ESOL Student Resource Hub
One-stop portal for learning resources and community support
The Problem
Adult ESOL students needed one centralized place to access all learning resources, practice tools, and community support links. Information was scattered across emails, handouts, and multiple platforms.
Specific Pain Points
- Scattered resources: Practice sites, games, syllabus, and community resources spread across different locations
- Lost links: Students couldn't remember URLs or lost handouts with resource links
- No mobile access: Most students use phones—emailed links don't work well on mobile
- Community resources buried: Important links for housing, legal help, and jobs hard to find when needed
The Solution
Centralized portal for adult ESOL learners with curated links to learning games, practice sites, Google Classroom, syllabus, and community resources (housing help, legal aid, job search). Used weekly by 26 students as their go-to resource center.
What's Included
Learning Games
Direct links to interactive verb, number, and grammar practice games
Practice Websites
Curated English learning sites (News in Levels, VOA Learning English)
Class Materials
Google Classroom access, syllabus, and absence form
Community Resources
Housing assistance, legal help, job search, and citizenship resources
School Information
Links to school website and student handbook
Mobile-Friendly
Works seamlessly on phones for on-the-go access
Site Overview
Resource hub homepage with clear sections for learning games, practice sites, and class materials
Helpful links section with community resources for housing, legal aid, and job search
Additional Views
More screenshots comingAdditional sections and features to be added
Why This Matters
Product Thinking Over Tech Stack
I could have built this with React and a custom backend. Instead, I chose Canva because it was:
- Faster to ship (built in hours, not days)
- Easy to update (I can add links in real-time)
- Already mobile-optimized
- Solves the problem perfectly
Lesson: The best tool is the one that solves the problem fastest. Students needed a resource hub today, not a perfect custom site someday.
Curation as a Skill
Building this required understanding what adult ESOL learners actually need. Not just language practice—also housing resources, legal help, and job search tools. Empathy and domain knowledge matter as much as code.
Results & Impact
Lessons Learned
Ship the simplest solution first
Canva solved this problem in 2 hours. A custom site would have taken days and wouldn't work any better for students.
Product-minded thinking beats tech perfectionism
As a developer, it's tempting to over-engineer. But the best solution is the one that works today, not the fanciest one.
Know your users' context
Adult ESOL learners use phones, not laptops. They need practical resources like housing help, not just grammar practice. Building for real needs, not assumptions, is what makes products useful.