Student Sanctuary

Inspiration

Mental and physical health are both major issues in society today, and treatment and therapies are not always available for those in need. After speaking with some low income students from my school, I realized just how difficult it is to access helpful resources, and I knew I had to do something about it. What if there was a platform for students to learn about free or inexpensive resources to aid them in physical or mental recovery? That led me to build Student Sanctuary, with the name representing a safe space for students to discover easily accessible resources when they need it the most.

What it does

My app Student Sanctuary is centered around providing efficient access to free and low-cost health resources to students that are first generation, low income, or unable to access typical resources for some reason. As a user enters the app, there are presented with an array of resource options on the left side of the screen. When they click on one of the titles, they can read the name of the resource, a short description of what it provides, a link to the resource, and whether it targets mental or physical health. Additionally, there is a search bar where users can search for specific issues they have such as anxiety or depression.

How I built it

Using Excel, I created a table filled with four columns: Type, Name, Description, and Link. I filled the table with information on 10 different free and low-cost resources, with 5 pertaining to mental health and 5 pertaining to physical health. Then, I loaded the data into Microsoft Power Apps, utilizing these componenets to build a smooth and functioning user interface that allows users to click on each health resource to learn more.

Challenges I ran into

The first challenge I encountered was deciding what platform to build the app on and learning how to use it. Since I have some experience in Python, Java, and JavaScript, I first explored those options to see if I could execute my idea. After further research, I discovered Power Apps and decided it provided me the most flexibility and creativity. Then, I faced obstacles in the actual creation of the app as some of the buttons and texts would not align, and the links would initially not work. Using Google to search for answers and patience, I was able to fix both of these issues.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

I am most proud of my ability to create this app with no previous experience in Power Apps. Identifying and resolving bugs was challenging, but it pushed me to think outside the box and try everything. Additionally, I am very happy by the clean, visually appealing interface to improve the user experience. Lastly, I am most proud of how it targets a serious issue in communities today, and it provides a unique opportunity for low income students since there aren't many apps online that present both physical and mental health resources on a single platform.

What I learned

Creating this app not only taught me technical skills such as how to use Power Apps with Excel, but it also educated me a lot on this issue. Before this hackathon, I did not know how inaccessible mental and physical health resources were to low income students. In addition, I learned soft skills such as determination, patience, and creativity during the planning and execution of the idea.

What's next for Student Sanctuary

By making the app scalable and adaptable with Excel, it is easy to add more data and update the app with more resources in the future. I hope to provide value to the intended audience by truly making a difference in society, and I plan to continue building this to add more features that students can access. I also hope to publish this on iPhones and Androids as well as a web version for PC users, so that a wide range of devices can run the app. With the resources available on the app, I hope that students will be able to get the treatment they need for mental health issues and improve their physical health through fitness and tips. After all, any amount of help can save a life.

Built With

• excel
• power-apps