Belong

Inspiration

Speaking with San Diego Youth Services CEO, we were surprised at many of the facts and statistics. Knowing that 50% of homeless adults experienced homelessness as a youth, targeting youth experiencing homeless is an area of high-impact. Also, learning that service providers are still handing out business cards and expecting a phone call, even though they know that isn't how they target population likes to communicate. Additionally, because of shame and embarrassment, many at-risk youth hide their situation and can become isolated.

What it does

It is a safe, moderated online space for youth to connect with others who can relate to and/or help their situation.

How I built it

Teamwork! We are the Hacker Newbies - it was the first hackathon for every team member and we met here yesterday.

Challenges I ran into

Big problem, short time. Technological skills. Big dreams.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

The thought behind the design. Real world practicality.

What I learned

Hackathons are fun!

What's next for Belong

To present the idea to San Diego Youth Services and get feedback on the design and function; to learn if this app should move forward.