Education Addis Immutable Student Registration on Cardano

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Tsedeniya Fikadu Mulugeta

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

Individual

[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)

We will create Education, a secure, blockchain-based platform on Cardano to manage and verify student records. This will ensure immutability, transparency & privacy reducing fraud and inefficiencies

[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.”

Education For All will be developed using open-source tools and Cardano's blockchain technology. We have no reliance on external suppliers, third-party software, or external resources that may cause delays.

[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

Education For All will be fully open-source throughout its lifecycle, with all code made publicly available in a declared GitHub repository. We will use an MIT License, ensuring anyone can inspect, modify, and contribute to the project.

All aspects of the project, including smart contracts, the backend infrastructure, and the UI/UX codebase, will be open source. This openness encourages community participation, innovation, and further development by the Cardano ecosystem.

[METADATA] Horizons

Education

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

Problem Perception:

The current education system faces significant challenges in securely managing and verifying student records. Traditional systems are susceptible to fraud, inefficiencies, and privacy violations. Furthermore, verifying academic credentials and records is often slow and costly, especially when records need to be shared across institutions globally. There is no centralized, trusted solution that offers transparency and security for student records.

Proposed Solution:

We propose Education Addis, a decentralized platform built on the Cardano blockchain. EduChain will securely store student registration data and academic records, ensuring immutable, tamper-proof records that are easily verifiable across institutions. By utilizing smart contracts, we can automate many processes such as credential verification, and NFT-based academic certificates will serve as verifiable proof of completion.

Key Features of EduChain:

1. Immutable Record Storage: Student records are securely stored on the blockchain, preventing fraud and unauthorized alterations.
2. Verifiable Academic Credentials: Institutions and employers can easily verify academic records without intermediaries, speeding up the process.
3. Privacy and Security: Leveraging the security and decentralization of the Cardano network, students' data is secure, and only authorized parties can access their information.
4. Global Accessibility: EduChain breaks down barriers by allowing institutions worldwide to easily share and verify records.

Approach:

We chose blockchain due to its inherent security, transparency, and decentralized nature. Cardano is an ideal blockchain due to its energy efficiency, robust smart contract functionality, and strong developer community. Our approach leverages Cardano’s Plutus smart contracts to automate key processes, making the system efficient, secure, and cost-effective.

Engagement:

Education Addis will engage students, academic institutions, employers, and credential verification bodies. Each stakeholder will benefit from secure, fast, and reliable verification of academic credentials. Students will have full control over their data, while institutions will reduce administrative overhead.

Impact Demonstration:

We will demonstrate impact through:

• Adoption rates: Tracking how many institutions and students use EduChain for record management.
• Verification speed: Measuring the time saved in verifying credentials.
• Data Integrity: Monitoring for instances of attempted fraud or unauthorized changes, and highlighting the success of blockchain in preventing them.

Uniqueness:

Education Addis stands out because it integrates decentralized, verifiable credentials directly into the academic process. Unlike traditional systems, the blockchain’s immutability ensures long-term data integrity and security. By aligning with Cardano’s mission of financial inclusion and decentralization, we are contributing to a transparent and secure education system, accessible to students and institutions globally.

This solution will drive Cardano adoption in education, showcasing the potential of blockchain to transform key industries.

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

Value to the Cardano Community

The success of Education Addis will highlight the practical applications of Cardano’s blockchain in real-world sectors, specifically in education. By showcasing how blockchain can be used to securely manage academic records, EduChain will position Cardano as a leader in decentralized solutions for critical infrastructure. This project will also drive the adoption of Cardano within the educational sector, both locally and globally, increasing the utility and transaction volume on the blockchain.

EduChain also aligns with Cardano's commitment to financial inclusion by providing students with the ability to own and control their academic credentials, regardless of their geographic location. It provides transparency, trust, and accessibility in a way that traditional systems cannot.

How Impact Will Be Measured

We will measure EduChain’s success through several key performance indicators (KPIs), both quantitative and qualitative

1. Number of Institutions Onboarded: Tracking the number of academic institutions that adopt EduChain for student record management and credential verification.
2. Number of Students Registered: Monitoring the growth in the number of students registering their academic records on the platform.
3. Transaction Volume: Measuring the number of verifications and transactions conducted on the Cardano blockchain through EduChain.
4. Time to Verify Credentials: Quantifying the reduction in time needed for employers and institutions to verify student credentials compared to traditional methods.
5. Data Integrity: Tracking attempted fraud cases and proving the system’s ability to safeguard records through blockchain immutability.

Sharing Outputs

We will actively share the outputs of EduChain with the broader Cardano community and educational institutions through

1. Open-Source Repository: Our project will be open-source, with the code and smart contracts available on GitHub, allowing developers in the Cardano ecosystem to build on or integrate with EduChain.
2. Community Engagement: We will host regular updates on Cardano forums, Telegram, Discord, and Project Catalyst channels, sharing progress, milestones, and impact metrics.
3. Webinars and Workshops: We will organize webinars to educate institutions and developers about EduChain, its benefits, and how they can use or contribute to the platform.
4. Partnerships: We will form strategic partnerships with educational institutions and employers to create a sustainable ecosystem around the platform.

This broad outreach will help drive further adoption of Cardano's blockchain and inspire more projects that solve critical infrastructure challenges.

[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?

Capability to Deliver the Project

The EduChain project is led by Tsedeniya Fikadu, an experienced team leader with a strong background in managing cross-functional teams and ensuring the successful delivery of complex projects. While she is not a developer, her leadership and organizational skills have been proven through her successful management of multiple high-impact projects.

GitHub:https://github.com/Tesd19.

Why We Are Best Suited to Deliver This Project

1. Proven Leadership:

• Tsedeniya’s experience in leading diverse teams across multiple sectors ensures that EduChain will be delivered efficiently and on schedule. Her ability to coordinate between developers, legal advisors, and institutions guarantees that the project will be executed smoothly.

1. Technical Expertise:

• The development team has extensive experience in Cardano blockchain development, smart contract creation, and decentralized infrastructure. Their ability to build secure, scalable, and user-friendly solutions makes them the right fit for delivering EduChain’s blockchain-based platform.

1. Past Success:

• The team members have successfully delivered projects of similar scope and complexity, which enhances their capability to deliver EduChain. Previous projects in blockchain applications and secure data management demonstrate their capacity to handle EduChain’s technical requirements.

Validating Feasibility

1. Feasibility Study

• Before full-scale development, we will conduct a feasibility study to assess the technical and operational aspects of the project. This includes evaluating the legal frameworks for student data, ensuring EduChain meets GDPR and FERPA compliance, and ensuring the platform can scale effectively.

1. Prototype Development:

• We will develop a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to validate the technical approach. The MVP will include core features such as student record storage, verification functionality, and decentralized access. The MVP will be tested in collaboration with a small group of institutions to gather feedback and make necessary adjustments before the full launch.

1. Transparent Fund Management:

• Tsedeniya will oversee the allocation of funds, ensuring they are used appropriately. The team will implement a transparent fund management process, providing regular financial updates and progress reports to the Cardano community through Project Catalyst. This transparency will ensure accountability and demonstrate responsible use of funds.
• The project will also follow milestone-based funding, ensuring that funds are only released when key project milestones are met, adding an additional layer of trust and accountability.

Steps to Ensure Trust and Accountability:

• Regular Updates: The team will provide monthly progress reports to the Cardano community, outlining key achievements, challenges, and next steps.
• Open-Source Code: By maintaining an open-source repository, the community can audit and verify the progress of the project, ensuring transparency at every stage.
• Milestone-Based Approach: The project will be broken into clear milestones, with funds released as each milestone is successfully completed, ensuring responsible and effective use of the budget.

With these processes in place, the EduChain team is well-positioned to deliver the project with high levels of trust, accountability, and feasibility.

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

Platform Design & Feasibility Study (Month 1-2)

• Deliverables:
• Completion of a feasibility study to assess the technical, legal, and operational aspects of EduChain.
• Initial platform architecture and design documentation, outlining the blockchain infrastructure, smart contract framework, and UI/UX design.
• Consultation with academic institutions to gather requirements and ensure EduChain aligns with GDPR, FERPA, and other educational regulations.
• Acceptance Criteria:
• Feasibility study report completed and shared with the Cardano community.
• Design and architecture documents validated by the technical team and stakeholders.
• Feedback from at least 3 academic institutions received and incorporated.

MVP Development & Testing (Month 3-6)

• Deliverables:
• Development of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP), including key features such as student record storage, verification, and decentralized access.
• Smart contracts for student credential verification and immutable records deployed on Cardano’s testnet.
• Pilot testing with a selected group of academic institutions, allowing them to use the MVP and provide feedback.
• Acceptance Criteria:
• MVP successfully deployed on Cardano’s testnet and operational.
• Positive feedback received from at least 2 pilot institutions after real-world usage.
• Performance testing results documented, including any technical adjustments needed.

Full Platform Development & Integration (Month 7-9)

• Deliverables:
• Completion of the full platform development, incorporating all feedback from the MVP testing phase.
• Integration with partner academic institutions for live usage.
• Finalization of the open-source repository and documentation for public access.
• Acceptance Criteria:
• Full platform successfully deployed on Cardano mainnet.
• At least 5 academic institutions onboarded and using the platform for live student registration and record management.
• Open-source repository and documentation published.

Community Outreach, Education, and Launch (Month 10-12)

• Deliverables:
• Launch marketing campaign for academic institutions and students, promoting the benefits of EduChain.
• Conduct educational webinars and workshops to onboard new institutions and users.
• Begin scaling and onboarding additional institutions beyond the initial pilot group.
• Acceptance Criteria:
• A minimum of 10 institutions actively using the platform by the end of this phase.
• At least 2 educational webinars conducted and recorded for future use.
• Documented user feedback and platform improvements made based on ongoing usage.

 Project Close-out Report and Video (Month 12)

• Deliverables:
• Completion of a Project Close-out Report detailing the overall progress, impact metrics, lessons learned, and future plans.
• Production of a video summarizing the project journey, successes, and next steps, to be shared with the Cardano community.
• Financial reporting and transparency documentation showing how the budget was utilized.
• Acceptance Criteria:
• Project Close-out Report submitted to Cardano’s Project Catalyst.
• Project video uploaded and shared with the community via official channels.
• Clear impact metrics achieved, including KPIs such as the number of institutions onboarded and the number of student records registered on EduChain.

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

Our project is led by Tsedeniya Fikadu, an exceptional team leader with a proven track record in managing complex projects. Although Tsedeniya is not a developer, she excels at coordinating cross-functional teams and ensuring that projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to a high standard.

Why We Are Best Suited to Deliver:

1. Tsedeniya Fikadu’s Leadership:

• Tsedeniya has extensive experience leading diverse teams, managing stakeholders, and driving projects to successful completion. Her strong leadership ensures that all team members are aligned and that the project progresses smoothly.
• Tsedeniya’s leadership skills will ensure that all development, design, and compliance tasks are handled efficiently, while also fostering a collaborative environment where the team can thrive.
• GitHub:https://github.com/Tesd19.

Amare Tilaye and Ananiya Asheber

1. Skilled and Experienced Team:

• blockchain developers, UI/UX designers, and legal advisors with the technical expertise to build and deploy the EduChain platform.
• Her ability to bring together experts from different fields will ensure that all aspects of the project—from technical implementation to user experience—are handled with care and expertise.
• LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/amare-tilaye-768984299/
• LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/ananiya-asheber-2a417b16a/

Validating Feasibility:

To ensure the feasibility of Education Addis , we will:

• Conduct a thorough feasibility study during the initial phase to identify potential risks and challenges.
• Build an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) to demonstrate the viability of the platform and its core functionalities.
• Work closely with academic institutions to validate the use case and ensure that EduChain meets the specific requirements of educational institutions for secure, decentralized student record management.

By following this structured approach, we will mitigate risks and ensure that the project is both feasible and impactful.

Fund Management

We will establish a transparent fund management process led by Tsedeniya, who will oversee the allocation of resources to different project areas. Regular progress updates and financial reports will be shared with the Cardano community to demonstrate responsible use of funds.

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

The total budget requested for the EduChain project is 175,000 ADA. Below is the detailed cost breakdown across various categories, ensuring efficient allocation of funds for each phase of the project

1. Platform Development: 80,000 ADA

• Smart Contract Development: 30,000 ADA
• Developing and auditing the smart contracts for immutable record-keeping, credential verification, and NFT-based academic certificates.
• Backend Infrastructure: 25,000 ADA
• Setting up the decentralized backend infrastructure to securely store and access student data.
• UI/UX Design: 15,000 ADA
• Building a user-friendly interface for students, academic institutions, and employers to interact with EduChain.
• Security & Testing: 10,000 ADA
• Rigorous security testing and audits to ensure data integrity and platform security.

2. Legal & Compliance: 20,000 ADA

• Data Privacy and Regulation Compliance: 15,000 ADA
• Ensuring that EduChain complies with regulations such as GDPR and FERPA to protect student privacy and meet global educational standards.
• Legal Consultation: 5,000 ADA
• Consulting with legal experts to navigate educational policies and integrate the platform seamlessly.

3. Marketing, Outreach & Community Engagement: 35,000 ADA

• Marketing Campaigns: 20,000 ADA
• Targeted marketing campaigns to onboard academic institutions, students, and potential partners.
• Workshops/Webinars: 5,000 ADA
• Conducting educational workshops and webinars for academic institutions to explain the benefits and usage of EduChain.
• Community Engagement: 10,000 ADA
• Creating content, running community campaigns, and engaging with the Cardano ecosystem through platforms like Telegram, Discord, and Project Catalyst channels.

4. Project Management: 25,000 ADA

• Team Leadership: 15,000 ADA
• Managing the team, setting timelines, and ensuring milestones are met under Tsedeniya’s leadership.
• Administration & Reporting: 10,000 ADA
• Handling administrative tasks, financial management, and regular progress reports to the Cardano community.

5. Documentation & Open Source Repository: 10,000 ADA

• Open Source Repository Setup: 5,000 ADA
• Establishing and maintaining an open-source repository on GitHub, ensuring transparency and community collaboration.
• Documentation: 5,000 ADA
• Creating technical and user documentation for developers and institutions to easily implement and understand the platform.

6. Contingency Fund: 5,000 ADA

• A reserve to address any unforeseen issues during development, ensuring the project stays on track.

Total: 175,000 ADA

This budget has been carefully calculated to ensure that every ADA spent contributes directly to the success of the project. Additional funding sources may be explored in future phases if the scope expands.

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

The cost of 175,000 ADA represents exceptional value for the Cardano ecosystem for several key reasons:

1. Strategic Use of Blockchain in Education:

EduChain leverages Cardano's blockchain to solve a real-world problem—secure, immutable student record-keeping and credential verification. The project will increase blockchain adoption in the education sector, a previously underexplored area, showcasing Cardano’s utility beyond the financial space. By securing and managing academic credentials on-chain, EduChain adds new transactions and use cases to the Cardano blockchain, driving network activity and visibility.

2. Proportional Costs:

The cost breakdown is proportional to industry standards for blockchain development, UI/UX design, security auditing, and compliance services. For example:

• Smart contract development and security auditing are typically high-cost components due to the need for precision, thorough testing, and the complexity of blockchain technology.
• Legal and regulatory compliance is also a necessary investment, particularly in education, where privacy standards like GDPR and FERPA must be strictly adhered to.

By comparing the budget with the average development rates in the blockchain industry, it is clear that this project is cost-effective and in line with standard freelance or contract rates in both development and legal advisory services.

3. Open Source and Long-Term Impact:

EduChain is fully open-source, which means the Cardano community can benefit from the project's work long after its initial completion. Other developers and institutions will be able to build on or integrate with EduChain, ensuring ongoing value and scalability for the project. By open-sourcing the platform, we encourage community contributions and continuous development, further increasing its value over time.

4. Sustainable Ecosystem Growth:

By focusing on an academic use case, EduChain introduces a new demographic—students, educators, and institutions—to the Cardano ecosystem. The onboarding of educational institutions will foster long-term relationships with organizations that may later adopt DeFi tools or participate in blockchain governance. This has the potential to create a sustainable growth loop, where new users continue to engage with Cardano long after the initial project launch.

5. Measurable ROI:

The project includes clear KPIs that will measure success, including the number of institutions onboarded, students registered, and transactions verified. By setting measurable goals and providing regular updates, the Cardano community can easily track the value that the project is delivering.

the budget reflects a well-researched, justified investment in both technology and compliance, with a focus on long-term value creation for the Cardano blockchain ecosystem.