August 19, 2024
PRESS RELEASE
Chicago, IL – Hats & Ladders, an innovative educational technology company transforming how students prepare for their careers, is excited to announce a renewal of its partnership with CPS. This collaboration enhances CPS’ existing career readiness initiatives by providing students with a dynamic, personalized platform for career exploration and planning, fostering a deeper understanding of their options and the steps needed to achieve their goals.
“Given rapidly evolving technologies, a changing job market, and new requirements for skills like critical thinking and adaptability, the need for effective career preparation has never been greater,” said Pedro Martinez, CEO of Chicago Public Schools. “With the right tools and guidance, our students can discover their passions, build essential skills, and chart a course toward a fulfilling future.”
Hats & Ladders is reimagining career education for Gen Z and Gen Alpha by moving beyond static assessments and one-size-fits-all plans. Our personalized, gamified platform guides students from career curiosity to a dynamic post-secondary plan that adapts and grows alongside their evolving interests and experiences.
Using Hats & Ladders, youth explore a wide range of high-growth careers, complete interest and vocational assessments, and experiment with careers of interest by trying on “Hats”—building occupational knowledge and testing the waters by building related skills. As students progress, their career plans dynamically update, reflecting their newfound knowledge and evolving aspirations. These action steps include concrete strategies for overcoming barriers, building critical skills, and gaining real-world experience through job shadowing, part-time work, or internships.
“Many career plans are still the same fill-in-the-blank activities that have been used for decades,” says Leah Potter, President and Co-Founder of Hats & Ladders. “We encourage students to actively consider—and keep considering—multiple pathways. Through interactive assessments, personalized recommendations, and practice goal setting, students develop the career self-efficacy needed to confidently take action.”
This focus on continuous exploration and adaptation aligns perfectly with CPS’ Learn.Plan.Succeed. initiative, which requires all seniors to submit evidence of their postsecondary plans. With Hats & Ladders, students can start this process much earlier, refining their career plans as they gain experience and explore their options.
Serving over 325,000 students, CPS is one of the nation’s largest school districts. This expanded partnership with Hats & Ladders represents a significant investment in the future of Chicagoland students, empowering them to navigate the complexities of the modern workforce and achieve their full potential.
Hats & Ladders has been instrumental in fostering student engagement and ownership over their career journeys
Maria Lopez