Revolutionizing Education with Cardano and Galaxy Maps

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Ben Tairea

[GENERAL] Are you delivering this project as an individual or as an entity (whether formally incorporated or not)

Entity (Not Incorporated)

[GENERAL] Co-proposers and additional applicants

Vaipunu Tairea

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

12

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language

No

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

By integrating tokens and smart contracts into the Galaxy Maps online learning platform we will be able to accelerate digital education and participation in the global digital economy.

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.”

No dependencies

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

Yes

[GENERAL] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

Galaxy Maps is an open source project operating a GNU general public license. https://github.com/tairea/galaxy-maps-v2/blob/main/LICENSE

[METADATA] Horizons

Learn to Earn

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

Greetings, Visionary 

The lack of digital education programs in remote regions has resulted in low digital engagement for many. This gap not only affects their participation in digital learning but also limits their access to future opportunities in the digital economy.

The Galaxy Maps system was designed to address this by creating a learning metaverse where Navigators explore galaxies of learning mapped by fleet captains from across the universe. Captains that have a lifetime experience of skill and knowledge can create galaxy maps made up of stars and planets each with its own missions that need to be completed that form a learning path for Navigators to explore and learn.

We believe the future of online learning involves the tokenisation of this education metaverse, to create incentivised learning missions empowering navigators and captains to earn tokens as part of their galaxy maps activity, developing a learn to earn marketplace powered by the cardano blockchain.

This signal is a message to other Catalyst visionaries wanting to be apart of building the future of learning by supporting Galaxy Maps engineers to build web3 integrations that will enable Fleets, Captains and Navigators to earn tokenised XP and badges that can unlock new rankings, and opportunities such as exchanging tokens for real world value and unlocking opportunities to complete paid missions of work.

The vision for this project not only revolutionises digital education with blockchain technology but also empowers underserved communities to directly boost their local economy while addressing the global digital skills shortage.

You can catch a glimpse of this future by visiting [www.galaxymaps.io] and be a part of it by voting for this project.

Godspeed.

[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

Our project aims to create a significant positive impact on the wider Cardano community by promoting the adoption and utility of Cardano’s blockchain technology within the education sector, particularly in underserved regions like the South Pacific.

Value to the Cardano Community

1. Real-World Use Case: By integrating Cardano smart contracts into an existing educational platform, we provide a practical example of how blockchain technology can enhance digital learning environments. This showcases Cardano's capabilities to potential users and developers, illustrating the benefits of using Cardano over other blockchain solutions.
2. Increased Adoption: As we empower new students with the tools to engage in digital education and the digital economy, we will also cultivate a new audience of Cardano users. This demographic will gain hands-on experience with Cardano, leading to increased adoption and utilization of the platform within these communities.
3. Innovation in Education: The project promotes innovative approaches to digital education, potentially serving as a model for similar initiatives in other regions. By successfully implementing this solution, we encourage other educators and institutions to consider integrating blockchain technology into their own educational programs.

Measuring Impact

We will use both quantitative and qualitative metrics to measure the impact of our project:

1. Quantitative Metrics:

• User Engagement: Track the number of new students registered for the tokenised courses.
• Token Transactions: Measure the volume of tokens earned within the platform, which will indicate participant engagement.
• Participation Rates: Monitor enrollment and completion rates for tokenised education programs offered through the platform.
• Treasury fundraising: Monitor the amount of funds committed to the treasury to support participant activity.

1. Qualitative Metrics:

• Surveys and Feedback: Collect feedback from students and educators to gauge their experiences and satisfaction with the platform.
• Case Studies: Develop detailed case studies highlighting individual student journeys, showcasing their learning outcomes and engagement levels.

Sharing Outputs and Opportunities

1. Community Engagement: We will actively engage with the Cardano community through forums, social media, and community events, sharing updates on our project’s progress, challenges, and successes.
2. Reports and Publications: At the conclusion of the project, we will compile a comprehensive report detailing our findings, impact metrics, and lessons learned. This report will be shared with the project catalyst community, educational institutions, and stakeholders interested in digital education initiatives.
3. Workshops and Webinars: We plan to host workshops and webinars to share best practices, demonstrate the integration of Cardano technology in education, and provide resources for educators interested in similar projects.
4. Collaboration with Educational Institutions: We will establish partnerships with local educational institutions to further disseminate our findings and encourage other organizations to adopt similar models.

By measuring our impact and sharing our outputs effectively, we aim to contribute to the broader Cardano ecosystem while empowering a new generation of digitally literate individuals. This project not only addresses the immediate needs of the community but also positions Cardano as a leader in integrating blockchain technology into education, fostering innovation and engagement within the ecosystem.

[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

Our project is a collaboration between the Galaxy Maps platform team and Matou Collective, combining expertise in education, development, and blockchain tooling. This partnership ensures we have the technical skills and project management experience necessary to successfully deliver this initiative.

Existing Capabilities

1. Expert Teams: The Galaxy Maps platform team consists of education and development experts with a proven track record in delivering online education projects. Matou Collective brings expertise in developing decentralized tools, particularly within the Cardano ecosystem. Together, we possess a diverse skill set that enables us to tackle both the technical and educational challenges of this project.
2. Project Management Experience: Our teams have successfully completed multiple projects through Project Catalyst, focusing on building innovative Cardano solutions. This experience has equipped us with robust project management methodologies, ensuring that we can deliver our project on time and within budget.
3. Technical Expertise: We have a deep understanding of blockchain technology and its application to . Our team is proficient in integrating the identity solutions required and other decentralized tools, which will facilitate the effective implementation of Cardano within the Galaxy Maps platform.

Steps to Ensure Trust and Accountability

1. Financial Management: We will establish clear budgeting practices and allocate funds responsibly. A dedicated financial manager from our team will oversee all expenditures, ensuring transparency and accountability in fund management.
2. Regular Reporting: We will implement a reporting schedule to provide regular updates to stakeholders on project progress, financial status, and key milestones. This open communication will help build trust within the Cardano community and among our partners.
3. Pilot Testing: Before full-scale implementation, we will conduct pilot tests to validate our approach and gather user feedback. This iterative process will allow us to refine our solution and ensure its effectiveness in meeting the needs of our target audience.
4. Stakeholder Engagement: We will engage stakeholders throughout the project to gather insights and feedback, fostering a collaborative environment that enhances the project's credibility and community support.
5. Evaluation and Impact Assessment: To validate the feasibility of our approach, we will establish clear success metrics and evaluation processes. We will assess both quantitative and qualitative outcomes to measure the project’s impact on student engagement and digital literacy.

By leveraging our combined expertise and implementing robust processes for trust and accountability, we are well-equipped to deliver a successful project that will empower new learners while contributing to the Cardano ecosystem.

[PROJECT MILESTONES] What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Milestone 1: Research and Design Phase

• Description: In this milestone our team will research and design the end-to-end product feature from student and teacher onboarding to token to fiat offboarding
• Outputs: Comprehensive Technical Design documentation for the new features, including, user stories, product requirements, technical requirements, product architecture, UI, UX, product development plan and token-economics model.
• Acceptance Criteria: The design documentation clearly details the product development requirements including front-end and back-end including an explanation and justification for development decisions. The documentation is available in the product repository and has been reviewed by stakeholders.
• Evidence of Completion: Documentation is available in the product repository for community review and includes
• UI and UX designs
• Feature architecture
• Development plan
• Key Challenges: Identifying and addressing usability challenges and avoiding project creep.

Milestone 2: Cardano Infrastructure integration

• Description: Integrate Cardano infrastructure with galaxymaps platform including token setup, wallet connection and platform treasury
• Outputs: Implementation of wallet functionalities for managing tokens within the Galaxy Maps platform.
• Acceptance Criteria: Successful integration of wallet features, allowing users to view balances, and receive ADA; successful internal testing of token management functionalities.
• Evidence of Completion: Code repository demonstrating integrated wallet features; testing results showing successful transactions.
• Key Challenges: Technical complexities in implementing wallet functionalities; ensuring security and compliance with blockchain standards.

Milestone 3: Smart Contracts for token transfers

• Outputs: Development of smart contracts that automate token transfers from the Galaxy Maps treasury to participants based on predefined criteria.
• Acceptance Criteria: Completion of smart contracts with successful testing of transfer functionalities; verification of smart contract security.
• Evidence of Completion: Code repository containing the developed smart contracts; documentation of testing results confirming successful transfers.
• Key Challenges: Ensuring the smart contracts are robust and secure; potential issues with transaction execution on the Cardano blockchain.

Milestone 4: Testing Phase

• Outputs: Comprehensive testing reports, including user acceptance testing (UAT) and functionality testing.
• Acceptance Criteria: Completion of UAT with a minimum satisfaction score; identification and resolution of critical bugs.
• Evidence of Completion: Testing documentation and reports; feedback from testers.
• Key Challenges: Ensuring thorough testing across various user scenarios; managing potential delays in feedback loops.

Milestone 5: Deployment Phase

• Outputs: Full deployment of the updated Galaxy Maps platform with integrated Cardano features.
• Acceptance Criteria: Successful deployment with zero critical issues; user onboarding completed for target audience.
• Evidence of Completion: Deployment logs; user onboarding documentation; initial usage metrics.
• Key Challenges: Technical issues during deployment; ensuring user adoption and understanding of new features.

Milestone 6: Project Close-out Report and Video

• Outputs: Comprehensive project close-out report detailing outcomes, lessons learned, and future recommendations; promotional video showcasing the project impact.
• Acceptance Criteria: Completion of the report and video; positive feedback from stakeholders and users on the documentation and video content.
• Evidence of Completion: Submission of the project report and video; presentation of findings to stakeholders.
• Key Challenges: Ensuring thorough documentation of all project phases; coordinating the creation of the promotional video.

[RESOURCES] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

For the past five years our team have been successfully building and delivering community designed technologies. Below are our team members that are leading this project

Ben Tairea:

As Product Owner of the project solution, Ben will play a pivotal role in driving the development and success of the project. Ben will be responsible for ensuring the product meets the needs of both the development team and the diverse communities it aims to serve.

Professional Experience:

• Proven experience as the Product Owner with Ahau since 2017
• Strong familiarity with AtalaPrism and Cardano as the core contributor to the ssb-atalaprism module
• Strong understanding of decentralized identity concepts, verifiable credentials, and related technologies, serving as chair of Digital Identity NZ 2019-23 and Member of the Identity Product Advisory Group for New Zealand Government (current)
• Clear understanding of user base and product vision as Earth Defenders Toolkit Community Steward since 2022

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and communicate a clear product vision aligned with the goals of the project.
• Curate and manage the product backlog, ensuring it reflects project priorities.
• Champion user-centric design principles, working closely with UI/UX designers to implement feedback and improve usability.
• Collaborate with QA teams to establish and maintain quality standards, participating in testing processes.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive project plans, defining tasks, timelines, and dependencies.
• Track project timelines, identifying and addressing potential delays, and ensuring the timely delivery of milestones.
• Facilitate clear communication between project stakeholders, ensuring everyone is informed about project progress and changes.
• Work closely with the project's financial team to manage and monitor the budget, ensuring resources are allocated efficiently.

Engie Matene:

Is our community liaison for the project leading our co-development approach between the product development team and the communities we aim to serve. Engie will be responsible for developing an engaged community's user base, fostering collaboration, addressing concerns, and ensuring a positive and inclusive experience.

Personal experience:

• Strong understanding of community registrations as lead research and community engagement for TribalDID's = Indigenous sovereignty project since Nov 22
• Secretary for Te Riingi Marae (Marae Trustee)
• Strong technical understanding and community product development working as a community software developer since 2017

Key Responsibilities:

• Actively engage with potential user communities to build strong relationships.
• Gather and synthesize user feedback, ensuring the community's voice is heard and considered in project development.
• Address community concerns, inquiries, and issues promptly, working closely with the development team to find resolutions.
• Act as the bridge between development teams, community stakeholders, and other relevant parties.
• Be an advocate for the community within the development team, ensuring their needs and perspectives are considered in decision-making processes.

Mix Irving:

As the senior developer for the project Mix is a key player in the design, development, and implementation of our decentralized identity solution on the Cardano blockchain. His expertise will drive technical excellence, innovation, and the successful delivery of a robust and scalable open-source product.

Personal Experience:

• Core developer for Loomio governance tool
• Key contributor to Dark Crystal v1
• Core developer and community organiser of Scuttlebutt
• Lead developer for Āhau
• Founder of commons.garden
• a new project working to build a stronger p2p commons, sharing learning, fostering collaborations

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide technical leadership within the development team, guiding the implementation of decentralized identity solutions.
• Lead blockchain development efforts, particularly on the Cardano and AtalaPrism platform, ensuring secure and efficient integration
• Enforce coding standards and best practices to maintain high-quality, maintainable, and efficient code.
• Implement robust security measures, including encryption and secure key management, to ensure the integrity of the decentralized identity system.

Ian Tairea

As lead developer and product owner of Galaxy Maps platform, Ian will be leading the design, development and integration of frontend features for the product. Ian has been an educator in indigenous high-schools in Aotearoa New Zealand, so has a unique insight into the downfalls of the current education system and dreams of a better more innovative way of teaching and learning.

[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Development Team (60% - ₳180,000):

• Salaries and compensation for developers, and technical team members.
• Software development tools and licenses.

Feature design (10% - ₳30,000):

• Compensation for solution architecture services, development team and stakeholder input costs

Project management (7% - ₳21,000):

• Compensation for project management resource responsible for reporting and communications

Documentation (5% - ₳15,000)

• Technical writers for creating comprehensive documentation.

Community engagement (15% - ₳45,000)

• Facilitation for stakeholder feedback, user testing and onboarding event

Contingency (3% - ₳9,000):

• A reserve fund for unexpected expenses or scope changes.

The budget will be regularly revisited throughout the duration of the project with shared responsibility between the project leads to ensure that funds are allocated optimally and to accommodate any emerging needs or changes in scope. Additionally, maintaining a detailed and transparent record of expenditures will aid in effective budget management throughout the project lifecycle.

[VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

Value for Money for the Cardano Ecosystem

The total project cost of 300,000 ADA reflects a strategic investment in the development of a cutting-edge digital education platform aimed at enhancing digital participation and opportunities for marginalised communities across the globe. The costs associated with this project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem for several reasons:

1. Personnel Costs Justification: The personnel costs, totaling 180,000 ADA, are calculated based on a rate of 200 ADA per hour, which aligns with industry standards for specialized technical roles in blockchain development and education. Given the expertise required to implement blockchain technology and create a sustainable educational platform, these costs are competitive when compared to average freelance rates and salaries in the tech sector.
2. Comprehensive Development Approach: The project includes extensive development phases that ensure robust integration of Cardano’s blockchain technology, particularly in wallet management and smart contracts. By focusing on these critical components, we are laying the foundation for future innovative applications within the Cardano ecosystem. This investment will enhance the overall utility and adoption of Cardano in real-world scenarios, demonstrating clear value.
3. Community Engagement and Education: The allocated budget for a community deployment event (45,000 ADA) is vital for fostering engagement and promoting the platform's features. This investment aims to reach a broad audience and drive adoption, ensuring that the project not only benefits users but also contributes to a vibrant Cardano community. By actively involving the community, we create a feedback loop that will enhance the platform's development and adoption.
4. Documentation and Contingency Planning: A budget of 15,000 ADA for documentation ensures that all project outputs are clearly communicated and accessible, contributing to transparency and shared knowledge within the ecosystem. Additionally, the contingency fund of 9,000 ADA provides a safety net for unexpected challenges, demonstrating prudent financial management and commitment to delivering the project successfully.
5. Long-Term Impact: This project will accelerate digital education for a number of communities across the South Pacific, addressing a critical gap and creating opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship in the region. The success of this initiative will not only empower local communities but also position Cardano as a leader in facilitating meaningful digital transformation, ultimately driving further investment and interest in the ecosystem.

In conclusion, the costs associated with this project reflect a well-considered and justified investment that will deliver tangible benefits to both the targeted communities and the Cardano ecosystem as a whole. By investing in this project, funders will support a transformative initiative that aligns with the goals of the Cardano network to foster innovation and expand its global reach.