Dominion Foundation provides $500,000 grant for rural education program

The Dominion Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Richmond-based Dominion Resources, has given a $500,000 grant to the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education  (VFCCE)  for its  Rural Virginia Horseshoe Initiative.

“This significant investment from the Dominion Foundation will be used to further the mission of the Rural Virginia Horseshoe Initiative, which aims to transform Virginia’s rural communities through higher education and 21st century job skills,” former Gov. Gerald L. Baliles, the chairman of the  VFCCE, said in a statement.

Rural Virginia Horseshoe Initiative is named for the horseshoe-shaped arc that is formed when the colleges in rural regions of Virginia are marked on a map.
Initiative goals include cutting in half the number of rural residents without a high school diploma and doubling the percentage of people in rural areas who hold post-secondary credentials.

One programs called Career Coaches helps high school students pursue college and career plans while still in high school. Another program, the GED Initiative, encourages high school dropouts to return for their GED with the knowledge that a community college scholarship is waiting for them upon completion of the GED.

Seven of Virginia’s 14 rural community colleges are engaged in the Rural Virginia Horseshoe Initiative’s pilot program.

They include: Blue Ridge Community College in Weyers Cave; Dabney S. Lancaster Community College in Clifton Forge; Danville Community College; Eastern Shore Community College in Melfa; New River Community College in Dublin; Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville; and Paul D. Camp Community College in Franklin.