Add GCI student launch portal

README.md

@@ -1,60 +1,151 @@
-# GCI
+# GCI Student Launch Portal
+
+A lightweight student onboarding website for Genesee Career Institute Computer Science and technology courses.
+
+Students can use one URL to:
+
+- choose their course
+- open required sign-in systems
+- open their LMS
+- access course tools
+- review orientation expectations
+- complete a setup check
+- report problems
+- start a first activity while others finish setup
+
+The site is built for GitHub Pages with only HTML, CSS, and vanilla JavaScript.
+
+## Project structure
+
+```text
+/
+├── index.html
+├── orientation.html
+├── help.html
+├── css/
+│   └── styles.css
+├── js/
+│   ├── config.js
+│   └── app.js
+├── assets/
+│   └── README.md
+└── README.md
+```
 
-Tools Built for the Genesee Career Institute
+## Preview locally
 
-## Project Hub (Recommended Start)
+Because this is a static site, you can preview it in either of these ways:
 
-- Open `index.html` in a browser to access all projects, guides, scripts, and tests from one page.
+1. Open `index.html` directly in a browser.
+2. Or run a simple local server from the repository root:
 
-## App status
+```bash
+python3 -m http.server 8000
+```
 
-- Production
-  - `OOOReview` (Python Order of operations) — interactive practice app with badge cabinet, mastery tracking, and PNG export. Path: `OOOReview.html`
-  - `AgileReview` — instructor review tools
-  - `No_School_Viewer` — schedule viewer
-  - `wordguide1` — MOS Word Project 1 step-by-step guide. Path: `wordguide1.html`
-  - `wordguide2` — MOS Word Project 2 step-by-step guide. Path: `wordguide2.html`
+Then open `http://localhost:8000/`.
 
-  - `Lab Manual Generator` (Python) — Teacher edition DOCX generator (production). Script: `HArdware Lab Manual.py`. Output: `GCI_Computer_Hardware_Labs_Teacher_Edition_updated.docx`
+## Enable GitHub Pages
 
-- Alpha Testing
-  - `GCI_Communications` — communications utilities (Alpha)
-
-## In Development
+1. Push the repository to GitHub.
+2. Open **Settings → Pages**.
+3. Under **Build and deployment**, choose **Deploy from a branch**.
+4. Select the branch you want to publish and the `/ (root)` folder.
+5. Save the settings.
+6. Wait for GitHub Pages to publish the site.
 
-- `AgileVocab` — vocabulary practice (In Development)
-- `GCI3Dorder` — 3D order demo (In Development)
-- `mathquest` — interactive math exercises (In Development)
-- `ProgReview` — programming review (In Development)
+All site links use relative paths so the portal also works from GitHub Pages project URLs such as `https://username.github.io/gci-student-launch/`.
 
-## Quick start (OOOReview)
+## Course configuration
 
-- Open `OOOReview.html` in a browser to run the production app locally.
+All course data and editable external links live in:
 
-## Quick start (MOS Word Guides)
+- `js/config.js`
 
-- Open `wordguide1.html` in a browser for Project 1 guided walkthrough
-- Open `wordguide2.html` in a browser for Project 2 guided walkthrough
-- Required project files are located in the `wordprojectfiles` folder
-- Progress is automatically saved in your browser
+This includes:
 
-Contributions welcome — please open an issue describing proposed changes and test steps.
+- course names
+- course descriptions
+- LMS links
+- tool links
+- syllabus links
+- orientation links
+- setup check link
+- help/reporting link
+- first mission links
 
-## Quick start (Lab Manual Generator)
+## Change links
 
-- Requirements: Python 3.8+ and the `python-docx` package.
-- Install dependency (PowerShell):
+Open `js/config.js` and update the URL strings.
 
-```powershell
-python -m pip install --user python-docx
-```
+Examples of values you will likely replace:
 
-- Generate the teacher edition (PowerShell):
+- `setupCheckUrl`
+- `helpFormUrl`
+- `firstMissionDefaultUrl`
+- each course's `syllabusUrl`
+- each course's `orientationUrl`
+- each course's LMS and tool URLs
 
-```powershell
-python "c:\github\GCI\HArdware Lab Manual.py"
-```
+Temporary links are intentionally labeled with obvious `REPLACE-WITH-...` placeholders.
+
+## Add another course
+
+1. Open `js/config.js`.
+2. Add a new item inside `SITE_CONFIG.courses`.
+3. Give the new course a unique key.
+4. Provide its name, description, LMS items, tool items, syllabus URL, orientation URL, and first mission URL.
+5. Save the file and reload the site.
+
+The homepage course cards and dashboard content are generated from that configuration.
+
+## Logo placement
+
+Put the official GCI logo in:
+
+- `assets/`
+
+A placeholder logo area is already built into the interface so the site still looks polished before the final logo is available.
+
+## Placeholder URLs still to update
+
+The following values are still placeholders by default:
+
+- district Canvas URL
+- setup check form URL
+- help/report problem form URL
+- course syllabi URLs
+- course orientation URLs
+- first mission URLs
+- district/internal course tools
+- certification and hardware resource links
+- student help desk URL
+
+Public services already use real public URLs where appropriate:
+
+- Gmail
+- Google Drive
+- Google Classroom
+- GitHub
+- CodeHS
+- Google account sign-in
+
+## Privacy and security notes
+
+- The site does not collect student names.
+- The site does not collect student email addresses.
+- The site stores only course choice and step completion in local browser storage.
+- No databases, authentication systems, API keys, or private credentials are used.
+- Assume the site is publicly accessible when hosted on GitHub Pages.
+
+## Before launch checklist
 
-- Notes:
-  - The script writes `GCI_Computer_Hardware_Labs_Teacher_Edition_updated.docx` by default to avoid write errors if an earlier document is open. Close any open copies of the DOCX to allow overwriting the primary filename.
-  - After opening the DOCX in Microsoft Word, update the Table of Contents by selecting the TOC page and pressing F9 (or References → Update Table) so page numbers and hyperlinks populate.
+- [ ] Replace every `REPLACE-WITH-...` URL in `js/config.js`
+- [ ] Add the official GCI logo if available
+- [ ] Verify each course shows the correct LMS buttons
+- [ ] Verify each course shows the correct tools
+- [ ] Test course selection and change course behavior
+- [ ] Test onboarding progress save/reset behavior
+- [ ] Test the setup check and help form destinations
+- [ ] Test the site on a phone and a Chromebook
+- [ ] Confirm all external links open safely in a new tab

assets/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# Assets
+
+Place the official GCI logo in this folder when it is available.
+
+Suggested path:
+
+- `assets/gci-logo.svg`
+
+This project currently uses a styled placeholder area so the site still looks complete before the logo is added.