Orchard is an AI-powered career readiness platform designed to help students navigate their future in a rapidly changing job market influenced by artificial intelligence. The platform serves as a bridge between students' current educational paths and informed career decisions, providing them with the tools to explore various career options aligned with the future economy. Orchard features Orchie, an AI career buddy that guides students through the exploration process, making career planning more accessible and engaging. The platform addresses the challenge many students face when planning their futures, especially with the rise of AI transforming traditional career paths and creating uncertainty about which skills will remain relevant.

The key capabilities of Orchard include personalized career exploration, AI-guided discovery, and actionable planning tools that help students build confidence in their future choices. The platform offers fun exploration through videos and interactive questions, making career discovery engaging and accessible for teens. Orchard provides clear next steps by helping students build action plans that can guide conversations with parents or counselors. For educators, Orchard delivers scalable solutions that can be integrated across classrooms or entire districts, time-saving tools including ready-to-use lesson plans, and data-driven guidance that tracks student engagement and interests to inform advising and individualized graduation plans. The platform effectively combines AI tools with the emotional intelligence of school counselors, with 85% of students preferring this blended approach.

Implementation in schools follows a simple path from exploration to action. Students first meet Orchie, their AI career buddy, through a quick introductory lesson that can be conducted at school or at home. They then explore careers at their own pace, discovering and comparing options while watching engaging career spotlights and reflecting on what feels like a good fit. With Orchie's guidance, students develop education plans by thinking through why certain careers interest them, what skills they bring, and what education or training they might need. Finally, students generate shareable action plans that summarize their top careers and goals, providing educators and parents with visibility into student interests and aspirations. This structured approach allows schools to scale career guidance efforts efficiently while providing personalized support to each student.