UWM App Brewery
Milwaukee
apps.uwm.edu/appbrewery
Innovation: Sojourner Peace app
Two years ago, the UWM App Brewery was established as a collaboration between the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Division of University Relations & Communications and students in the Information Studies Program. The goal was to give back to the community while providing an opportunity for students to gain real world experience interacting with clients, meeting deadlines and learning accountability.
“Our work takes students out of the academic mindset,” said Dustin Hahn, project manager for the App Brewery.
The Sojourner Family Peace Center approached Hahn and the Brewery with an idea for an application that could provide assistance for victims of domestic violence.
The Sojourner Peace app is available for iPhone and Android, and includes links and phone numbers for places where abuse victims can find help, including Sojourner’s 24-hour domestic violence hotline and its other services.
Pricing for the work is based on a variety of factors, but is discounted compared with traditional professional app developers, Hahn said.
“The students were engaged right from the beginning, and they learned a lot about domestic violence situations, and really put a lot of thought into building an appropriate application that could help,” Hahn said.
The app’s most innovative feature is a “quick hide feature” that hides the screen behind a black screen and deletes the browsing history with one swipe.
The button for the application can also be hidden behind a generic application button.
The application gives Sojourner a way to reach victims who may be fearful of calling or coming in to the center.
“Our students are proud of the application, and have gone above and beyond in order to help users in an unwanted and potentially threatening situation,” Hahn said. “We look forward to working with other community organizations on similar projects moving forward.”
