University student collective for Cardano

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

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

[GENERAL] Requested funds in ada

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

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

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

Collaborative space for projects & materials about students/universities. By sharing material, experience, best practices, & challenges, we will maximise chances for onboarding students & universities

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

[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?

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

All information will be recorded and accessible to the community.

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

The problem:

Through the Catalyst funds there were many initiatives dedicated to promoting Cardano to Universities and to students. In Fund 9 and fund 10 there were dedicated challenges for students.

• In Fund 9 there were 15 funded proposals: F9: Challenge & Scouted for Students🎓 | Project Catalyst at the Students challenge 
• In Fund 10, 63 proposals were suggested and 13 were funded in F10: Startups & Onboarding for Students | Project Catalyst.

In Lidonation.com if you search for "students" in the proposals sections, the results show 295 approved proposals and 169 completed. If you search for "University" there are 428 approved proposals and 231 completed.

These are very significant numbers that show the interest of the ecosystem in student engagements. Indeed, one of Cardano’s objectives is to attract a diverse, dynamic group of individuals from around the world, particularly young and motivated ones, to inject fresh perspectives and expand the community’s reach to a broader audience.

This results in 10s of activities by various teams around the world creating materials and approaching universities. This is done in Silos.

The solution

The opportunity is to create a collaborative space to meet on a regular basis and enable a space to share resources, learning and best practices.

This collective could also then promote key activities around the Catalyst and Cardano solution and create joint initiatives. For example promoting Cardano Academy by CF to universities. 

We will organise 10 meetings, one per month during 10 months, to talk and understand the challenges and the best practices to be more effective on the ongoing and future founded projects concerning students and universities. 

The recorded meeting and the summary of each meeting will be uploaded on an open space and be available to the public. 

The project also includes a month at the end of the project in which we will create, thanks to the different feedbacks that we gathered and the resources shared, presentations and resources that will be available in an open space. These resources and presentations will permit the next founded proposals to have already some resources available for them that could permit a sustainable coordination within all the proposals concerning education for students and universities all around the world. Key content will be localised by the members to permit a better comprehension and adaptation worldwide. Moreover, it could hypothetically reduce the costs for Cardano on the “creation of presentations” and “research” in the next proposals on this theme. 

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

• Enhanced Collaboration: By providing a platform for project teams to share resources, experiences, and best practices, the collaborative space fosters collaboration and knowledge exchange among community members. This strengthens relationships within the community and promotes a sense of unity and shared purpose.

• Improved Efficiency: Through regular meetings and coordination efforts, redundant efforts and overlapping initiatives can be minimized, leading to more efficient resource utilization and better outcomes for funded projects. This ensures that community resources are used effectively to maximize impact.

• Accelerated Learning and Innovation: By learning from each other's experiences and successes, project teams can accelerate their learning curves and drive innovation in student and university engagement strategies on Cardano. This results in more effective approaches and solutions that benefit the entire ecosystem.

• Increased Adoption and Awareness: The collaborative space provides a platform for promoting Cardano's value proposition and educational resources to universities and students worldwide. By coordinating joint initiatives and sharing promotional materials, the community can amplify its outreach efforts and increase awareness and adoption of Cardano within academic communities.

• Community Empowerment: By involving Catalyst community members as regional coordinators and active participants in the collaborative space, the project empowers community members to take ownership of initiatives and drive positive change within their respective regions. This strengthens community engagement and participation in the Cardano ecosystem.

• Sustainable Growth: The creation of a resource pool with presentations and materials for future proposals ensures the sustainability of education and university-related initiatives on Cardano. By providing pre-existing resources, future projects can build upon the knowledge and insights gained from previous efforts, leading to sustained growth and impact over time.

Overall, the collaborative space for education and university-related projects has the potential to strengthen the Cardano community, drive adoption and awareness, foster innovation, and promote sustainable growth in 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?

As international students from diverse backgrounds, studying in different countries and languages, we bring a unique perspective to our work. Anna Ben Zvi, currently pursuing her studies in International Business Management at a Barcelona-based school, demonstrates exceptional leadership as the President of the school's basketball club and as a member of the finance club. Her accolades, including recognition as the most inspiring student within her school and her active involvement in Fund 11 and 12, underscore her dedication to community engagement. Fluent in four languages and proficient in two more, Anna's linguistic abilities enable her to connect with a broad audience across linguistic barriers. 

Similarly, Benjamin Ben Zvi, pursuing his Bachelor's degree in International Business in France, has enriched his academic journey with international experiences, including a semester exchange at the City University of Hong Kong. As a participant in Fund 9, 10, and 11, with two founded proposals focusing on universities and student initiatives, Benjamin has demonstrated his commitment to advancing community-driven projects. Fluent in four languages and with a grasp of three more, Benjamin's multicultural background and linguistic skills align perfectly with our project's global outreach goals. Together, Anna and Benjamin's diverse experiences, linguistic fluency, and active involvement in the Cardano community lay a strong foundation for the success of our project.

We will also benefit from a team of 2 catalyst community members that are dealing with students and university onboarding around the world that will help us to coordinate the activities in their regions.

More information about the members of the team and their roles below in the proposal. 

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

Setting

(June-July) 

• Onboard the team members from various regions
• Social channels
• Open space for discussion - open telegram and discord
• Open a youtube channel 
• Open meetup account
• Create guidelines & format for meetings 
• Open a shared space for files
• Prepare a list of funded relevant proposals
• Reach out to all funded proposal to join the session
• To join the session 
• To share their key resources and learning
• PPTs
• Surveys 
• Courses
• ...
• Prepare and Initiate the first United Uni meetup. 

Acceptance criteria 

• Telegram and discord are open
• Guidelines & format for meetings are available  
• Meetup account is open
• Youtube channel is open
• Shared space for files is open
• List of funded relevant proposals is ready
• A statement which funded proposal were reached and status of feedback
• A summary of all the information that was shared with descriptions and links
• First meetup  

Info provided to verify the milestone achievement 

• Social channels and meetup are publick
• We will share the link to shared spaces 
• Access to the list of funded proposal will be granted
• The statement and summary will be shared through a link
• Meetup will be recorded
• Shared list of people/universities engaged 

Meetup phase 1:

(August - September) 

Milestone output(s) Meetups Phase 1, August - September

• 2 monthly, 90 min meetups 
• Ongoing updated list of resources & initiatives
• Objective to have 7-10 engaged proposers
• Manage social networks 

Acceptance criteria 

• 2 meetups 
• Active social network activities
• Active resources updates 

Info provided to verify the milestone achievement 

• Meetups will be recorded
• Social network feasible for all
• Resource update report 

Meetup phase 2:

(October - December) 

Milestone output(s) Meetups Phase 2 October- December

• 3 monthly, 90 min meetups
• Key learning from milestone 2 and suggested improvements for the next milestone.
• Ongoing updated list of resources & initiatives
• Objective to have 7-10 engaged proposers
• Manage social networks 

Acceptance criteria 

• 3 meetups 
• Active social network activities
• Active resources updates 

Info provided to verify the milestone achievement 

• Meetups will be recorded
• Social network feasible for all
• Resource update report 

Meetups phase 3:

( January - March) 

Milestone output(s) Meetups Phase 3, January - March

• 3 monthly, 90 min meetups 
• Key learning from milestone 3.
• Ongoing updated list of resources & initiatives
• Objective to have 7-10 engaged proposers
• Manage social networks 

Acceptance criteria 

• 3 meetups 
• Active social network activities
• Active resources updates 

Info provided to verify the milestone achievement 

• Meetups will be recorded
• Social network feasible for all
• Resource update report 

Meetups conclusion phase:

( April )

Milestone output(s) Meetups conclusion phase April 

• 1, 90 min meetups -> Conclusion
• Ongoing updated list of resources & initiatives
• Objective to have 7-10 engaged proposers
• Manage social networks 

Acceptance criteria 

• 1 meetup
• Active social network activities
• Active resources updates 

Info provided to verify the milestone achievement 

• Meetup will be recorded
• Social network feasible for all
• Resource update report.

Summary and reports:

(Mai 2025) 

Milestone output(s), Summary & Learning 

• Final reports including:
• Learning and impact on the community
• Shared resources summary with links
• Recommendation how to continue and grow the initiative
• New content such as presentations and resources that the next proposers on the theme could use. 
• Closing report and video

Acceptance criteria 

• Final report done
• Closing report and video
• Presentations and ressources

Info provided to verify the milestone achievement 

• Both reports and new content will be shared with an accessible link

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

Anna Ben Zvi: 

• Student in an international business management school based in Barcelona. 
• Member of the school’s finance club.
• President of the school’s basketball club. 
• Award for the most inspiring student within the school. 
• Proposer and reviewer in Fund 11.
• Registered as a reviewer for Fund 12. 
• Participated in the event Launch 12 of Project Catalyst in Barcelona.
• Presenting a project on promoting Catalyst to 5000 students in French, English and Spanish. 
• Currently finishing the Cardano academy course. 
• Speaks fluently 4 languages: English, French, Spanish and Hebrew. 
• Have an understanding of: Arabic and Italian. 

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/anna-ben-zvi-7b1b43297

-> Role: Project leader, in charge of onboard the team members, hosting of the meetings etc.

Benjamin Ben Zvi: 

• Student in a Business school in France, finishing his Bachelor in International Business. 
• Did an exchange with the City University of Hong Kong for one semester that permitted him to meet a lot of students from around the world. 
• Participated in Fund 9,10 and 11 as a proposer and reviewer. 
• Registered as a reviewer for Fund 12. 
• Had 2 founded proposals about universities and students in the Fund 9.
• Part of a multicultural student association. 
• Support to other students related initiatives and supporting good-wall work and WADA for the french market. 
• Speaks fluently 4 languages: English, French, Spanish and Hebrew. 
• Have an understanding of: Mandarin, German, Italian.

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/benjamin-ben-zvi

Role: Opening the various open spaces, create guidelines & formal for meetings, prepare list of funded relevant proposals etc.

Team of 2 catalyst community members that are dealing with students and university onboarding around the world that will help us coordinate the activities:

Samuel Kobi: 

• 10+ years hands-on experience in IT Business Management and Administration. 
• Possesses a wealth of expertise as the Hubs Coordination and Licensing Lead at Wada Global Ltd. 
• Currently pursuing an MBA with a specialisation in IT Management at IU Berlin. 
• Committed to staying at the forefront of industry trends while leveraging his practical knowledge to drive impactful initiatives within the organisation. 
• LV0 community reviewer in Fund 10. 
• LV1 community and milestone reviewer in Fund 11. 

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/samuel-kobi-06157028a

Role: Member of the catalyst community members that are going to help us coordinate: in charge of the African and North American continent.

Sara Solanki  

• Student at Mount Carmel College in India, pursuing a bachelor's degree in economics. 
• She was a member of her school's student council and served as the deputy head girl.  
• Awarded for the most noble student.  
• Did a student cultural exchange in Japan  
• She has led multiple TEDx talks. 
• Registered as a reviewer for Fund 12 
• She has had articles published in college newsletters. 

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/sara-solanki-909839292

Role: Member of the catalyst community members that are going to help us coordinate: in charge of the Asian and Latinoamerican continent.

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

The budget will include two key categories:

The first category will include facilitation of the group, meetups, social network and the work committed in the milestones. This will be conducted by the project team as well as any support team members that will be added based on needs and engagement.

The second category is incentive dedicated for the students/project owners for being active participants in the meetings and sharing the information & resources they have with the group. We will facilitate this incentive in a transparent way and use it for collaborative efforts. For the proposal we estimated based on the number of active participants. Any gap will be used to incentivise collaboration. 

Below you can find a detailed budget for activities. The budget will be divided between the team members based on their tasks and actual contribution. 

Milestone 1 - Setting 

(July - August) 

• Open social network spaces (youtube, Discord, Telegram, Meetup): 4h x 80 ADA = 320 ADA
• Create guidelines & format for meetings: 4h x 80 ADA = 320 ADA
• Prepare a list of funded relevant proposals: 15h x 80 ADA = 1200 ADA
• Reach out and coordinate with proposals to join the program and share materials: 40h x 80 ADA = 3200 ADA  
• Preparation and performance of the first United Uni meetup: 7h x 2 people = 14h x 80 ADA = 1120 ADA
• Work on the shared resource centre 10 hours/month x 80 ADA x 2 =1600 ADA 
• Incentive participation per meetup 1000 ADA (estimated to be divided by up to 10 participants). 1 meetup x 1000 ADA = 1000 ADA

Total cost for Milestone 1 = 8760 ADA 

Milestone 2 - Meetup phase 1 

(September - October) 

• Preparation and performance of 2 United Uni meetups: 8h x 2 people = 16h x 80 ADA = 1200 ADA
• Summary of each meetups and of the global milestone: 15h x 80 ADA = 1200 ADA 
• Manage social networks: 10h x 80 ADA = 800 ADA
• Work on the shared resource centre 10 hours/month x 80 ADA x 2 =1600 ADA 
• Incentive participation per meetup 1000 ADA (estimated to be divided by up to 10 participants) : 2 x 1000 ADA = 2000 ADA 

Total cost for Milestone 2 = 6800 ADA 

Milestone 3 - Meetup phase 2

(November - January) 

• Preparation and performance of 3 United Uni meetups: 10h x 2 people = 20h x 80 ADA = 1600 ADA
• Summary of each meetups and of the global milestone: 20h x 80 ADA = 1600 ADA
• Manage social networks: 10h x 80 ADA = 800 ADA
• Work on the shared resource centre 10 hours/month x 80 ADA x 3 = 2400 ADA 
• Incentive participation per meetup 1000 ADA (estimated to be divided by up to 10 participants) : 3 x 1000 ADA = 3000 ADA 

Total cost for Milestone 3 = 9400 ADA 

Milestone 4 - Meetups phase 3

(February - April) 

• Preparation and performance of 3 United Uni meetups: 10h x 2 people = 20h x 80 ADA = 1600 ADA
• Summary of each meetups and of the global milestone: 20h x 80 ADA = 1600 ADA
• Manage social networks: 10h x 80 ADA = 800 ADA
• Work on the shared resource centre 10 hours/month x 80 ADA x 3 = 2400 ADA 
• Incentive participation per meetup 500 ADA (estimated to be divided by up to 10 participants) : 3 x 1000 ADA = 3000 ADA 

Total cost for Milestone 3 = 9400 ADA 

Milestone 5 - Meetups conclusion phase

(May)

• Preparation and performance of 1 United Uni meetups: 7h x 2 people = 14h x 80 ADA = 1120 ADA
• Summary of the meetup and of the global milestone: 10h x 80 ADA = 800 ADA
• Manage social networks: 10h x 80 ADA = 800 ADA
• Work on the shared resource centre 10 hours/month x 80 ADA x 1 = 800 ADA 
• Incentive participation per meetup 1000 ADA (estimated to be divided by up to 10 participants) : 1 x 1000 ADA = 1000 ADA 
• Preparation of the global resume from all the meetings = 20h x 80 ADA = 1600 ADA 

Total cost for Milestone 4 = 6120 ADA 

Final Milestone: summary and reports 

(June 2025) 

• Final reports: 30h x 80 ADA = 2400 ADA
• Preparation of the presentation and different ressources + translation in Spanish and French : 50h x 80 ADA = 4000 ADA

Total cost for Final Milestone = 6400 ADA

TOTAL PROJECT COST: 46 880 ADA

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

The cost of the project represents excellent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem for several reasons:

1. Efficient Resource Utilisation: The project addresses the issue of inefficient resource use by creating a collaborative space for sharing materials, experiences, best practices, and challenges related to student and university engagement initiative

2. Enhanced Effectiveness: By organising regular meetings and facilitating discussions among Catalyst community members involved in student and university onboarding activities, the project ensures that efforts are directed towards addressing common challenges and adopting effective strategies. This proactive approach leads to increased efficiency and effectiveness in achieving project goals.

3. Knowledge Sharing and Capacity Building: The recorded meetings and summaries made available to the public serve as valuable resources for knowledge sharing and capacity building within the Cardano community. By disseminating insights and learnings from the collaborative space, the project contributes to the continuous improvement of future student engagement initiatives, ultimately driving long-term sustainability and success.

4. Cost Reduction and Efficiency Gains: By providing readily available resources and presentations for future student engagement proposals, the project potentially reduces the costs associated with the creation of new materials and research efforts. This not only optimises resource allocation but also fosters a more sustainable and coordinated approach to education initiatives within the Cardano ecosystem.

Overall, the project's cost aligns with its objectives and potential impact, making it a valuable investment for advancing student and university engagement efforts within the Cardano ecosystem.