Accessibility-focused construction projects kick off at Virginia Tech this month; more …

Here is a summary of letters of formation from the Southwest and Southside:
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Accessible building projects begin this month at Virginia Tech
Construction of the first in a series of mobility and accessibility improvements will begin this month at Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg campus, the school has announced.
According to a press release, the project aims to improve mobility, access, inclusion and collaboration in some of the busiest areas of the campus.
“Ensuring accessibility throughout the campus environment is critical not only to the long-term success of Virginia Tech and its community services, but also to the daily interactions of the thousands of hokies that traverse campus,” said Liza Morris, Deputy Vice President for Planning and University Architect said in the press release. “These projects are critical components of a larger solution package aimed at creating new accessible pathways or connecting existing ones in this topographically challenging area of ​​the campus.”
The first part of the project will create an accessible path in the North Academic District with two interconnected elevator towers. A tower will be located on the north side of Derring Hall and will transport users from the Perry Street level of the campus to the intermediate level of Derring and Cowgill Hall. The second is on the northwest side of the G. Burke Johnston Student Center and takes users from the middle level to the Burruss Hall level and Burchard Plaza.
Construction work on the elevator towers is scheduled to be completed in spring 2024.
Remaining mobility and accessibility priorities include two additional routes that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, from the Multi-Modal Transit Facility to Cowgill Hall and on the east side of Burruss Hall to Drillfield and from Drillfield to Holden Hall.
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The Patrick & Henry Community College Foundation is accepting applications for the Patrick & Henry Scholars and Commonwealth Legacy Scholarship.
Each year, up to 10 local high school graduates are selected to become Patrick & Henry Scholars, receiving a stipend to cover tuition, textbooks, and fees for up to two years of study.
To be eligible for the scholarship, students must have a high school GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Must be a graduate of a local high school or have completed a homeschool degree program. Scholarship recipients are selected for their academic excellence, civic engagement, and leadership potential. Graduates of homeschool programs must be at least 17 years old at the time of application and reside in the P&HCC service region.
Upon acceptance, grantees must have a 3.0 GPA and be full-time students (enrolled in at least 12 credit hours) at P&HCC. They are also expected to participate in two extracurricular activities per semester and accumulate 10 volunteer service hours each semester.
Students applying for the Patrick & Henry Scholars Award will automatically be considered for the Commonwealth Legacy Scholarship. One outstanding student from each Virginia community college is selected to receive this award, established by the Virginia Community College System and sponsored by the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education.
Students can apply online at www.patrickhenry.edu/scholarships. For more information, contact Letitia Pulliam at the Patrick & Henry Community College Foundation office at 276-656-0250 or [email protected]
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Liberty University opens the Chaplains Museum in a new location
Established in 2005, Liberty University’s Chaplains Museum reopens to the public in a new location on Friday.
The museum will be hosting an open house from 1pm to 5pm at its new location on the terrace level of the Jerry Falwell Library.
Since the museum was founded by the late English professor Kenny Rowlette and a group of interested community members, it has occupied several different locations on campus. While originally focused solely on Civil War chaplains, its scope has grown.
“We’re retaining the themes of the original museum and adding new material to include clergymen from across the US military conflicts,” said Donna Davis Donald, history professor and Liberty director of public history initiatives. “We will have many Civil War items and Civil War stories, but we are working on adding more items and developing interpretations for other wars.”
Visitors will find exhibits on the history of pastoral care; documents and items relating to ministers, including Bibles, hymnals, tracts and photographs; and information on chaplains’ battlefield ministry, diversity in chaplaincy, and ministry in hospitals and prisons.
Students from the history department and other academic programs were involved in creating the exhibits and conducting research through class projects or individual work. The museum is run by student employees.
The Kaplan Museum is open Monday to Friday from 12:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. For more information, visit chaplainsmuseum.org, call 434-582-7090, or email [email protected] For information on donating photos or documents related to chaplains, email [email protected]
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The Roanoke Library hosts the HBCU College Fair
The Melrose Branch Library in Roanoke will host a college and resource fair on February 4 that will focus on historically black colleges and universities.
The event will run from 10am to 2pm and will feature Roanoke native Robert Mason, author of Get Educated: The Man Behind the Common Black College Application.
The fair begins with a reception with guest speakers. Attendees will then have time to visit HBCU representatives, community partners and city officials. The first 100 in attendance will receive a free copy of Mason’s book.
Students who attend receive a promo code that allows them to apply to 67 HBCUs at once, and they can complete the application at the library for free.
For more information, call 540-853-2648.
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NRCC offers free health screeningsCOVID shots
New River Community College Nursing Practice students will host a “Love Your Health” event on February 15-17.
NRCC practical nursing students will operate multiple stations offering health information, educational games for children, vital checks and COVID-19 vaccinations.
The event is free and open to the public and takes place daily from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Uptown Christiansburg Mall. For more information, contact Misty Rice, Associate Professor of Nursing, at [email protected] or 540-674-3600 ext. 4349.