FLOTUS'S FAVORITE: What's the First Lady's favorite edtech tool? Today, it's likely ThinkZone Games, the grand prize winner of the Reach Higher Career App Challenge. In a video released on YouTube, the First Lady describes how ThinkZone's Hats & Ladders app caught her and the judges' eye: "Their game-based app—Hats & Ladders—helps middle and high school students explore a variety of careers through self-assessments, fun activities, and mini-challenges. It's a cool, exciting app that will open up a whole new world for our young people."
The Reach Higher Career App Challenge, launched in the fall of 2015, announced five finalists back in May. Though only one winner was chosen, FLOTUS described in today's video that this challenge was meant to do more than just crown a winner—rather, she hoped that it would help students find tech tools that "teach cutting-edge skills." Sometimes, "it's hard for students to navigate all those opportunities and find the right fit," she says.