Foundation Programs
The Foundation administers several programs throughout the year that provide support and recognition to students, faculty and staff. Your donation makes these programs possible.
Scholarships
From need- and achievement-based scholarships to those designed for students in specific majors or from certain counties, Brightpoint scholarships can help students discover what’s Next Up for them.
Establishing a Scholarship
Discover how you can make a difference in the lives of our students by establishing a scholarship.
Art Award
Each year the Foundation sponsors an art competition to recognize the artistic talents of Brightpoint’s students. Once the winning entry is chosen by members of the Foundation Board, an image of it is converted into posters and note cards which are used extensively by the Foundation and the college. Award winners receive a financial award and a framed and matted copy of the poster, as well as copies suitable for portfolio display.
Impact Grants
The Impact Grants Program helps Brightpoint faculty and staff develop projects and programs that advance Brightpoint’s mission and support student success. These grants allow faculty and staff to launch projects and pilot initiatives when other funding resources are unavailable.
Past recipients have designed new courses, purchased equipment to enhance student learning, and planned campus-wide events.
Impact Grants in Action
Wacom Tablets
When Brightpoint began offering more online courses in 2020, one instructor discovered a particular technological challenge among his students. Mathematics Professor Chris Eliot noticed that disciplines like mathematics, science, engineering, and art depend on specialized symbols, diagrams, and other visual representations, which are not easily created using a standard keyboard.
So Chris applied for a Brightpoint Foundation Impact Grant to support the purchasing of Wacom Intuos Graphic Drawing Tablets for students.
By providing students with Wacom Intuos Graphic Drawing Tablets, I aim to enhance the quality of their note-taking and make completing assignments across multiple disciplines more efficient and accessible.
Mathematics Professor
And the tablets have been a huge hit, according to Library Associate Rebeca Parrott, who helps manage the technology loaning program at Brighpoint.
We have routinely loaned out all—or nearly all—the available Wacom tablets throughout the semester. Students who use them are often excited to reuse them for future classes.
Library Associate
Field Trips
After bringing students in her English Composition Readiness classes to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) and receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback, Victoria Brame, Associate Professor of English at Brightpoint, knew the enriching experience needed to be offered again. But this time, she wanted her students to see an inspiring special exhibition in addition to the permanent collections.
Eager to pursue this opportunity for her Spring 2025 class, Professor Brame applied for a Brightpoint Foundation Impact Grant (known then as an Innovation Grant). After receiving the grant, she was able to bring her students to the VMFA’s special exhibition, "Frida: Beyond the Myth," a perfect complement to a class assignment focused on analyzing and writing about two of Frida Kahlo’s iconic paintings.
Thanks to the grant, students were able to:
- Explore the museum’s galleries
- Participate in an educator-led tour of the Frida Kahlo exhibition
- Experience Kahlo’s work firsthand
- Receive a student membership to the VMFA for continued access and inspiration
These field trips are one of the highlights of my 24 years at Brightpoint. Thanks to the Foundation, students enjoyed the Frida exhibit and returned to the VMFA on their own. It's the grant that keeps on giving!
Associate Professor of English
