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El Asilo logo
Inspiration
The idea for El Asilo came from the fact that right within our classrooms at our real school, we all know people who are directly impacted by the current immigration crisis in America. They are literally living in fear; families are being torn apart and peoples' lives are in danger. As we thought about this issue, we wanted to help the people around us in our own community. We wanted to help them feel safe in their own communities and access the resources they deserve. We could not imagine a more important app at a more important time.
What it does
Our app directly addresses the challenges undocumented immigrants face by providing trusted, accessible resources in a safe, community-driven way. Many struggle to find hospitals, schools, and workplaces where they are truly welcomed. Fear and misinformation make it difficult to access healthcare, legal aid, and essential services. Our interactive map highlights community-rated safe spaces, helping users make informed decisions. The app also combats misinformation by providing accurate legal and resource information. By centering real needs and lived experiences, our app fosters trust, empowerment, and accessibility.
How we built it
First, we clearly defined the key functions for our audience's needs. For our development, we used a combination of the FlutterFlow platform with a Firebase backend to store and manage our user data. We were able to create the Registration and Share functions using the drop-in features. Once we incorporated the Google Maps API, the next steps involved the drop-pin functions to create the core functionality of the app.
Challenges we ran into
Our team encountered just about every imaginable hurdle, including major time constrictions, our spring break falling right before the deadline, one group member quitting, another group member having a trip overseas, the sponsor being out of the country, technical issues, and a fairly young and inexperienced team in general. We even lost our intern right at the critical stage of development when we really could have used assistance in both technical issues and the overall process.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We are especially proud of the innovative solution we came up with to address the critical needs of our audience. As far as we know their are no other apps around with a similar function, and this app puts this power right into our users' fingertips. Despite all of the challenges we encountered we still managed to have a functionable app, and a video that highlights its features and advantages.
What we learned
Our team gained a wide range of technical and soft skills that will benefit us in the future. We improved our coding skills and learned how to troubleshoot technical issues under tight deadlines. We also strengthened our teamwork and communication skills. We learned to stay positive and solution-focused rather than dwelling on obstacles helped us push forward. Additionally, we developed better time management. These skills will be invaluable in our academic and professional careers, preparing us to handle high-pressure situations, collaborate effectively, and turn challenges into opportunities.
What's next for El Asilo
Due to the fact that the app's data is user-generated, full testing will need to be conducted with users similar to our target audience. Also, full real-world implementation would require ongoing verification of resources, community engagement, and partnerships with trusted organizations, which is why we see it as a strong prototype with room to grow. With further development and the right support, this app could become an essential tool for literally hundreds of thousands of users across our nation.
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