History/Timeline

2006: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) and Cincinnati Arts and Technology Studios create the Children’s Hospital Program to give high school students an opportunity to apply for patient-attendant positions at CCHMC, with full benefits and tuition assistance following graduation.

2006-2009: CATS and CCHMC begin to identify the disadvantages many urban teens face after graduation and develop support methods focused on helping students overcome obstacles and launch successful careers. 

2010: Looking to address the severe shortage of health care workers projected in coming years, Leadership Cincinnati Class #33 partnered with CATS and CCHMC to increase the program’s scalability, sustainability and positive outcomes. The enhanced program is named “Bridging the Gap.”

2011: Bridging the Gap is awarded a $150,000 grant from the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Social Innovation Fund to expand or replicate programs to help area families and individuals by offering life and career skills training.

2012: Bridging the Gap expands its reach to partner employers in the manufacturing sector, offering positions in increasingly sophisticated and automated industries, with a need for skilled workers.

2017: Bridging the Gap begins offering technology certifications to students.

2018-2019: With support from the Farmers Foundation, CATS initiates the GradLeaders program to track our students’ success post-graduation.