Wildcat Hub

A platform that connects students to university life in one streamlined space to make the most out of their experience

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Inspiration

Picture this: a university buzzing with life— emerging clubs, exciting student-led events, shiny passion projects. Yet too often, these gems slip through the cracks, especially for new students drowned in a flood of scattered info. Social media, emails, flyers—it’s a mess to track!That’s where Wildcat Hub steps in: a single, vibrant virtual space that pulls it all together. We’re here to make university life feel like an adventure—open and accessible to everyone. This is the future of UA student experience!

Key features

  • Centralized Information: Host events, brand clubs, showcase projects for Wildcat community

  • Student news feed: Central hub for student voices!

  • AI Chatbox: Smart, tailored recommendations that help you navigate this massive platform

  • Responsive UI: fits beautifully in both mobile and web app views

How we built it

Backend

We leveraged Django's REST framework to connect with its Object-Relational Mapping (ORM) system, enabling us to quickly build API endpoints. The models were thoughtfully designed to optimize their use in a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) framework. By maintaining critical relationships between data entities, we ensured the system could deliver precise and contextually appropriate responses.

Frontend

For the frontend, we employed React Router for seamless navigation, Redux for efficient state management, and a combination of styling and component libraries to fast-track the development of an intuitive API interface. Notable features include a mobile-first design approach to reach a wider audience and the inclusion of core functionalities typical of a comprehensive social media platform.

AI Integration

Aligned with this year’s AI-focused theme, we integrated AWS Bedrock to drive Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) content and power an interactive chat experience. Our aim was to create meaningful user interactions by tapping into the extensive knowledge base of the Bedrock model, ensuring responses are both highly relevant and deeply informative.

Challenges we ran into

Steep Learning Curve Amid Tight Deadlines

Many team members were new to several technologies and design paradigms required for the project. The biggest challenge was ensuring everyone gained the necessary skills while still meeting both external and self-imposed deadlines.

Deployment Difficulties

Toward the end of the challenge, deployment emerged as a significant hurdle. Due to the complexity of the technologies involved and our team’s limited familiarity with them, we couldn’t successfully deploy the application to a remote production environment.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • We successfully learn Django ORM, React framework, AWS Bedrock and Agent Configuration to meet the project goals and able to deliver a fully functional, responsive, live web app.

  • No sleep, no coffee, just dopamine and adrenaline through the night :)

  • We didn’t just build a tool—we brought a vision to life. That’s the kind of win that keeps us going. It’s not just code; it’s the initiative!

What we learned

  • Always keep target audiences at the heart of the project

  • Communicate early and frequently is crucial

  • Initial workflow setup is super efficient throughout development

What's next for Wildcat Hub

  • Education: Link up with D2L and UAccess for personalized course scheduling and learning

  • Improvement: A feedback loop so students can shape the university, loud and clear

  • Event Streamline: Have a universal calendar for all events

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