The EdVenture Group has been awarded a $50,000 grant from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation to support Future Ready Families, a new initiative aimed at fostering early career awareness and exploration for West Virginia students and their families.
The Future Ready Families (FRF) initiative seeks to introduce students in grades 3–5 to high-growth industries aligned with West Virginia’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs and middle school “Discover Your Future” efforts. The initiative also provides K–12 schools with resources to engage families in supporting career exploration and informed decision-making.
Future Ready Families is driven by two core objectives:
Student Career Exploration – Exposing elementary students to in-demand career pathways through hands-on, developmentally appropriate learning experiences.
Family Engagement – Equipping families with tools and resources to better understand and support CTE pathways and their long-term benefits
The Future Ready Families initiative represents a powerful opportunity to plan the seeds of career awareness early - empowering both students and families to explore their future with confidence and purpose. We are incredibly grateful to receive this support from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation to make this initiative possible.
With funding from the Benedum Foundation, The EdVenture Group will implement several strategic components of the FRF initiative, including:
Career Exploration Stations – Portable, interactive displays and materials for schools to introduce students to key sectors such as healthcare, technology, skilled trades, and manufacturing.
Career Passport Program – A structured tool for students to document and reflect on their career exploration activities throughout the year.
CTE for Me Awareness Campaign – A statewide effort to raise awareness and enthusiasm for CTE options, with targeted messaging for students and families.
Family CTE Toolkits and Workshops – Culturally responsive resources and facilitated sessions to help families actively support career exploration and planning.
The initiative aligns with West Virginia’s broader education and workforce goals by creating a strong foundation for lifelong career readiness and informed choices among students and their support networks.
For more information about The EdVenture Group or the Future Ready Families initiative, please contact Amber Ravenscroft at aravenscroft@edvgroup.org.
