We were very attracted to the idea of creating a civic hack during this hackathon, especially when we heard about the vast amount of data recently made available by the Philadelphia government. As students at the University of Pennsylvania, we wanted to find a way that our work this weekend could have a positive impact on the community we live in. One problem we were aware of is the high prevalence of HIV in the city of Philadelphia. That's how we decided to create an Android app to help connect people with HIV prevention and treatment options. One portion of our app helps users find the nearest faculty that provides free condoms, which are very effective in preventing HIV. Another directs them towards the HIV treatment facilities that are closest to them. Finally, the app has a small informational section to promote awareness about the prevalence of HIV in Philadelphia, and about the virus itself. While developing this app, we ran into challenges regarding the Google maps API, asynchronous tasks, and app design using Android studio. However, we were able to learn a lot about each of these topics, as well as JSON parsing, and the basics of Android App development along the way, and overcame the challenges we initially faced. We are proud of having integrated the Google Maps API to bring the city's data relating to HIV prevention to life. Next steps for our app include adding more of the design elements that we have planned, such as better transitions, more individualized graphics, and a more intuitive user experience.
ProtectPhilly
saving the city from HIV
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