The Google Developer Student Clubs (GDSC) Solution Challenge is a hackathon-style event that encourages students to build innovative projects using Google technologies — all while solving real-world problems aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This year, I challenged myself to build something meaningful, something that could solve a real problem. I stumbled upon the Solution Challenge while scrolling through LinkedIn — and it instantly clicked. I brought together a passionate team, and we dived in.
🧠 The Problem We Chose to Solve
Our project addresses the issue of overburdened teachers and the lack of personalized feedback in classrooms. Many educators — especially in under-resourced institutions — juggle large student batches, leaving little time for one-on-one feedback. This affects both the teaching quality and student learning experience.
Our goal was to create an AI-powered teacher assistant that automates grading and generates personalized feedback — helping educators save time and enabling students to receive constructive guidance tailored to their performance.
This directly aligns with UN SDG 4: Quality Education — ensuring inclusive and equitable education for all.
🛠️ The Solution: ClassMantra
We built ClassMantra, a web application designed for both teachers and students. The platform provides separate dashboards for each user type and leverages Google’s Gemini API to provide AI-generated feedback and grading.
👩🏫 Teacher Dashboard Features:
- Upload assignments with solutions and due dates by subject (e.g., Deep Learning, Compiler Design).
- Manage and delete existing assignments.
- View student submissions and AI-generated grading/feedback.
- Make announcements to students.
👨🎓 Student Dashboard Features:
- View pending assignments across all subjects.
- See submitted assignments along with detailed feedback on each question — scored by accuracy, relevance, completeness, and an overall grade.
- Filter assignments by subject for easier navigation.
🧑💻 Tech Stack
Frontend:
- React
- Material UI
Backend:
- Firebase (Authentication + Firestore DB)
- Express.js
- Gemini API (Generative AI)
We integrated Gemini to analyze student answers and generate structured, question-wise feedback with scores.
🤝 Team Collaboration & Challenges
Our team:
- Manas Patil (me) - Developer
- Jitendra Suthar – Co-developer
- Jatin Bendale – Design & Documentation
- Nirali Rana – Design & Documentation
Initially, we faced coordination issues and time constraints — with college exams and submissions happening in parallel. But we pulled through. Communication improved, roles became clear, and with just 10 days left, we began full-time development.
✨ What I Learned
This challenge helped me grow both technically and personally:
💻 Tech Skills:
- Used Material UI extensively to build the full UI.
- Worked with Firebase for auth, data storage, and real-time updates.
- Integrated Gemini API to automate grading and feedback generation.
💡 Soft Skills:
- Team management under pressure
- Effective time management
- Fast-paced prototyping
- Improved collaboration and leadership
📅 Final Thoughts
It all started on March 26, 2025. We had just 10% of the work done with 2 days to go. College deadlines were piling up. We were drained and close to giving up.
Then, on March 28, just for fun, Jitendra opened the submission portal — and we saw that the deadline had been extended by 10 days. That moment felt magical. We celebrated — not because we were done, but because we were determined.
For the next 10 days, we gave it our all — late nights, debugging marathons, and pure focus.
On April 6, 2025, at 11:30 PM — just 30 minutes before the final deadline — we submitted ClassMantra. And it felt incredible. Regardless of the results, we were proud.
This journey taught me that sometimes, the reward isn’t just a win — it’s the growth, the teamwork, and the perseverance.
🔗 Links
- 🔗 LinkedIn Post: Click here
- 🌐 Live Preview of ClassMantra: classmantra.netlify.app
- 💻 GitHub Repository: github.com/patilmanas04/GDG-Hack2skill-The-Genesis-Group
- 🎥 YouTube Video: Click here
Top comments (8)
Gotta respect that grind, nothing hits like seeing the deadline extend and just going full beast mode with the squad. you ever wonder if that last minute scramble brings out your best or just straight up stress?
That's completely true man, you can only unlock that full beast mode in the last minute only
that deadline extension hit different lol - the amount of times i've been saved by a last minute boost is unreal
Last minute performance at it's peak 💀🔥
Great Project !!
Thank you teammate
Impressive project! Loved the AI use and clean UI.☺️
Thank you bro, we build that together 🫂