Operation Opportunities

Inspiration:

We created this website to empower young high school students by providing them with a comprehensive resource for discovering diverse opportunities and programs in STEM. With most of our group being high school students, we recognize the importance of early exposure to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, our goal is to bridge the gap between students and extracurricular activities available. By offering a centralized platform, we aim to inspire and guide the next generation, helping them to explore their passions, build valuable skills, and prepare for future careers in these desired fields.

What it does:

This website serves as a dynamic and user-friendly platform designed to connect high school students with a wide array of opportunities in STEM. It provides detailed information on various programs, including internships, summer camps, scholarships, competitions, and mentorship initiatives. By curating and categorizing these opportunities, the site makes it easy for students to find and apply for programs that match their interests and career aspirations

How we built it:

We built our project by integrating a range of technologies to create a seamless user experience. For the frontend, we used React due to its component-based architecture, which allowed for modular and reusable code, making it easier to manage the complexity of our user interface and ensure responsiveness. We leveraged React Hooks to manage state and side effects efficiently, which streamlined the development process and improved performance. Additionally, we incorporated libraries like React Router for navigation and Axios for handling API requests to enhance our application's functionality. For the backend, we selected Neurelo, a platform known for its robustness in handling complex data operations and integrating seamlessly with various databases. Neurelo enabled us to quickly prototype and deploy backend services, ensuring scalability as we added more features. Our backend interfaced with a MongoDB database, chosen for its flexible schema design, facilitating efficient data storage and retrieval. We set up MongoDB to manage various queries and transactions, ensuring real-time data updates and retrievals without compromising performance. 

Challenges We Ran Into:

Throughout the development of OO, we faced several challenges. One major obstacle was gathering and verifying a significant number of genuine opportunities. Ensuring the database remained up-to-date and reliable required extensive research and coordination. Additionally, we had to develop a user-friendly interface that would be accessible and intuitive for all users, regardless of their technological proficiency. Balancing our school responsibilities with the demands of this project was another challenge we had to overcome.

Accomplishments were proud of:

We are proud to have created a fully functioning platform that hosts a substantial number of real opportunities. Our database includes over 100 meticulously researched listings, each offering valuable experiences for high school students. This achievement not only reflects our dedication but also our ability to provide a meaningful resource that can genuinely impact the lives of our peers.

What We Learned:

Through this project, we learned the profound importance of supporting underprivileged communities. We gained insights into the systemic barriers that many students face and the crucial role that access to opportunities plays in overcoming these challenges. This experience has reinforced our commitment to social equity and has provided us with valuable skills in research, project management, and community outreach.

What's Next:

Looking ahead, we plan to expand the reach of Operation Opportunities to benefit even more students. As a Student Trustee of the Durham District School Board, Neha will implement OO across her school board, impacting over 79,000 students. Hanz and Ryan will introduce OO within the school clubs they lead, while Yarema will offer this valuable resource to incoming students at York University. Our goal is to ensure that every student, regardless of their background, has the chance to explore and pursue their career aspirations through the opportunities we provide.