The road to success can be a long one, one where the destination is sometimes hazy. Today, mapping where  you need to go is as easy as entering your destination into a phone, but what about mapping your future?  It’s never been easier using the Claim Your Future game provided by Illinois Student Assistance Commission,  at isac.claimyourfuture.com! Or you can use Career Coach, the free career exploration and planning game  provided by Illinois Central College. Answer some simple questions, get matched to a career, and find the right  college program for you! Check it out today to start planning at icc.emsicc.com

Wondering what kind of money you’ll make with the level of postsecondary education you’re planning to pursue? Use this simulation to see what people with your expected level of education and course of study are making in central IL! Visit www.ilhighschool2career.com to get started.

As you get ready for high school, it’s important to have a plan, and the folks at the Illinois Student Assistance  Commission have prepared a checklist to lay out things you can do each year of high school to prepare for college. Learn what you should be doing each year of high school here.

Picking the right college can be challenging, but the best way to start is by finding what you enjoy, what interests you, and what you’re good at. When you’ve done that, College Greenlight can help you find the college that’s the best match for your skills, your plan, and your budget. Visit College Greenlight at www. collegegreenlight.com to get started today!

Start learning about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid with help from Illinois Central College’s  Financial Aid TV service. This service offers the ability to talk with financial aid counselors on-demand, via internet chat, email, or phone to help you navigate the college exploration process. You can also watch videos to learn about financial aid options and how they all work. Visit icc.financialaidtv.com to start learning today!

You want a bright future, but how do you make it a reality? Through JA Connect™ interactive self-paced learning activities and resources, you will develop the skills, attitudes, and behaviors necessary to ensure you are career and workforce-ready, financially capable, and entrepreneurially minded.

The O*NET Interest Profiler is an interactive tool for job seekers and students to learn more about their career options. My Next Move has tasks, skills, salary information, and more for over 900 different careers.

This book gives timeless advice, up-to-the-minute insights. With more than ten million copies sold over fifty years, the world’s most popular and best-selling career guide is fully revised and expanded for 2021. You can access it here.

This website offers free personality and aptitude tests to help determine your personality type, talents, career interests and more! Learn more at www.truity.com.

StrengthsExplorer outlines the 10 possible Talent Themes in the Strengths Explorer framework and contains links to resources that parents can use to develop their children. Learn more at strengthsschool.com.

The Highlands Ability Battery (HAB) is a human assessment tool that objectively measures your natural abilities by asking you to perform specific tasks or exercises. As part of the Highlands Whole Person Model, the HAB is the foundation and starting point to identify the career-best suited for you. The HAB was founded on the work of research scientist Johnson O’Connor, who devoted his life to the study of human engineering. You can find more information at https://www.highlandsco.com/

Your guidance counselor can help you connect with programs and paths that match your interests. Talk to your parents about their career journey. You may be surprised to find where they started out!