[{"id":598,"date":"2026-10-05T14:57:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T14:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/?p=598"},"modified":"2026-10-05T14:57:02","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T14:57:02","slug":"small-business-opportunity-center-joins-the-division-of-community-engagement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/2026\/10\/05\/small-business-opportunity-center-joins-the-division-of-community-engagement\/","title":{"rendered":"Small Business Opportunity Center Joins the Division of Community Engagement"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Small Business Opportunity Center <\/a>(SBOC) has joined the Division of Community Engagement, bringing its work to strengthen entrepreneurship and economic opportunity into the university\u2019s broader community engagement efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The move builds on SBOC\u2019s existing partnerships across VCU, including its continued collaboration with the VCU School of Business and the da Vinci Center for Innovation. SBOC also continues its GO Virginia-funded work supporting entrepreneurs and strengthening the small business ecosystem across Virginia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SBOC takes a holistic approach to entrepreneurship. Through training academies, one-on-one support, student-led technical assistance, seed funding, pitch competitions, research, and partnerships with organizations across the entrepreneurial ecosystem, the center helps entrepreneurs develop and grow their businesses while connecting them with additional resources and opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Connecting VCU Students, Learning and the Workforce<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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SBOC\u2019s work also creates opportunities for VCU students to apply what they are learning while supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses. Aspen Anders\u2019 path from the classroom to the workforce is one example. Anders first learned about SBOC through a VCU entrepreneurship course and later joined the center as an intern. After earning her degree in Business Management from VCU in December 2025, she joined SBOC full-time as Grant Reporting and Program Coordinator and has been accepted into VCU\u2019s MBA program.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Her experience demonstrates how classroom learning, faculty mentorship, experiential learning, and community engagement can connect to workforce development and create pathways for students to continue contributing to the communities and organizations they encountered while at VCU.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Supporting Entrepreneurs and Expanding Economic Opportunity<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The SBOC continued its work with entrepreneurs and community partners through a range of activities. The center provided one-on-one consultations to entrepreneurs seeking assistance with areas such as business planning, licensing, eVA, SWaM certification, and navigating opportunities to do business with VCU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SBOC also provided entrepreneurship training and resources to members of VA-NNAC and met with Virginia Cooperative Extension at Virginia State University to explore strategies and resources for supporting rural entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In May, SBOC partnered with Fulton Bank for \u201cIs Your Business 360 Ready?\u201d<\/strong> in Chesterfield. The event provided entrepreneurs with information and resources to strengthen their businesses. SBOC enrollee Lori Joe Brown also shared her experience and insights on leadership development and amplifying your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leadership and Partnership<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Executive Director Patrice Perry-Rivers, Ph.D<\/a>., leads the SBOC\u2019s work. An entrepreneurship scholar and higher education leader, Perry-Rivers brings experience developing university-based entrepreneurship programs and partnerships that connect higher education with entrepreneurs and communities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The SBOC will continue working with the School of Business, the da Vinci Center, students, faculty, community organizations, universities, government agencies, and entrepreneurship support organizations to expand opportunities for entrepreneurs and strengthen the communities and regions VCU serves.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Small Business Opportunity Center (SBOC) has joined the Division of Community Engagement, bringing its work to strengthen entrepreneurship and economic opportunity into the university\u2019s broader community engagement efforts. The move builds on SBOC\u2019s existing partnerships across VCU, including its continued collaboration with the VCU School of Business and the da Vinci Center for Innovation. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2466,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-598","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/598","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2466"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=598"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/598\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":691,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/598\/revisions\/691"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=598"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=598"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=598"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":632,"date":"2026-10-05T14:56:31","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T14:56:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/?p=632"},"modified":"2026-10-05T14:56:33","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T14:56:33","slug":"thriving-communities-research-pilot-grant-impact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/2026\/10\/05\/thriving-communities-research-pilot-grant-impact\/","title":{"rendered":"Thriving Communities Research Pilot Grant: Impact"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Investing in the Starting Point of Community-Engaged Research<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every impactful community-engaged research project has to start somewhere. Sometimes, it starts with a conversation, a question, or a community-identified need that does not yet have an easy answer. The Thriving Communities Research Pilot Grant<\/strong> <\/a>was developed to support that starting point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meaningful partnerships take time to build, and the best solutions are often developed with communities, not simply for them. Thriving Communities creates space for VCU researchers and community organizations to learn from one another while building relationships, generating preliminary data, and gaining early insights that can help promising ideas grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each month, DCE <\/a>will feature a past Thriving Communities grantee and hear directly from the faculty member about what the funding made possible, how partnerships shaped the work, and what they learned along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This Month: Radhika Barua, Ph.D.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Radhika Barua, Ph.D<\/a>., associate professor in VCU’s College of Engineering, served as principal investigator for AI for Thriving Communities: Enhancing Educational Outcomes Through AI Learning Support<\/strong>. The project brought together faculty, students, and community partners to examine how hands-on AI learning can influence teaching practices and student engagement. The study explores how AI training influences teachers’ confidence, perceptions, and use of AI, and how AI-based learning experiences affect student engagement and learning.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The interdisciplinary partnership included John Fife, Ph.D<\/a>., director of VCU’s Center for Innovation<\/a> in STEM Education in the School of Education, as well as community partners AI Ready RVA and the Richmond Institute of Technology and Science. VCU graduate and undergraduate students also contributed to the research and implementation of the project.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We asked Dr. Barua to reflect on the project, the partnerships, and what the Thriving Communities grant made possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here is what she shared.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

What did the Thriving Communities grant allow you and your partners to do?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The grant helped us take AI education beyond the university and put it into practice with teachers and students. We held a free, 10-hour workshop attended by 146 teachers and worked with RITS on a 40-hour summer camp. The grant also supported 17 camp scholarships, allowing about a third of the campers to attend on scholarship. Those are opportunities we would have had a much harder time offering without this support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did the partnerships shape the work?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My research group developed the educational material, but we needed community partners to help put it to use. AI Ready RVA connected the project to its broader work on AI literacy in the Richmond region, and working with the newly formed RITS helped us bring hands-on activities to students. At VCU, Dr. John Fife<\/a> and the Center for Innovation in STEM Education brought expertise in education research. Margaret Gatongi, a graduate student on Dr. Fife’s team, deserves special credit for developing the surveys and leading the data work. Each partner contributed something we could not have supplied alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How has this work influenced your research or teaching, and where might it lead?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The workshops and camp became part of an IRB-approved study of how teachers and students experience AI. One question I keep coming back to is what helps teachers feel prepared to use these tools thoughtfully in their work. Our team has already published an ASEE conference paper using responses from 121 teachers to develop a shorter survey of teachers’ AI knowledge and trust. I hope we can use what we learn from the study to make future programs more useful to the educators and students taking part.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Were students involved, and what did they gain?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes. Fifty middle and high school campers took part in the study. At camp, students built custom AI chatbots, worked with Raspberry Pi computers, developed projects using AI and design thinking, and presented their ideas. They also debated the ethics of AI use in school. I think that combination, making something themselves and asking when it should be used, is especially valuable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

VCU<\/a> students contributed to the research as well. Margaret led the survey and data work, and an undergraduate student helped with research and program coordination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What else would you like people to know?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The grant supported details that can make a real difference to participation: a free workshop, lunch for teachers, and scholarships for campers. It also gave a new community partnership room to grow and gave us a way to study what people learned from the experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is what I appreciate about community-engaged research: we could offer something useful now and let what we heard from teachers and students guide what we do next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Investing in the Starting Point of Community-Engaged Research Every impactful community-engaged research project has to start somewhere. Sometimes, it starts with a conversation, a question, or a community-identified need that does not yet have an easy answer. The Thriving Communities Research Pilot Grant was developed to support that starting point. Meaningful partnerships take time to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2466,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-632","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/632","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2466"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=632"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/632\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":690,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/632\/revisions\/690"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=632"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=632"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=632"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":597,"date":"2026-10-05T14:55:13","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T14:55:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/?p=597"},"modified":"2026-10-05T14:55:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T14:55:13","slug":"student-engagement-across-dce","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/2026\/10\/05\/student-engagement-across-dce\/","title":{"rendered":"Student Engagement Across DCE"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From the Classroom to the Community<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This fall, the Hub is home to four academic interns, including three School of Social Work field placements and one HPEX student, as well as a student employee. In partnership with the School of Social Work Evaluation Lab<\/a>, the student will spend the academic year helping tell the story of the Hub’s impact on community wellness through its data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The learning doesn’t stop there. Dental hygiene students are bringing service-learning projects to the Hub, while graduate students participating in VCU’s Vertically Integrated Projects program are working across mental health disciplines on a community-located mental health hub.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Together, these experiences make the Health Hub<\/a> a place where students, faculty, and community come together to learn, contribute, and put ideas into action.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

From the Classroom to the Workforce<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Aspen Anders<\/strong> first learned about the Small Business Opportunity Center<\/a> in a VCU entrepreneurship class taught by Dr. Patrice Perry-Rivers. Interested in the work, she joined SBOC as a student intern and gained hands-on experience supporting its programs, events, and communications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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After earning her B.A. in Management from VCU in fall 2025, Aspen moved from intern to full-time Grant Reporting and Program Coordinator with SBOC. She is also pursuing her MBA at VCU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her journey is a great example of what can happen when classroom learning, faculty mentorship, and real-world experience come together. With Dr. Perry-Rivers’ mentorship, an opportunity that started in the classroom became a pathway to a career. Now, Aspen is helping create opportunities for entrepreneurs and communities through the very initiative she first encountered as a VCU student.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The SBOC gives so much to the community and is truly an amazing organization that can help so many small business owners,” Anders said. “I always recommend the center to anyone I know that is pursuing opening a small business.”<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Learning Through Community <\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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For VCU senior Cynara Manley,<\/strong> working at the Mary and Frances Youth Center<\/a> has become more than a student job. Now in her second year as a Lead After-School Program Counselor, the Health and Physical Education major works directly with young people while gaining experience that is helping shape what she wants to do after graduation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I love the MFYC because it allows me to work and connect with children in the community one-on-one while learning who I am and what I want to continue to do in life”, Cynara says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her experience is one example of how VCU students can learn through meaningful work in community settings while contributing their own talents. Cynara is also expanding that experience as a newly accepted GivePulse Student Ambassador.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And when she is not studying or working with youth, Cynara runs her own baking business, Cynful Sweets.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From the Classroom to the Community This fall, the Hub is home to four academic interns, including three School of Social Work field placements and one HPEX student, as well as a student employee. In partnership with the School of Social Work Evaluation Lab, the student will spend the academic year helping tell the story […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2466,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-597","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/597","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2466"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=597"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/597\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":692,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/597\/revisions\/692"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=597"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=597"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=597"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":563,"date":"2026-09-04T17:32:47","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T17:32:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/?p=563"},"modified":"2026-09-04T17:32:48","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T17:32:48","slug":"black-and-gold-welcome-vcu-volunteers-cheer-carver-students-into-a-new-school-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/2026\/09\/04\/black-and-gold-welcome-vcu-volunteers-cheer-carver-students-into-a-new-school-year\/","title":{"rendered":"Black and Gold Welcome: VCU Volunteers Cheer Carver Students into a New School Year"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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As students arrived at George Washington Carver Elementary School for the first day of classes, they were greeted by VCU students, faculty, staff and community partners cheering them on. The celebration was a visible reminder of a relationship between VCU and Carver that extends well beyond the first day of school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For VCU Senior Manager for Civic Innovation and Partnerships Verenda Cobbs, Spirit Day is one way of showing what it means to sustain a community partnership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVCU has a longstanding relationship with George Washington Carver Elementary School,\u201d Cobbs said. \u201cIt goes way back before Katrina and I started working in this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year, VCU and Carver partnered on welcome-back activities during the first week of school. This year, the partners expanded that effort with another Spirit Day, bringing together VCU volunteers and community organizations to welcome students, families, faculty and staff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But for Cobbs, the partnership is about more than a single event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI believe VCU has a unique opportunity to wrap our arms around Carver, not just to be a support but also show up in presence,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That presence can take many forms, from volunteer engagement and student activities to creating opportunities for Carver students and families to connect with VCU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Katrina Jackson, a Richmond Public Schools representative, said partnerships like the one with VCU can expose young students to experiences and possibilities they may not otherwise encounter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think VCU plays a role not only in mentoring and tutoring students but showing kids that they have a chance to do other things as far as going to college, being student athletes,\u201d Jackson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the first morning of school, Jackson could see that excitement as students arrived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSeeing the smiles on their faces when they are getting off the bus and jumping out of the cars before their parents can open their doors, the kids were looking forward to the new year,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The relationship also creates opportunities for VCU students to engage with the Richmond community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Niyah Shorts, a VCU student volunteer, participated in Spirit Day for the second year. Her connection to Carver extends beyond the event through her work with Ladies Leading Legacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI decided to help volunteer for VCU Spirit Day at Carver Elementary because not only did I do it last year, but I\u2019ve worked directly with them through my organization,\u201d Shorts said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Shorts, volunteering is also about reciprocity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy biggest thing is giving back to the community that poured directly into me and my studies,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That idea of showing up for one another is at the heart of the VCU-Carver relationship. Spirit Day may last only one morning, but it is part of a broader partnership built through continued presence, student engagement and opportunities to connect VCU and Carver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jackson hopes that relationship will continue to grow through activities such as reading buddies, field days and other opportunities that bring VCU and Carver students together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI see a great future between VCU and Carver,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Editorial note:<\/strong>\u00a0Generative AI was used to assist with editing and refinement of the original draft. The final content was reviewed and approved by the Division of Community Engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As students arrived at George Washington Carver Elementary School for the first day of classes, they were greeted by VCU students, faculty, staff and community partners cheering them on. The celebration was a visible reminder of a relationship between VCU and Carver that extends well beyond the first day of school. For VCU Senior Manager […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2466,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-563","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/563","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2466"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=563"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/563\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":585,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/563\/revisions\/585"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=563"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=563"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=563"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":528,"date":"2026-06-25T20:43:45","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T20:43:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/?p=528"},"modified":"2026-06-25T20:43:46","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T20:43:46","slug":"investing-in-community-innovation-how-the-division-of-community-engagements-seed-grants-create-lasting-impact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.vcu.edu\/engagevcu\/2026\/06\/25\/investing-in-community-innovation-how-the-division-of-community-engagements-seed-grants-create-lasting-impact\/","title":{"rendered":"Investing in Community Innovation: How the Division of Community Engagement’s Seed Grants Create Lasting Impact"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Strong communities are built by organizations that understand the unique needs of the people they serve. Through its Seed Grant Programs, the Division of Community Engagement helps turn innovative ideas into meaningful action by investing directly in community-led solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Division currently offers two funding opportunities:<\/p>\n\n\n\n