[albert_e]

Many folks like schools, employers, etc still publish calendars in PDF format.

They spend more time on branding and visual formatting, than trying to create the same in formats that we can import into our calendar apps and actually use it practically.

I wonder if there is a two step process we can follow that will more robustly generalize ...

1. Read any document and convert into into a simple table that tries to tabulate: date, time (+timezone), venue, url, notes, recurrence

2. Read a table that roughly has the above structure and use that to create google/ical/ics files or links

We may be able to fine tune a model or agent separately to do each step very well.

[marbletiles]

You badly overestimate the technical chops of the parent-guardian cohort and underestimate the practicality of a printable PDF with key dates.

[albert_e]

This is not either/or.

We can have both.

Any organization in 2024 creating a calendar that impacts 500-1000 people should have the awareness that people use digital calendars / apps too.

They should make an effort to publish both PDF and ical.

Since that has yet to catch on in many places -- including the HR departments of large enterprises that publish holiday calendars and the like -- these alternatives ideas are explored.

Once we have the right tools ...

It just takes one tech-savvy parent to do this 10 minute exercise and publish an online calendar that other busy parents can subscribe to.

[bronco21016]

Agreed. If my child’s elementary school can manage, then most larger organized activities should be able to manage as well. I’m thinking along the lines of like organized rec athletic leagues, organized after school activities. Etc.

I do find that most of these do provide some method of getting a calendar link but we’re not quite to 100% yet.