QuickSub: Connecting Substitute Teachers with Schools

Overview

QuickSub is a hackathon project designed to simplify the process of connecting substitute teachers with nearby schools. With QuickSub, substitutes can discover job openings, view essential school details, and apply efficiently through an intuitive platform.

Inspiration

The idea for QuickSub stemmed from the challenges substitute teachers face in finding work and the inefficiencies schools encounter when filling critical teaching positions. Education is a cornerstone of society, and we saw an opportunity to leverage technology to solve this problem. Inspired by the potential to create a positive impact, QuickSub aims to streamline this process and ensure a smoother experience for both substitutes and schools.

What We Learned

This project taught us:

The value of user-centric design when building tools for a specific community.
How to integrate frontend and backend systems seamlessly.
New technical skills, such as working with Flutter/Dart for mobile development and JavaScript for backend logic.
The importance of time management and prioritization in a fast-paced environment like a hackathon.
How to adapt quickly when faced with challenges like implementing secure document uploads and managing real-time data.

How We Built It

Frontend:
- Built with the Flutter framework in Dart to deliver a responsive and easy-to-use interface.
- Designed features for user sign-up, school browsing, and profile management.
Backend:
- Developed with JavaScript, handling data storage and retrieval for both users and schools.
- Implemented secure APIs for document upload and geolocation-based job suggestions.
Database:
- Stored user profiles, school information, and job openings efficiently.
Tools Used:
- GitHub for version control and collaboration.
- FlutterFlow for rapid prototyping and UI design.
- Postman for testing APIs

Challenges We Faced

Time Constraints: Balancing design, development, and testing within the hackathon timeframe was tough. We had to pivot from learning Expo React due to its time consuming nature in learning how to use it.
Secure Data Handling: Ensuring the safety of uploaded documentation while maintaining ease of use required careful planning.
Real-Time Job Matching: Building a geolocation-based system to display nearby schools accurately posed technical challenges.
UI/UX Design: Striking the right balance between simplicity and functionality to accommodate all users.
Collaboration: Effectively dividing tasks and ensuring smooth integration across different parts of the project.
Adaptability: Not being able to import the Figma frames into FlutterFlow was disappointing, and interrupted our workflow immensely. Additionally, not being able to sync up the Firebase backend to the FlutterFlow collections.

As a team of freshmen, none of us had prior experience building an app. This project was a journey of learning and growth as we navigated through uncharted territory. Starting from scratch, we explored multiple software tools and frameworks, experimenting through trial and error to find the best fit for our needs.

Our initial attempts were filled with challenges—from understanding the basics of app development to figuring out how to integrate various components. We spent countless hours troubleshooting issues, reading documentation, and seeking guidance to bridge our knowledge gaps.

Through persistence and teamwork, we eventually landed on a combination of Flutter for the frontend and JavaScript for the backend. This process not only helped us build a functional app but also taught us invaluable lessons about adaptability, problem-solving, and collaboration. We’re proud of how far we’ve come and excited about the skills we’ve gained along the way!

Accomplishments We're Proud Of

Building a functional prototype that addresses a real-world problem.
Creating a clean, user-friendly interface that simplifies the job application process for substitute teachers.
Successfully implementing document uploads and secure data storage.
Delivering a project with real potential to benefit both substitutes and schools.
Being able to problem-solve and pivot from platforms and software that can be of better use to us. We were able to move our work from FlutterFlow and Figma to Visual Studio Code by translating the language and graphics to Flutter using Open AI, and building upon it ourself while fixing errors and bugs ourselves.
Building our own backend from scratch using DBeaver and postman to test the APIs, giving up on trying to make Firebase work after hours of wasted time, unfortunately.

What's Next for QuickSub

Advanced Search Filters: Allow users to sort schools by criteria like distance, pay, and position type.
Push Notifications: Notify substitutes about new job openings in real-time.
School Dashboard: Provide schools with a platform to post openings, manage applicants, and view substitute profiles.
AI Job Matching: Use AI to match substitutes with schools based on their preferences and qualifications.
User Reviews: Enable substitutes to rate schools to help others make informed decisions.