Website + Google Calendar–Driven Events System

Problem

The youth program needed a polished, modern website that reflected the quality of their programming. They also needed an events system that was easy for volunteers to maintain. The typical approach would have been to build an admin dashboard, create user accounts, and train staff on a new system. That would have introduced unnecessary complexity and ongoing maintenance overhead.

Solution

Instead of building a separate admin portal, I designed the system around a tool they already use: Google Calendar. I implemented a Google Calendar API integration that pulls event data into the site, parses tagged event types, and renders them dynamically with structured formatting. The website treats Google Calendar as the source of truth. Staff add or update events in Google Calendar using simple tagging conventions, and the site handles categorization, display logic, and formatting automatically. The front-end was built with a strong focus on clarity, accessibility, and mobile usability, including prayer times and youth-specific features.

Outcomes

• Events are managed entirely through Google Calendar with no new software to learn
• Automatic categorization of event types using tag parsing
• Reduced long-term maintenance overhead by avoiding a custom admin system
• Modern, mobile-friendly design aligned with the youth audience

Technical decisions

• Google Calendar used as the single source of truth
• Tag-based event classification instead of hard-coded categories
• Server-side ingestion and transformation before render
• Designed to minimize ongoing support burden

Next phase

An interactive campus map system that highlights the correct room for each event using a top-down wayfinding-style layout.