The AAWS team continued steady progress across learning, news publishing, obituary management, directory expansion, website improvements, design training, and structured documentation. Below is a detailed summary of the day’s activities by team member.
Learning & Professional Development
ALEX | AI & Data Skills
- Completed the free Google course “Speed Up Data Analysis and Presentation Building.”
- Progressed to 80% completion on “Use AI as a Creative or Expert Partner.”
News, Obituaries & Publishing
ZARA | Obituaries & News Publishing
- Published 5 Durham obituary notices.
- Published 5 Aruba News articles on:
https://arubanews.ca/ - Published 2 Durham News articles on:
https://allaboutdurham.com/
NOLAN | News Publishing
- Published 10 news articles on All About Durham, including major provincial and local updates such as:
- Ontario Liberal leadership developments
- Criminal charges in Oshawa
- National food recall alerts
- Local infrastructure and community updates
- All content published on:
https://allaboutdurham.com/
Website Updates & Content Enhancements
KEVIN | Website Improvements & Media Updates
- Met with Ben to review task progress.
- Completed multiple website improvements based on task documentation and client requests, including:
- Header layout updates
- Form layout adjustments
- Visual alignment improvements
- Enhanced and published 40 memorial images with improved clarity and consistency.
- Corrected memorial image display so all images are fully visible and properly sized on the main memorial listing page.
- Reviewed and responded to all incoming emails.
Design Training & Creative Practice
AMELA | Canva Learning & Practice
- Learned Canva fundamentals through guided video training.
- Created a 4:5 Instagram post as a practice exercise.
- Gained understanding of:
- Canvas sizing
- Layout and spacing
- Text placement
- Focused on building foundational confidence rather than polished output.
Directories & Business Data Collection
MAYA | Durham Directory Data Collection
- Researched business locations in Durham using Google Search and Maps.
- Verified and organized business details into structured spreadsheets.
- Used AI assistance to accurately format address components for consistency.
- Collected missing details for approximately 41 businesses (work in progress).
- Reviewed new task instructions before starting work.
- Meeting: Met with Ben to review current progress.
SOPHIA | Durham Directory Expansion
- Added 28 verified places to the Durham Directory on:
https://durhamdirectory.com/ - Generated clear, accurate descriptions to improve directory usability.
- Added 54 places to the Google tracking sheet.
- Reviewed news posting requirements for All About Durham.
- Progress Review: Ben reviewed current progress.
RIYA | Aruba Beauty & Grooming Categories
- Completed and uploaded Salon & Beauty category listings, including images and locations.
- Completed Barbershop category listings with verified business details.
- Cleaned and updated data sheets to improve accuracy and completeness.
Documentation, SEO & Training Resources
MARIA | Schema Training Documentation
- Completed and reviewed a structured training document explaining schema markup and its role in SEO.
- Evaluated the guide’s clarity, structure, and practical value for non-technical staff.
- Identified strengths such as step-by-step schema guidance and common mistake prevention.
- Total time spent: 7.40 hours.
- Progress Review: Elon and Milan reviewed current progress.
