The Haven Project - Empowerment Portal

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  Landing page

Inspiration

The inspiration for The Haven Project - Empowerment Portal came from the urgent need to address youth homelessness in Lynn, Massachusetts. In 2024, over 675 unaccompanied youth faced challenges in accessing basic resources, employment opportunities, financial literacy, and digital skills. Partnering with The Haven Project, the only organization in the area dedicated to supporting homeless young adults aged 17-24, we were motivated to create a solution that empowers these individuals to build a stable future.

The Haven Project’s innovative programs, such as their community café and future Catalyst Housing initiative, inspired us to design a platform that aligns with their mission and addresses unmet needs in the community.

What it does

The Empowerment Portal is a comprehensive web application that provides essential tools and resources for homeless and at-risk youth. It addresses key challenges through 3 main MVP's.

1. Launchpad Program

   • Offers job search tools through platforms like Indeed and LinkedIn.
     
   • Provides resources for building resumes and upskilling through Coursera.
     

2. Peer-to-Peer Program

   • Connects mentors and mentees for career advice, internship guidance, and seminars.
     
   • Collaborates with college student volunteers who offer insights in exchange for discounted coffee and volunteer hours.
     

3. FiscalFit Program

   • Includes financial literacy training, budgeting tools, and entrepreneurship education.
     
   • Partners with local banks to host workshops on credit improvement and financial planning.
     

The platform also promotes The Haven Project’s social enterprises, such as the community café, through targeted campaigns to raise awareness and increase community engagement.

How we built it

We developed using React.js to create an intuitive and responsive interface that prioritizes accessibility and focuses on creating a user-friendly experience tailored to individuals with varying levels of digital literacy. We used figma for prototyping.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

• Successfully developed a platform that integrates employment, financial literacy, and mentorship programs into a cohesive tool.
  
• Created an accessible and user-friendly interface that meets the needs of individuals with limited digital literacy.
  

What we learned

• The importance of empathy in designing solutions that truly address the needs of the target audience.
  

The ultimate goal is to create a sustainable and scalable solution that empowers homeless and at-risk youth to achieve independence and success.

Built With

• capcut
• figma
• react