Cardano School Club - Empowering Ethiopian Youth through Blockchain Education

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Miherteab Temesgen

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

Individual

[GENERAL] Co-proposers and additional applicants

Natnael Mohammed

Helen Tamirat

[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 propose a blockchain education program in Ethiopian schools, offering hands on learning of Cardanos ecosystem, smart contracts and DApps, fostering innovation, job creation and digital inclusion.

[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

Our projects outputs including the blockchain curriculum and educational materials will be open source. This ensures accessibility, encourages collaboration and enables scaling across schools in Ethiopia and beyond.

[METADATA] Horizons

Education

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

Proposed Solution

The Cardano School Club will create a hands on blockchain focused educational program for Ethiopian high schools. This initiative will allow learners not only to gain theoretical knowledge about blockchain technology but also give practical experience in creating decentralized applications (DApps), Cardano’s proof of stake (PoS) system and smart contracts using the Plutus and Marlowe frameworks.

The program will intense at schools across the region and it will aim at having students work actual blockchain projects beneficial in making users understand the Cardano ecosystem effectively while at the same time promoting an innovation attitude. Ultimately, through passing such skills to the empowered Ethiopian youths, the formation of cardano school club seeks to foster a new generation of blockchain developers, entrepreneurs, and advocates in the making to solve existing localized and global problems.

Key Program Components:

1. Blockchain Curriculum: Creation of a simple blockchain course specifically for high school and university levels so as to simplify its understanding. The curriculum will cover

. Blockchain fundamentals and decentralized systems.

• Introduction to the Cardano ecosystem including its PoS consensus model.
• Introduction to smart contracts using Plutus and Marlowe.
• Real-life activities in constructing and implementing DApps on Cardano.
• That is why the topics of decentralized finance (DeFi) and perspectives of the industry for increasing the share of Ethiopian citizens with access to financial services.

2.Teacher Training: Train educators to deliver blockchain education. These teachers will become long term resources for the schools ensuring continuity of the program even after the pilot phase.

3.Student Engagement: Hands on projects and hackathons will be organized to allow students to build and deploy their own DApps or blockchain solutions this experiential learning approach will enhance their understanding and foster innovation.

4.Collaboration with Local and Global Blockchain Communities: The Cardano School Club will create strong partnerships with tech hubs, and international blockchain mentors from the Cardano ecosystem to guide students and provide them with real world insights.

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

Positive Impact on the Project

The Cardano School Club will have a direct and sustainable impact on the local community and the broader Cardano ecosystem. Key impacts include:

1. Enhanced Blockchain Literacy: By introducing blockchain education into schools this project will significantly increase the number of young people in Ethiopia who understand blockchain technology and its potential. With the Cardano School Club more than 200 students will be provided with the formal education on the blockchain within the first year.
2. Job Creation and Economic Empowerment: When students are learning blockchain skills what they will be preparing them for is new job opportunities in software development in decentralized finance (DeFi) or anything in the blockchain space. Students will also be able to design and launch novel and viable entrepreneurial solutions that are solutions to existing problem in Ethiopia such as, digital identification, agriculture value chain and micro financing.
3. Strengthened Cardano Ecosystem in Africa: By fostering early adoption of Cardano in Ethiopia this project will contribute to Cardanos mission of becoming a leading blockchain in Africa. Ethiopia has already shown a strong interest in blockchain technology through previous partnerships with Cardano, such as the Ethiopian Ministry of Educations blockchain ID project. This project will further strengthen the relationship and increase local engagement with the Cardano blockchain.
4. Digital Inclusion: The project targets underserved communities and students from diverse socio economic backgrounds aiming to reduce the digital divide. By providing equal access to blockchain education, the project promotes inclusivity and ensures that the benefits of blockchain technology reach all segments of the population.
5. Sustainability and Scalability: The trained teachers and developed curriculum will continue to be used long after the initial pilot phase the goal is to expand the program to more schools across Ethiopia eventually reaching thousands of students and scaling the project to neighboring countries.

[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 & Feasibility

The Cardano School Club project is led by a team with deep local connections and a passion for blockchain education. The teams experience, partnerships and access to resources ensure that the project is both feasible and sustainable.

Team Composition:

• Project Leads: Educators and blockchain enthusiasts from Ethiopia with a strong interest in Cardano and decentralized technology.
• Partnerships: Collaboration with high schools, and Cardano affiliated organizations to design and deliver the curriculum.
• Advisors: A team of experienced Cardano developers and educators from the global Cardano community will act as mentors for the project.
• Local Support: We have secured letters of intent from schools in Addis Ababa and other regions in Ethiopia willing to participate in the pilot phase.

Technical and Logistical Feasibility:

• Hardware: The program will require computers stable internet connections and access to blockchain tools. Funding will be used to set up computer labs in schools that do not have the necessary infrastructure.
• Curriculum Development: The Cardano community already offers many open source educational resources which will be adapted and translated for local use. The curriculum will be designed to fit the Ethiopian educational framework and tailored to the needs of students at varying levels of technical expertise.
• Local Context: Ethiopias growing interest in blockchain technology demonstrated by the governments previous partnership with Cardano suggests a favorable environment for this project the project will also align with ongoing digital transformation efforts in Ethiopia.

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

1. Month 1-2: Initial Planning and Curriculum Development

• Develop a customized blockchain curriculum that integrates the fundamentals of Cardano.
• Formalize partnerships with selected schools.

2.Month 3-4: Teacher Training and School Setup

• Host workshops and training sessions for teachers and school staff to ensure they are comfortable with delivering the blockchain curriculum.
• Install computer labs and necessary infrastructure in pilot schools.

3.Month 5-6: Launch of Pilot Program

• Begin delivering blockchain education in two high schools. The program will be integrated into their current IT or entrepreneurship tracks with a goal of reaching over 200 students in the first year.
• Students will participate in hands on projects blockchain hackathons and collaborative DApp development.

4.Month 7-8: Evaluation and Adjustment

• Servey students, teachers and project partners to identify strengths limitations in curriculum delivery and implementation of changes.
• Hold a Networking Forum for students to display their blockchain inventions to the society and any interested parties.   

5.Month 9-12: Expansion and Final Reporting

• Due to the triumph with the pilot increase the participation of 5 other schools to total 500 more students.
• Write a comprehensive report, investigating the effects and potential, as well as planned expansion of the selected project.Propose next steps for further funding to scale the program nationally.

Final Milestone: The final reporting months encompass month 9 up to month 12 using data generated from the expanded study.

1.Increase the program to five more succeeding schools and provide 500 students.

2.Minimum the surveys and interviews planning should entail administering questionnaires to students, teachers, and partners in order to assess program effectiveness.

3.Create a networking platform that allows students to present a blockchain project to the community and the stake holders.

4.You need to prepare a detailed report on the performances of the project, the issue encountered, recommendations on the same and whereby the project can be taken to another level.

5.They included outlining further implementation plans for expansion of the national reach of the initiative, as well as fundraising efforts to mobilise more resources for the implementation of the initiative in other regions of Ethiopia.

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

Miherteab Temsgen-crypto invester and trader

Natnael Mohammed-Banker https://www.linkedin.com/in/natnael-mohammed-ftip%E2%84%A2-b53489249utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=android_app

Helen Tamirat-Digital banking officer https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-tamirat-14b72b24a?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=android_app

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

Budget & Costs

The following budget breakdown is designed to maximize the impact and scalability of the project while keeping costs reasonable:

1. Curriculum Development: $5,000(13048ADA)

• Custom blockchain education materials (in local languages) adapting global resources for the Ethiopian context.

1. Teacher Training: $7,500(19572ADA)

• Train faculties regarding the curriculum so that the educators can teach them in a more effective way.

1. Hardware and Internet Infrastructure: $10,000(26096ADA)

• Provide 15 computers internet subscriptions and the necessary tech infrastructure to set up blockchain learning centers in pilot schools.

1. Student Learning Kits: $2,500(6524ADA)

• Provide educational kits (notebooks, Cardano wallets, tutorials) for students to enhance their learning experience.

1. Operational Costs: $3,000(7828ADA)

• Cover expenses such as administration transportation for staff and trainers and printing materials for students.

1. Monitoring & Evaluation: $2,000(5219ADA)

• Surveys and interviews in collecting data to use in determining the effectiveness of the program by among others students, teachers and partners.

1. Contingency Fund: $2,000(5219ADA)

• Flexibility for unexpected costs or scaling based on the success of the pilot.

Total Budget: $32,000(90039.39ADA)

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

Value for Money

The Cardano School Club project provides exceptional value for money in several key ways:

1. Efficient Use of Resources: By developing a blockchain curriculum and training local educators the project creates a sustainable model for teaching blockchain technology. Once the pilot phase is complete trained teachers will continue to deliver the program without the need for constant external support ensuring long term benefits.
2. Long Term Benefits: The students trained through this program will not only become blockchain developers and innovators but will also contribute to the broader Cardano ecosystem by building decentralized applications contributing to governance and advocating for blockchain adoption in Ethiopia. This will foster local Cardano adoption and help to achieve Cardanos mission of promoting economic inclusion in Africa.
3. Scalability: The program is planned in such way that it can be spread across in the large scale in future. By using a few schools in the first year Cardano School Club will pilot the project and improve the curriculum that is to be used to extend the project over other parts of Ethiopia, and in fact the rest of Africa.
4. Fostering Local Innovation: Blockchain literacy at this level also enables young Ethiopians to build innovative systems that meet these needs related to ID, registration of land and property, and access to financial services. This adds CORE/ADA immediate utility as it incentivises the creation of decentralised solutions where the outcome is tangible.