to help them establish a task force, conduct strategic planning and determine priorities for initiatives that will support future internships and work-based learning opportunities for students.
Capacity-Building Grant awardees
The following institutions will each receive a one-year grant of up to $150,000 to enhance program infrastructure, improve tracking mechanisms, strengthen employer partnerships and develop a hub focused on internships and work-based learning: Christopher Newport University, James Madison University, Longwood University, Marymount University, Norfolk State University, Old Dominion University, Radford University, Richard Bland College, University of Mary Washington, University of Virginia’s College at Wise, Virginia Military Institute, Virginia State University, Virginia Tech and the College of William & Mary.
Scaling Grant awardees
George Mason University, University of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University will each receive a two-year grant of up to $250,000. These awards will support them in expanding existing programs, particularly those that can accommodate a higher volume of students and prioritize high-demand fields, such as health care and information technology.
Community College award
The Virginia Community College System will receive $1.1 million to support the establishment of a systemwide effort to improve internships and work-based learning on community college campuses. In addition, Patrick and Henry Community College and Tidewater Community College will receive one-year capacity-building grants of up to $150,000.
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Floyd Liars Contest announces winners
Three storytellers took top honors at Saturday’s Liars Contest at the June Bug Center in Floyd.
First place and $100 cash went to Paul Armstrong of Chatham. Chriss Tarantino of Roanoke County, a storytelling newcomer, took second place and $50. Leisa Thompson of Salem won third place and $25. They competed in a field of seven contestants before a live audience.
A three-judge panel gave all an ornamental golden shovel, rewarding “digging deep” for a delightfully deceptive story.
Armstrong spun a yarn called “Lessons Learned on the Farm.”
“Storytelling is life shared,” he said in a news release announcing the winners. “We get to know one another through stories.”
Tarantino told a story about a gourmet Mexican adventure, while Thompson embellished a childhood vacation, learning chores at her “Aunt Ethel’s” farm.
Clint Atwater, founder of Storytelling Connections LLC and Let Me Tell Ya! events, which produced the contest, said many in the audience drove for more than an hour to attend. “We plan to have a Liars Contest every year,” he said in the release.
The contest donated entry fee proceeds to the June Bug Center.
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Farm-to-table conference scheduled for Dec. 5-6
Registration is open for the 2024 Virginia Farm to Table Conference, Dec. 5-6 at Blue Ridge Community College’s Plecker Workforce Development Center in Weyers Cave.
This year’s conference theme is “Connecting Food, Farms and Health.” Topics will include regenerative agriculture, soil health, business marketing and promotion, market trends, and local and regional food system development.
The full conference agenda and topics can be found online.
Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Virginia Soil Health Coalition are hosting the conference in partnership with entities, including Virginia Tech’s School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Virginia Tech’s Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation, Virginia State University’s Small Farm Outreach Program and the Virginia U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Conference registration ends at noon Dec. 2. To register online, visit https://tinyurl.com/2024VAF2TConfRegistration. Cost to attend is $50 per day for the conference and $20 for the Thursday evening networking event.