Last updated 2 years ago
A lack of education regarding Cardano's potential is hindering the development of social and ecologically sustainable use cases in Vienna
Workshops for university students, civil society, the private sector, and municipal bodies in Vienna that teach blockchain fundamentals and foster the co-creation of sustainable use cases
This is the total amount allocated to Outreach, Education & Collaboration.
Workshops for university students, civil society, the private sector, and municipal bodies in Vienna that teach blockchain fundamentals and foster the co-creation of sustainable use cases
BA in Sustainable Development
MSc in Urban Studies with a Focus on Sustainability
Current PhD Candidate Researching Blockchain’s Role in Sustainability Transformations
Urban Sustainability Lecturer at the University of Vienna
3+ years researching blockchain
Problem
My experience at the University of Vienna and working with the municipality, has clearly illustrated that there is a severe lack of blockchain knowledge, with minimal understanding of anything that extends beyond cryptocurrencies and Bitcoin.
This is a vital gap that must be addressed, as blockchain’s, and especially Cardano’s, wide-range of use cases have the potential to be integrated into various streams of research, in different faculties, and throughout the city more widely.
In turn, this knowledge gap is inhibiting ecosystem growth, mainstream adoption, the creation of novel use cases, and the local government from achieving its goal of making Vienna ‘The Blockchain Capital’. (https://www.digitalcity.wien/schwerpunkte2021/blockchain/)
Solution
Accordingly, this project strives to inspire students and civil society, and inform them of the various ways Cardano’s ecosystem can be leveraged to elevate their ideas and support novel social, economic, and ecological sustainability solutions.
In addition to educating participants, and raising awareness, it is this project’s goal to foster interdisciplinary collaboration both during the workshop, and afterwards, with the formation of a Cardano Hub in Vienna. It is through active and ongoing networking, discussing, and cooperation, that development teams can be formed, ideas nourished, and future Project Catalyst proposals created.
Target Audience
The first workshop will target university students from the Universität Wien, and the Technology University of Vienna.
The second workshop will be open to the wider-public, bringing together policy-makers, business owners, community organizations, and civil society.
This separation is done for multiple reasons. Firstly, targeting students will help build a network which is required for attracting people from other areas of society, that aren’t students. Secondly, it will help me refine the workshop and understand how it can be more appropriately formulated for a more diverse assortment of participants. Lastly, students of different disciplines, will have unique, and more academic focused perspective, and a space should be provided for this type of collaboration.
Who Benefits?
The main benefactors of this project are the Cardano ecosystem, Project Catalyst, and the Viennese population. It is the intent of this project to unite these three groups, and illustrate the ways people can leverage the Cardano ecosystem and Project Catalyst to overcome sustainability challenges.
Objective 1: Education & Awareness Raising
The first part of the workshop will address in 3 ways:
Objective 2: Collaboration for Integration & Adoption
The second part of the workshop 3 steps:
Objective 3: Publishing Material for Outreach
This will include 2 steps:
Objective 4: Community Building
This will include 3 aspects:
Challenge 1: Ensuring a sound number of participants attend the workshop
Challenge 2: Balancing the content of the seminar in a way that ensures comprehension without confusion. It is key that people understand the fundamentals and various technologies, in order for them to be active workshop contributors and to co-create sustainability-based use cases.
Workflow Process (Timeline)
Workshop Development:
Workshop Advertising Materials - 500 USD
Seminar & Workshop
Cardano Swag for Participants
Venue Rental & Required Materials
Peer-Reviewed Paper & Blog Article Writing
Total= $4870
James A. Vandenberg, MSc
This project can be completed with this current round of funding.
However, ideally this project will motivate participants in these workshops to apply for funding with their own projects in the future.
Key Metrics
This is an entirely new, and necessary proposal.
This proposal is focused specifically on how blockchain be used for sustainability, and strives inspire new use cases that can be used to contribute to all of the Sustainable Development Goals.
However, perhaps more specifically, it focuses on SDG 4 Quality Education, SDG 11, Sustainable Cities and Communities, and SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals.
NB: Monthly reporting was deprecated from January 2024 and replaced fully by the Milestones Program framework. Learn more here
BA in Sustainable Development
MSc in Urban Studies with a Focus on Sustainability
Current PhD Candidate Researching Blockchain’s Role in Sustainability Transformations
Urban Sustainability Lecturer at the University of Vienna
3+ years researching blockchain