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Future Ready Families

Connecting students and families to hands-on career exploration and K–12 pathways across West Virginia.

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Early career exploration for WV students and families — gamified learning, family toolkits, and community workshops designed to strengthen family relationships while building future-ready skills together.

Core Program Areas

Our four program areas work together to build a clear, supportive pathway — introducing careers early, developing transferable skills over time, and strengthening the family’s role as a powerful partner in every student’s future.

Early Exposure

Spark curiosity early.

Students explore high-growth industries and see real, age-appropriate examples of work. This builds a foundation for career awareness long before course scheduling even starts.

Skill Building

Practice the habits that matter.

Students apply transferable skills inside hands-on learning activities designed to build lifelong readiness.

Family Engagement

Bring learning home.

Students share, reflect, and track their growth with families — making conversations about “future pathways” natural, ongoing, and grounded in what students actually experience.

Future Showcase

Present, celebrate, and plan forward.

Students demonstrate what they’ve learned, make connections, and set next steps — leaving with a sense of momentum and direction for what comes next.

Career Pathways

Get a taste of the hands-on, engaging pathways that show how skills you learn today—like problem-solving, communication, and empathy—translate into real-world careers

Healthcare
Explore caring careers like nursing, counseling, or social work! Practice empathy through role-play and see how small actions make a big impact in helping others.
Financial Services
Dive into careers like banking, accounting, or financial planning! Practice attention to detail with fun money challenges, double-check calculations, and see how accuracy can make a real difference in people’s lives.
Agriculture
Step into the world of farming, veterinary work, and forestry! Practice situational awareness with an ‘Awareness Walk,’ spot safety hazards, and observe your surroundings like a pro. Learn how paying attention helps farmers, vets, and gardeners keep people, animals, and crops safe and thriving!
Advanced Manufacturing
Step into the world of making and problem-solving! Tackle hands-on challenges, brainstorm quick fixes, and see how engineers, technicians, and designers keep machines and products running smoothly. Learn how creative solutions make the workplace safer and smarter!
Marketing & Sales
Pitch it, persuade it, sell it! Practice quick, creative sales pitches and learn how clear, confident communication can convince others. Discover how marketing pros and sales experts turn ideas into action and get people excited about products and services!
Arts, Entertainment & Design
Students explore creativity by turning everyday objects into five new inventions, choosing their favorite, and sharing it with the class. This hands-on activity shows how imagination and originality drive creative careers.
Education
Students practice empathy by acting out everyday scenarios, identifying emotions, and exploring how kind, supportive actions—from teachers to counselors—can make a meaningful difference in building strong, caring communities.
Information Technology
Students explore digital literacy and problem-solving by tackling fun technology challenges. Through hands-on stations, they practice troubleshooting, trying multiple solutions, and learning from peers - showing how creativity and persistence help solve real-world tech problems.
Energy & Natural Resources
Students explore systems thinking by discovering how natural resources like water, wind, and plants work together, underlining the need for workers who can leverage Earth’s resources wisely to protect the environment.
Hospitality, Events & Tourism
Students learn the power of collaboration by planning, sharing ideas, and dividing tasks in a hands-on “tower-building” challenge. They see how teamwork makes projects easier — like how hotel staff, event planners, tour guides, and restaurant teams work together to ensure events run smoothly, and experiences are memorable.
Management & Entrepreneurship
Students explore leadership and initiative by guiding classmates through fun challenges, making decisions, and helping groups work together. They see how stepping up—without waiting to be told—keeps projects organized and everyone included.
Public Service & Safety
Students practice responsibility and reliability by making safe choices, following rules, and being someone others can count on. Through role-play and discussion, they see how dependable actions protect everyone.
Supply Chain & Transportation
Students practice organization and time management by planning tasks and finishing them on schedule. Through fun activities, they see how planning ahead saves time and prevents mistakes.
Construction
Students practice thinking ahead and planning by mapping out steps to complete tasks successfully, like designing and testing a paper airplane. They learn how planning helps avoid mistakes, stay calm, and work efficiently.

Turning Career Exploration into Real Opportunities

Exploration Stations

Hands-on career discovery.

Students participate in interactive, age-appropriate activities that introduce them to a variety of careers while building essential transferable skills. Each station shows how these skills apply to real-world jobs, inspiring curiosity and helping students envision future opportunities.

Passport Portfolio

Reflect and track progress.

Students document their learning and growth after each Exploration Station, collecting stamps and reflecting on key skills. This portfolio connects students with families, reinforces career exploration at home, and prepares them to showcase their achievements and future goals.

Future Ready Fair

Showcase skills and aspirations.

Students present what they’ve learned highlighting careers and skills they explored. This event builds confidence, strengthens communication skills, and engages families in celebrating students’ achievements and future potential.

Guide & Lessons

Your Guide for Delivery

Download the full Facilitator Guide to access step-by-step instructions, materials lists, and ready-to-use lesson supports—including reference slides that accompany Intro Lesson 2: Jobs of the Past.

 

Our Partners

Future Ready Families is powered by The EdVenture Group, WVDE, Benedum Foundation and input from industry experts and alignment with WV CTE pathways, this partnership delivers student and family career resources, the Career Passport program, and experiential learning, creating a community-centered approach to early career exploration and workforce readiness.

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For more info contact:

peyton smith

program coordinator

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stay updated:

Suite 1205 Two Waterfront Place
Morgantown, WV 26501
304-296-9021

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©2025 The EdVenture Group
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