Trainfest Registration Database

 

Abstract

 

Caryl A. Sinfield

November 20, 2003

 

Advisor:? Charles Massey

 

Background

 

I have been a volunteer for Girl Scouts of Western North Carolina, Pisgah Council, for the past 12 years.? When my supervisor learned I was seeking a project, she asked if I would be interested in designing a database for GSWNCPC?s annual adult training event, Trainfest.? This event offers 100 to 150 participants placement in up to seven classes and meals throughout the weekend.? Until now, the tracking of the data was done manually, including class placement, and payment and analysis of fees.? We estimated that we could possibly save up to 250 labor hours by creating a database that would facilitate tracking this data, and producing needed information from that data.? I agreed to take on the project because one of my career goals is to develop a home-based business in which I can use existing database tools to help small businesses, not necessarily non-profits, gain the benefits of using databases, without incurring exorbitant consulting costs.

 

Project Description

 

The database initially needed to track both static and annual information about each participant, courses offered, meals offered, and souvenir shirts offered.? The ability to update base data for each year?s event would be a tremendous time-saver.? Also to be considered was that the majority of Users of the application are not highly computer literate, and may change frequently due to all of the work being done by volunteers.? So, it is extremely important to provide an application that is not only quick and easy to learn how to use, but is fun enough to be appealing, and can be maintained with minimal effort.

 

Conclusion

 

From this project, I have learned that I possess most of the technical knowledge, and the business expertise, required to fulfill my goal.? I have identified several stepping-stones to reach my goal, including learning more about Visual Basic.? I also learned that I do have the ability to work with customers who have little, or no, technical ability and teach them now only how to use an application, but to begin to understand how the elements of a database interact, empowering the User to hypothesize about possibilities for future use.? The two classes that were really the most useful to me in preparing for this project were CSCI446 and 448.? In addition to my work experience, these courses reinforced the importance of planning and involving the User at every step to ensure a successful project.