Inspiration
I am the founder and president of the Society of Women in Space Exploration (SWISE) which was launched in late January of this year. We have about 25 chapters across the country- and one opening in Brazil and India soon. The Society of Women in Space Exploration promotes and encourages more women, diversity, and inclusion in multidisciplinary fields of space exploration. Through organization, networking, and volunteering, SWISE empowers individuals to grow and challenge themselves personally and professionally.. For this project, I re-vamped the website and created the prototype for the online member-only SWISE portal- "Planet SWISE" in which members will be able to log in, have access to the database of other members both student and professional, and encouraged to build their network, interact, seek mentorship, and become connected.
What it does
Planet SWISE allows members to log in to the portal and have access to past newsletters (which will be implemented soon, once memberships and the portal are established and completed), blog, map with pinpoints of all SWISE chapters both professional and student, access to chapter contact information and member profiles, and a forum. All of this is aimed to connect women and encourage networking, community and overall positively affect the lives of members by providing this platform.
How we built it
Using SWISE and a lot of googling.. there was a lot I did not know how to do and still need to learn even after this hackcathon ends. I would like to learn code so I can better manipulate the already-existing code on Wix. I also would like to learn about databases, as this will be vital for the function of membership.
Challenges we ran into
I ran into the problem of databases. I knew nothing about them and had to learn by googling and asking a mentor for information and asking a lot of questions. I can confidently say that my ability to navigate through problem-solving has strengthened by working on this project for many reasons.
1- the time constraint: Since there is a time limit, I learned that I had to manage my time wisely and although it would be ideal to have the entire project completed, I have to prioritize and focus on the bigger picture. There are nitty gritty details and issues that I will have to come back to later, but now I know what they are and can fill in the blanks. 2- user-friendly interface: I learned that I want the platform to be user-friendly and attractive for members. Navigation should be simple and easy. 3- There is a lot I don't know, and that's okay: A lot of different things goes into creating a project. I do not know everything, but I can learn a lot. I know the right questions to ask and how to navigate through the process of learning. When dealing with problems and issues, this leaves room for learning and expanding critical thinking skills. Learning from issues is an art! Productive mistakes are important to make, that is how you learn.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
I am proud of the fact that the website looks exactly how I pictured it to be, it is always great to watch your ideas come to life. Another thing I am happy about is learning that there is more that meets the eye in the bigger picture when it comes to tackling a project. While the idea may be simple and seem straight forward, a lot of different skills goes into it. I am proud that I have created a prototype for the portal because it is one step closer to connecting women who are already feeling connected just by being a part of the organization.
What we learned
I learned about the importance of thinking critically in order to navigate through mistakes and issues. Problems leave room for a chance to grow and learn something new.
What's next for Planet SWISE
Next, I want to do more research and learn some code along with learn about databases. It is important to have information gathered and for it to be organized. I want to finish this project and be able to provide it to the members of the organization to allow for them to connect.
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