Can a Chatbot increase engagement with the refugee issue? These hackers think so.

Students, professionals and hacking enthusiasts alike gathered in Washington, D.C. on June 10^th for Amazon Web Services’ 2^nd annual Hackathon for Good. Connecting volunteer data scientists, engineers, business executives and students, the hackathon challenged participants to develop innovative technical solutions for nonprofit organizations, including USA for UNHCR, using AWS technology. 

“I feel like there is a divide between Americans and refugees that should be bridged,” said Swagata Chakroborty, hackathon participant and senior at the University of Maryland. “This [project] is for a good cause.”

How do you bridge that divide? And what role does technology play?

To answer these questions, USA for UNHCR posed the challenge of developing a tool for two-way communication on the UNrefugees.org website that would inspire interest and allow Americans to more easily engage on refugee issues.

After choosing their projects, attendees broke out into groups and began developing prototypes of their ideas. Throughout the day, the teams worked with AWS solution architects and USA for UNHCR staff to develop an impactful product.  While many found inspiration through discussions with their teammates, others were motivated by their personal experiences.

“I feel like there is a divide between Americans and refugees that should be bridged.”

Julian Andaya, a rising senior at Juniata College, says he chose the USA for UNHCR challenge because it is the intersection of his interests in coding and as an International Studies major. 

“My goal after college is to do some sort of nonprofit work,” he shared. Julian further explained his familiarity with the refugee crisis and that the AWS event provided him the chance to explore those interests through a more technical lens. 

Although several teams participated in the refugee challenge, one team was recognized for their thoughtful and innovative technical solution. The team of Ankit Trivedi, Alberto Dominguez, Robert Donovan and Vinit Patankar won the USA for UNHCR challenge and came in second place overall in the AWS Hackathon.

Using information compiled from FAQs and articles on the USA for UNHCR website, the hackers developed a technical solution that curates content based on a user persona. Appealing to individual interests, the prototype prioritizes news and content a refugee supporter will find engaging.

The day yielded incredible new tools and ideas that will help bridge the divide between and Americans and refugees.

If you’re interested in supporting refugees but missed your opportunity to volunteer at this year’s AWS Hackathon for Good, then consider attending our next USA for UNHCR #HackABetterWorld hackathon this fall by subscribing to receiving updates here.