The Rock

Inspiration

Because of the emotional isolation some foster kids may feel, we wanted to create a website that could work like a social network while also providing information about the college application process, starting with kids as young as middle school.

What it does

The Rock connects the kids with college students that used to be in the foster care system and their peers. It also contains resources to help them to prepare to go to college, such as a list of things to do in high school and a page of financial resources specifically for foster kids.

How we built it

We used Wix, the online website editor, to create our website. Starting from a blank template, we added apps , like a chat room and forum, and a variety of useful information to guide foster children through the college application and financial aid process.

Challenges we ran into

Getting our idea off the ground and finding the tools to create it was the main issue we ran into. We began the day thinking we were going to be creating an android app, but that soon proved to be too technically difficult, so we decided to make a website.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We're really proud of the amount of original content we created. Every single word on our website was written by our team based on resources found online. There was a large amount of thought put into the specific struggles that foster children will face on their path to college. For example, when writing about the topic of standardized testing, we were careful to include links to free study materials and information on fee waivers. Because we knew that some foster children would be moving around frequently, we included information on colleges that did not require a letter of recommendation on their application.

What we learned

We learned that instead creating a simple project that works is more important than creating something technically complex.

What's next for The Rock

If our community becomes large enough, we may move to a self-hosted website with more complex social networking functionality, include more information about getting into college, and possibly create a mobile app.

Built With

• wix