PhoenixDX team has showcased its innovation and technical expertise by securing third place in the prestigious OutSystems Build for the Future Hackathon 2024. Competing against 72 teams and 330 developers from 17 countries, the PhoenixDX team demonstrated their creative edge by developing SafeSpace, an AI-powered application designed to benefit child support NGOs. The hackathon, held from 23 to 30 September 2024, sought to create impactful real-world applications using the OutSystems Developer Cloud (ODC) while integrating advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) to support nonprofits.
The Hackathon’s Purpose: Empowering Nonprofits
The Build for the Future Hackathon aimed to raise awareness about global causes and empower nonprofits to achieve their mission through technology. Partnering with AWS and Microsoft, this year’s hackathon was designed to push the boundaries of what is possible in the nonprofit space.
Teams were tasked with delivering a functional app, project documentation, and a demo within seven days. Entries were evaluated based on the technical functionality, creativity, and innovation brought to the solution. For PhoenixDX, this challenge was an opportunity to harness their deep knowledge of OutSystems and AI integration to craft something meaningful for child support organisations.
The Challenges Child Support NGOs Face
Child support NGOs often struggle with manual processes, such as using pen and paper to document interviews with children. These traditional methods can disrupt the natural flow of conversation, making it harder for caseworkers to engage with children. Additionally, some children find it difficult to express their thoughts verbally, making it challenging for caseworkers to assess their emotional state accurately. NGOs also face hurdles in attracting volunteers and donors, with ineffective outreach campaigns often resulting in low engagement.
Introducing SafeSpace: A Game-Changing Tool for Child Support NGOs
PhoenixDX’s SafeSpace app directly addresses these challenges. SafeSpace is a comprehensive mobile and web application that aims to transform how case workers engage with children experiencing emotional or psychological challenges. At SafeSpace’s core is the seamless integration of various AI technologies, which create a more holistic approach to assessing children’s well-being.
- Speech-to-Text Transcription: The app uses Azure Cognitive Services to automatically convert interview audio recordings into text, allowing case workers to focus on the conversation rather than note-taking.
- Emotion Recognition: By integrating Azure OpenAI Vision, the app can analyse children’s facial expressions or drawings, offering insights into their emotional state beyond verbal responses.
- Risk Assessment: The OutSystems AI agent analyses interview transcripts to generate risk assessments, helping caseworkers make more informed decisions based on the child’s responses.
- Comprehensive Case Management: The back-office web application provides a centralised dashboard for caseworkers to manage client profiles, view past assessments, and track the status of ongoing cases.
- Personalised Email Campaigns: Powered by AWS Claude, this feature helps NGOs enhance their outreach efforts, making it easier to attract volunteers and donors.
Impact on Child Support NGOs
The potential impact of SafeSpace on child support NGOs is profound. By combining advanced AI technologies with a user-friendly interface, the app empowers caseworkers to perform more accurate and empathetic assessments of children’s needs. In addition, its personalised email campaign feature allows organisations to tailor their outreach efforts, potentially increasing community engagement and support.
Innovation for a better world
PhoenixDX’s success in the OutSystems Build for the Future Hackathon 2024 is a testament to the company’s commitment to innovation and social impact. By developing SafeSpace, our team has not only earned recognition for their technical expertise but also created a tool that can make a real difference in the lives of vulnerable children. This application represents a powerful new way for child support NGOs to assess, engage, and support the children who need it most.
PhoenixDX hackathon team members – John Salamat, Izam Basiron, Bhavya Shah, Elizabeth Sumalde, Meria Bejoy, Charles Visita, and Margaret Mendoza – each donated their personal time to participate in the hackathon. Senior Tech Lead John Salamat reflected:
“We learnt a lot about the capability of ODC and how different AI services can be integrated into apps. It was incredibly rewarding to empower NGOs to continuously innovate and gain efficiency through software that exactly fits their needs.”