Prestonsburg, KY — Faculty members of Big Sandy Community and Technical College and Allen Elementary (AES) middle school students are spending time together exploring career options in beyond typical career conversations. “My Future Fridays” is a creative collaboration that began with Principal Mike Bell and BSCTC faculty Melissa Skeens to provide hands-on activities and discussions/trainings so that students gain a better understanding of the ins and outs of certain professions. During the two-hour Friday sessions, students investigate a career field with an expert. Programming thus far has focused on respiratory therapy, dental hygiene, nursing, economics, and information technology. Future plans of the program include criminal justice, biology, chemistry, and human services. The future of “Future Fridays” will include “take-aways” or projects created during the instructional sessions. For now, faculty of BSCTC are focused on providing portable laboratories, i.e., machines, mannequins, equipment in the respective field for students to experience firsthand. BSCTC plans to hold an end-of-the-year celebration of the work that has been done together.