CyberNexus

Inspiration

As students in computer science, my team and I have always been fascinated by the power of technology to transform lives. We have been lucky enough to have access to the technology we need to succeed in our education, but each one of us have also seen firsthand the challenges faced by those who don't have that same access.

Each and everyone of our team members have friends who are international students, and we have watched as they struggled to afford the computer hardware they needed to complete their studies. I have seen the impact that this lack of access can have on their education and future prospects, and it has inspired us to take action and make a difference.

We believe that every student deserves the chance to succeed, regardless of their background or financial situation. That's why we’ve decided to create CyberNexus, a non-profit organization that connects international students with the technology they need to succeed. We started this organization with the goal of helping my friends and other students who were struggling to afford the computer hardware they needed for school.

We’re proud to be making a real difference in the lives of international students, and we are inspired by the impact that my work is having. By using our passion for technology and my commitment to helping others, we are making a positive impact in the world, one student at a time. We are grateful for the opportunity to make a difference, and are excited to continue our work with CyberNexus .

What it does

CyberNexus is a non-profit organization that aims to reduce the financial barriers for international students in accessing technology. The organization collects donations of computer hardware equipment such as laptops, mice, keyboards, and headsets, and matches these donations with the specific needs of financially struggling students.

And, that's not all! CyberNexus isn't just about bridging the financial gap between students and technology. We also want to help people with digital literacy. We know that navigating the digital world can be overwhelming, so we want to help people feel confident using technology. That's why we have the 'Need Literacy' page where you can book an appointment for help with a specific tech device. We want to make sure everyone has the skills they need to succeed in the digital age.

In this way, CyberNexus provides a valuable service to students and the community, helping to bridge the gap between people and technology and providing students with the tools they need to succeed in the digital age as well as reducing electronics waste by giving it a second home.

How we built it

We built the website CyberNexus using Visual Studio Code as the IDE. HTML, JavaScript, and JSON were the languages used for programming. The website began with a login page or register page, with the register page leading to the school's SSO login page and once the user is verified, they will receive an email with a verification link.

The website also had a 'Need Hardware' html page, where users could select either 'yes' or 'no'. If users selected 'yes', they were redirected to a specifications page, and if they selected 'no', they were redirected to a 'Need Literacy' page, which allowed them to book an appointment to get help regarding a specific tech device They will be able to select the type of device they need help with, the time, and the location. .

After the programming was completed, the website was tested and debugged for any errors. We attempted to use JSON for data storage and AJAX to send information to the server.

Finally ,We tested the website to make sure all the pages and functionality worked correctly. Once we were satisfied with the results, deployed the website to the web server.

Challenges we ran into

Our team faced several challenges while building this application, primarily finding a solution to a significant problem in our country, especially with the increasing number of immigrants seeking better education and the cost of inflation. Our goal was to tackle multiple issues, and we are proud to have succeeded in bridging the financial gap between students and technology, as well as reducing e-waste.

Initially, we aimed to build the application using Java and the Spring framework, incorporating MongoDB for data storage and manipulation. However, we encountered a connection error with the MongoDB server, leading us to re-evaluate and switch to web development tools such as HTML and JavaScript, incorporating data with JSON files and local storage. Despite these challenges, our team persevered and successfully created the project. We are proud of our achievement and are excited about its potential.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Our team has a lot to be proud of from working on this project. Firstly, the team dynamic was on point. Everyone brought their own skills and ideas to the table, making the project even better. Plus, the hackathon was a blast! It was our first in-person one, and being surrounded by all the passionate hackers was so cool. We made some amazing connections and even had a few laughs amidst the long hours and lack of sleep. All in all, we're proud of what we built and are excited to see what's next.

What we learned

What we learned from building this project is how to balance hanging out and getting work done at an in-person event. Time management was a big deal - there were so many cool activities to check out, it was tough to stay focused. But that's all part of the growth process, and we're grateful for the lessons learned.

What's next for CyberNexus

Expansion: CyberNexus has the potential to expand its reach and impact by partnering with more universities, organizations, and donors to increase the availability of technology for international students in need.

Technology advancements: As technology continues to evolve and improve, CyberNexus may have the opportunity to provide even more advanced and innovative hardware and software solutions to its students.

Increased awareness: CyberNexus may work to raise awareness about the issue of financial barriers to technology for international students and the importance of addressing this issue. This could lead to increased support and funding for the organization, allowing it to have a greater impact.