Data Architecture for Minds-On Youth Organization
Minds-On is a Whitby-based youth organization providing educational programs, recreational activities, and community events to over 1,000 students annually. I had the opportunity to design and develop a full-stack data platform to replace their disconnected spreadsheets and manual processes.
The solution: a 5-base relational architecture built in Airtable with automated registration sync, real-time validation, and integrated reporting workflows. The system handles several complex relationships: students attending multiple programs, programs requiring multiple staff, events involving dozens of vendors, all while remaining accessible to non-technical staff.
The platform eliminated manual data entry for 100+ weekly enrollments, reduced administrative communication time by 60%, and enabled real-time visibility into enrollment, attendance, and resource allocation across 20+ programs.
🔧 How it works (click to expand)
The Problem
Before this project, Minds-On managed enrollment, attendance, and event logistics using disconnected google spreadsheets and manual data entry. This led to duplicate records, data inconsistencies, and significant administrative overhead. Staff spent hours each week copying information between systems, and there was no real-time visibility into program capacity or attendance trends.
Data Architecture
I designed a 5-base relational architecture in Airtable:
- Students – Core records with personal info, school details, medical/dietary notes, parent/guardian contact information
- Attendance – Junction table linking students to programs and events with check-in/out times and session notes
- Programs – Recurring activities like tutoring, sports nights, movie nights, workshops with capacity, scheduling, and resource tracking
- Staff – Full-time employees, volunteers, student leaders with certifications, availability, and assignments
- Events – Large community events with sub-tables for budget tracking, vendor management, sponsor outreach, and marketing
Record linkage and validation checks ensure data integrity across all bases, eliminating the duplicate records that plagued the previous spreadsheet system.
Automation Layer
Three technologies power the automation:
- JavaScript + Airtable API – Syncs registration form submissions to the database in real-time, performing data validation, deduplication, and record enrichment. Handles 100+ weekly enrollments with zero manual entry.
- Python ETL Scripts – Joins attendance and enrollment data across bases to generate reporting dashboards. Calculates metrics like program utilization, attendance rates, and staff hours.
- Zapier Workflows – Automates email notifications, SMS alerts, calendar updates, and status changes. Reduced admin communication time by 60%.
User Interfaces
The system serves three distinct user groups:
- Airtable Forms – Public-facing registration for parents enrolling children in programs
- Airtable Interface – Admin portal for staff to manage attendance, track programs, and coordinate events
- Glide App – Mobile-friendly parent portal for viewing attendance history and program schedules
The result of all this is a unified data platform where every enrollment, attendance record, and staff assignment flows through validated, connected bases, giving the team at Minds-On actionable visibility into their operations.
Impact
100+ weekly enrollments
Processed automatically with zero manual data entry. Form submissions sync directly to the database.
1,000+ students tracked
Complete enrollment and attendance history across 20+ programs, enabling staff to monitor program capacity and activity.
60% reduction in admin time
Automated notifications, status updates, and report generation freed staff to focus on programs instead of paperwork.
Data Model
Entity Relationship Diagram showing the 5-base relational architecture. Attendance serves as the junction table, linking students to both programs and events. Staff assignments connect to both Programs and Events bases, enabling flexible resource allocation.
System Architecture
Full-stack data system across 4 layers: User Interface (Airtable Forms, Admin Interface, Glide App), Application Logic & Automation (JavaScript, Python, Zapier), Data Storage (5 Airtable bases), and Analytics & Reporting (dashboards, reports, automated notifications).
Form Submission
Parent submits registration → JavaScript validates & deduplicates → Record created in Students base → Confirmation email sent via Zapier
Staff Marks Attendance
Staff checks in student → Attendance record created with timestamp → Program capacity updates in real-time → Parent notified of check-in
Reports to Leadership
Python extracts attendance data → Joins with enrollment records → Calculates metrics → Dashboard updates → Weekly summary emailed to leadership
Key Features
Real-time Sync
Registration forms sync instantly to the database via JavaScript automation. No manual copy-paste, no delays, no data entry errors.
Validation & Deduplication
Automated checks catch invalid data and prevent duplicate records. Record linkage ensures referential integrity across all 5 bases.
Automated Reporting
Python scripts join data across bases to generate attendance reports, capacity dashboards, and trend analysis for leadership.
Smart Notifications
Zapier workflows trigger emails, SMS alerts, and calendar invites based on database events; enrollment confirmations, schedule changes, sign-up reminders.