WISE, VA – AUGUST 8, 2024 — An up to a $50,000 grant from the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority (VCEDA) Coalfield Workforce Development and Training Fund to be used for continued workforce development and training for high school students in the VCEDA region was closed recently for the Napoleon Hill Foundation in Wise, VA.
The funds will be used to assist with the continued development and implementation of a free online interactive course in entrepreneurial skills.
VCEDA has provided two previous grants to the Napoleon Hill Foundation for this initiative, which included a $50,000 grant approved in November 2021 and an additional $50,000 grant approved in February 2023. Both of those grants were from the VCEDA Coalfield Workforce Development and Training Fund.
Approximately 200 students have registered so far (Spring 2022 – Spring 2024) for the online course, which has surpassed its original goal of providing training for 100 students.
“The Napoleon Hill Foundation intends to build upon their prior success by continuing the initiative and hopes to register an additional 100-200 students,” said VCEDA Executive Director/General Counsel Jonathan Belcher. “Students from throughout the VCEDA region are eligible for the program which is designed to teach entrepreneurial and networking skills. Overall, the program is well-aligned with VCEDA’s seed capital program which encourages entrepreneurs in the region to pursue their goals of starting and maintaining small businesses and creating jobs.”
The course offered through the foundation, “Keys to Success,” is comprised of a series of 17 modules which students enrolled in the course can complete at their own pace and based on their own schedules. They also earn three hours of college credit upon successful completion of the class.
The Napoleon Hill Foundation, currently located on the campus of the University of Virginia’s College at Wise, is a 501c3 non-profit corporation originally formed in 1962 in South Carolina.
The foundation is named after Napoleon Hill, who was born in Wise County in 1883 and who died in 1970. His books have sold millions of copies worldwide. He is best known for his self-help book “Think and Grow Rich,” which was first published in 1937. The tenets of Hill’s writings are based upon the concepts of freedom, capitalism, democracy and harmony.
“Receiving this grant for a third year from VCEDA is a testimonial to the enduring impact and relevance of Napoleon Hill’s principles,” said Don Green, Napoleon Hill executive director/CEO. “With this support, we can continue to offer our high school students in Southwest Virginia a unique opportunity to access Napoleon Hill’s Keys to Success course at no cost. This initiative honors Hill’s legacy and empowers our young people with the tools and mindset needed for personal and professional success. We are deeply grateful for VCEDA’s continued partnership and commitment to fostering the growth and development of our future leaders.”
To learn more, interested students may visit https://www.naphill.org/keyscourse/.
About Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority and Southwest Virginia’s e-Region: The Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority, created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1988 to enhance and diversify the region’s economy and help create jobs, markets Southwest Virginia’s e-Region and its focus on electronic information technology, energy, education, emerging technologies, and entrepreneurship. VCEDA is a unique economic development organization that manages funds for economic development projects from a percentage of the coal and natural gas severance taxes paid by coal and natural gas companies that operate in the region. Located in southwestern Virginia, the region includes Buchanan, Dickenson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Tazewell, and Wise counties and the City of Norton. www.vceda.us or www.e-Region.org.