1,040,985
That's right! As of 2023, there were 1,040,985 international students in Canada. What problems do they face on arrival? Is there a way to help students make the transition smoother? We interviewed our teammates, who are international students, trying to understand and create a solution so students who have no guidance can try to start a new beginning in a new country, feel at home and at ease.
What it does
Our website essentially acts as a comprehensive resource platform that guides students from the moment they arrive at the airport all the way to settling in. It is a 'One-stop arrival guide' that covers all aspects of settling in, allowing international students to feel prepared, supported, and ready to thrive in their new environment.
How we built it
We built this website using only HTML and CSS to keep it lightweight, fast, and accessible for users with low-speed internet connections. This approach allows us to deliver essential information quickly without complex scripts or heavy dependencies, ensuring smooth loading times and a consistent experience on any device.
Challenges we ran into
Our biggest challenge was that none of us had any experience in programming or web development, which made the idea of building a website from scratch feel overwhelming. Initially, we planned to design the platform in tools like Canva or Figma to create a mockup of what it might look like without actually coding it, and then porting it into Framer to host a live demo website. However, our mentor encouraged us to take the leap and build a basic site ourselves.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We created a website that we’re proud of, knowing that we had transformed our idea from a simple design on paper into a live platform. It’s a straightforward, accessible resource, and the journey showed us that anyone can learn and build something meaningful with the right guidance and a willingness to try.
What we learned
This experience taught us the fundamentals of graphic design and web development, pushing us out of our comfort zones and showing us that even with minimal technical knowledge, we could bring our vision to life. We started by learning the basics of HTML to structure the content and CSS to style it. Each step was a challenge, from creating simple layouts to understanding how to style elements, but we took it one small piece at a time.
What's next for Arrive&Thrive
Our drive is to build a simple yet impactful platform that makes the transition to life in Canada easier for international students. With a focus on accessibility and ease, we aim to provide clear, essential resources—starting with York University and expanding to all Canadian universities, along with added features to highlight the most convenient options for grocery stores, pharmacies, doctors' offices, and other services for students based on where they live. Our ambition is to go beyond just providing logistical support; we want to guide students through the educational and cultural shifts they face and connect them with local international student communities. Through continuous improvement and innovation, we aspire to empower students to thrive, creating a welcoming space that grows with their needs.
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