Longwood University
03/09/2026 | Press release | Archived content
Longwood awarded $250,000 grant to further enhance career readiness initiatives
Longwood's Office of Alumni and Career Success was recently awarded a $250,000 grant from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) that will be used to further enhance and expand the university's internship and work-based learning infrastructure.
The scaling grant-awarded on behalf of the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (V-TOP)-will be used to fund a two-year initiative that will transform career development for all students through the comprehensive expansion of work-based learning opportunities.
The latest grant builds on successful projects previously funded by V-TOP grants. In 2024, Longwood received three grants totalling $350,000 for initiatives to support and improve student participation in internships, specifically paid opportunities, and experiential learning.
The $250,000 grant will be used to establish an Internship Support Hub, which will be a coordination point for work-based learning, and will elevate and expand two support positions within Longwood's Center for Career Success. V-TOP is a partnership between SCHEV and the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, and is funded through the Commonwealth Innovative Internship Fund.
This continued investment affirms Longwood's commitment to ensuring that students have access to meaningful, high-quality work-based learning experiences.
Dr. Elizabeth Narehood, senior director of career and professional engagement"This continued investment affirms Longwood's commitment to ensuring that students have access to meaningful, high-quality work-based learning experiences," said Dr. Elizabeth Narehood, senior director of career and professional engagement. "Through the generous support of SCHEV and V-TOP, we are building the infrastructure to scale internships and other hands-on opportunities in ways that are sustainable, equitable and impactful."
The grant funds will also be used to pilot a comprehensive internship tracking platform, centralize and strengthen employer partnership data and build a scalable career pathway framework. This framework will intentionally guide students from Orientation through Commencement, connecting them to progressively immersive work-based learning experiences, from job shadowing and micro-internship to fully developed traditional internships.
Longwood is putting an increased emphasis on post-graduate success as part of the Post-Graduate Success Initiative, the university's Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP). Longwood is committed to empowering students for life after they receive their undergraduate degree, with a goal of guiding students in choosing and completing work-based learning experiences that directly contribute to their post-graduate success.
Longwood's Office of Research, Grants and Sponsored Projects (ORGSP) played a key role in assisting with the grant proposal. The ORGSP provides support to university faculty and staff interested in obtaining external funding for their research and scholarly and creative activities.
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