Inspiration
The inspiration for the CUNY Resource Map stems from the pressing need to ensure that every CUNY student has easy access to essential resources that support their well-being and academic success. While CUNY offers a wide range of support services, many students are unaware of how to find and utilize them. Our team wanted to bridge this gap by creating an interactive tool that would make it simple for students to locate and access vital resources, ultimately helping them overcome challenges like food insecurity, mental health issues, and housing instability.
What it does
The CUNY Resource Map is an interactive, user-friendly map that displays essential resources available to CUNY students across New York City. Users can filter the map to show specific types of resources, such as food pantries, health centers, and childcare services. By clicking on a location, students can view detailed information about the services offered, operating hours, and contact information. The map aims to increase awareness and utilization of these crucial resources, ensuring that students can easily find the help they need.
How we built it
We built the CUNY Resource Map using a combination of web development tools and technologies. The front-end was developed using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, with Mapbox integrated to handle the mapping and geolocation features. Our team worked collaboratively on the project, dividing tasks such as UI design, data integration, and backend development. We used GitHub for version control, Firebase for hosting the website and Discord for communication and coordination throughout the hackathon.
Challenges we ran into
One of the main challenges we faced was ensuring that the map accurately reflected the most up-to-date information about the various resources available. Gathering and verifying data from multiple sources was time-consuming and required meticulous attention to detail. Additionally, integrating the different types of resources into a single, cohesive map was technically challenging, particularly in making the filters user-friendly and ensuring the map remained responsive across devices. On the backend side, most of the trouble was learning how to create tests and deploy changes. Once that was handled, it was relatively smooth sailing.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We are proud of creating a functional, interactive map that can make a real difference in the lives of CUNY students. Despite the challenges, our team successfully collaborated to develop a tool that not only works well but also addresses a significant need within the CUNY community.
What we learned
Throughout this project, we learned a great deal about the importance of collaboration, effective communication, and time management in a hackathon setting. We also deepened our technical skills, particularly in working with mapping technologies like Mapbox and managing data from diverse sources. Perhaps most importantly, we gained a greater appreciation for the impact that technology can have in addressing real-world problems and supporting community needs.
What's next for CUNY Resource Map
Moving forward, we plan to expand the CUNY Resource Map by adding more resource categories and ensuring the information remains up-to-date. We also hope to enhance the user experience by incorporating additional features such as resource ratings, user feedback, and personalized resource recommendations based on a student's location or needs. Ultimately, our goal is to partner with CUNY administration to integrate the map into official university platforms, making it a go-to resource for all CUNY students.
Presentation Link
You can view our presentation here.
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