Please describe your proposed solution.

Proposed Solution Overview:

• Integrating Cardano educational resources into our existing educational mobile app with 100k+ users and organizing meetups to bridge the knowledge gap and foster blockchain knowledge and participation.

Approach Rationale:

• Leveraging our existing educational mobile app, which already has a user base of over 100,000 students, to deliver Cardano educational resources directly to the target audience.
• Combining offline accessibility through the mobile app with interactive meetups to engage and foster discussions among students.

Engagement Strategy:

• Engaging high school and university students in Ethiopia by providing quality educational resources and facilitating in-person interactions through organized meetups.

Demonstrating Impact:

• Measuring the increase in awareness and understanding of blockchain technology through pre- and post-intervention assessments.
• Assessing the engagement and participation levels of students in meetups as indicators of enthusiasm and active involvement.

Uniqueness of the Solution:

• The comprehensive approach combining offline accessibility through the app and interactive meetups sets our solution apart. It ensures students have access to educational resources and fosters engagement and collaboration among peers and experts.

Beneficiaries and Importance to Cardano:

• Beneficiaries: High school and university students in Ethiopia who gain access to educational resources and opportunities for blockchain exploration.
• Importance to Cardano: Aligns with Cardano's goals by promoting education, fostering community engagement, and expanding the reach of blockchain technology to untapped regions. Empowering students contributes to Cardano's ecosystem growth and drives socio-economic progress in Ethiopia.

How does your proposed solution address the challenge and what benefits will this bring to the Cardano ecosystem?

1. Supporting Student Blockchain Startups: By integrating Cardano educational resources into our educational mobile app and organizing meetups, we empower student entrepreneurs to leverage blockchain technology for their startup ideas. This support enables them to access funding opportunities and build their businesses within the Cardano ecosystem.
2. Onboarding Students to the Cardano Community: Through our app and meetups, we educate high school and university students about Cardano and the Catalyst program, increasing their awareness and understanding of blockchain technology. This encourages their active participation in the Cardano community, fostering a new generation of blockchain enthusiasts and contributors.
3. Fostering Cardano Ecosystem Development: Our solution bridges the knowledge gap among students and equips them with blockchain knowledge and skills. This, in turn, enables them to actively contribute to the ecosystem through innovative projects, collaborations, and future proposals to the Catalyst Fund.

Our project brings substantial value to the Cardano ecosystem by increasing community engagement, strengthening the ecosystem through the contributions of knowledgeable students, and addressing the key problem of limited access to educational resources and awareness about blockchain technology among students in Ethiopia.

How do you intend to measure the success of your project?

To measure the success of our project, we will employ both quantitative and qualitative metrics, including:

Quantitative Metrics: Tracking user engagement with the educational resources, measuring meetup participation, and gathering user feedback on satisfaction and motivation

Qualitative Metrics: Assessing knowledge acquisition through pre- and post-education surveys and evaluating community engagement through discussions and participation in Cardano-related initiatives

These measures are realistic as they align with our project objectives and can be tracked through user analytics, survey responses, and community interactions. The project will enhance Cardano's productivity in the short term by equipping users with knowledge and resources and contribute to long-term growth by attracting new users, fostering collaboration, and cultivating an informed and active community.

Please describe your plans to share the outputs and results of your project?

We have a plan to share the outputs and results of our project to maximize their impact:

1. Through the Educational Mobile App: Integrate project outputs into our app for easy access by 100k+ users.
2. Organize Meetups and Workshops: Share project outcomes with students in interactive sessions.
3. Utilize Online Platforms and Social Media: Disseminate project outputs through our website and Telegram channels.
4. Collaborate with Stakeholders: Engage with Cardano community, educational institutions, and blockchain organizations to expand the reach of our project.

We will use the project results to inform future research and development, analyze user engagement data, and continuously improve our app.

What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability?

Track Record: Successful development of the Grade 1–12 Textbooks and Teachers Guide app with 100,000+ downloads

Expertise in Educational Content: Experienced educators and subject matter experts ensure high-quality resources.

Transparent Financial Management: Clear budgeting, expense tracking, and reporting processes

Trustworthy Partnerships: Collaborations with Educational Institutions and Experts

User Feedback Integration: Actively collecting and addressing user feedback for continuous improvement

To manage funds properly, we follow:

Budget Planning

Transparent Expense Tracking

Regular Reporting

What are the main goals for the project and how will you validate if your approach is feasible?

Our project has the following goals:

1.Increase awareness of Cardano and blockchain among Ethiopian students.

• Validation: Measure knowledge increase through pre- and post-project surveys.

2.Foster active participation of Ethiopian students in the Cardano ecosystem.

• Validation: Track student engagement in meetups, workshops, and app utilization.

3.Empower students to become catalysts for blockchain innovation.

• Validation: Assess student interest in pursuing blockchain-related careers.

To achieve these goals, we will integrate educational resources into our app, collaborate with universities, leverage online platforms, and engage with the Cardano community. Validation will be done through surveys, feedback, and monitoring active participation.

Please provide a detailed breakdown of your project’s milestones and each of the main tasks or activities to reach the milestone plus the expected timeline for the delivery.

Milestone 1: Preparation of Cardano Educational Resources

• Tasks:
• Identify relevant educational resources and materials on Cardano and blockchain.
• Develop a plan for integrating the resources into our mobile app.
• Collaborate with Cardano community and experts to ensure accuracy and relevance.
• Timeline: 4 weeks
• Success Criteria: Successful preparation of Cardano educational resources.
• Projected Cost: 12,000 ADA

Milestone 2: App Features Development and Integration

• Tasks:
• Implement and integrate the new feature within the app framework.
• Test and verify the functionality of the integrated feature.
• Timeline: 8 weeks (Parallel task with Educational Resource preparation)
• Success Criteria: Successful integration of Cardano educational resources into the app, ensuring seamless access and usability for users.
• Projected Cost: 7,000 ADA

Milestone 3: Organize Meetups and Workshops

• Tasks:
• Identify target student organizations for collaboration.
• Plan and schedule meetups and workshops on Cardano and blockchain topics.
• Coordinate with guest speakers and experts for delivering sessions.
• Promote the events through online channels and social media platforms.
• Facilitate networking opportunities and hands-on activities during the events.
• Timeline: 6 weeks
• Success Criteria: Successful organization of meetups and workshops with active student participation and positive feedback.
• Projected Cost: 9,000 ADA

Milestone 4: Measure and Evaluate Impact

• Tasks:
• Design and conduct pre- and post-project surveys to assess knowledge increase.
• Gather feedback and testimonials from students regarding their engagement and learning experience.
• Analyze data and evaluate the impact of the project on student awareness and participation in the Cardano ecosystem.
• Timeline: 3 weeks
• Success Criteria: Clear evidence of increased knowledge, active participation, and positive student feedback.
• Projected Cost: 2,000 ADA

Implementation Plan:

• Initiation
• Research and Content Curation
• App feature Development and Integration
• Content Validation and Review
• User Engagement and Education
• Community Participation and Networking
• Evaluation and Iteration

Please describe the deliverables, outputs and intended outcomes of each milestone.

Milestone 1: Preparation of Cardano Educational Resources

• Deliverables: Up-to-date Cardano educational resources and documentation.
• Outputs: Accessible educational materials, improved user experience.
• Outcomes: Increased awareness, improved learning opportunities.
• Measurement: experts feedback on resource utilization.

Milestone 2: App Features Development and Integration

• Deliverables: Integrated Cardano educational resources within the app framework.
• Outputs: Functional and tested integration of the feature.
• Outcomes: Improved app functionality and access to Cardano educational resources.
• Measurement: User feedback on the usability and effectiveness of the integrated feature, number of users utilizing the feature, and testing results verifying successful integration.

Milestone 3: Organize Meetups and Workshops

• Deliverables: Scheduled events and presentation materials.
• Outputs: Successful events, student participation, networking.
• Outcomes: Increased interest, vibrant student community, collaboration.
• Measurement: Attendance rates, participant feedback on event value.

Milestone 4: Measure and Evaluate Impact

• Deliverables: Survey questionnaires and data analysis report.
• Outputs: Quantitative and qualitative data on impact.
• Outcomes: Increased knowledge, positive feedback, improvement insights.
• Measurement: Pre- and post-project surveys, analysis of survey results.

Please provide a detailed budget breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

Milestone 1: Preparation of Cardano Educational Resources

• Preparation Cost: 12,000 ADA

Milestone 2: App Features Development and Integration

• Integration Development: 5,500 ADA
• Testing and Quality Assurance: 1,500 ADA
• Total Cost: 7,000 ADA

Milestone 3: Organize Meetups and Workshops

• Venue Rental: 3,000 ADA
• Event Promotion and Marketing: 2,000 ADA
• Materials and Supplies: 4,000 ADA
• Total Cost: 9,000 ADA

Milestone 4: Measure and Evaluate Impact

• Survey Design and Analysis: 1,500 ADA
• Reporting and Documentation: 500 ADA
• Total Cost: 2,000 ADA

Total Cost: 30,000 ADA

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

1 Faizur Reshid (PhD) - Content Research and Curation Specialist

• LinkedIn: Dr. Faizur Rashid (PhD)
• Conducting research, curating educational resources, and organizing content.
• Assistant professor at Haramaya University

2 Esubalew Amenu - Developer and Technical Lead

• LinkedIn Profile: Esubalew Amenu
• Manages technical aspects of the feature development.
• Creates and oversees the quality of educational content on the app.
• Has a strong background in Cardano blockchain education and content creation.
• Cardano Blockchain Certified Associate (CBCA) - Certificate ID 64a11f630d345a3a7c07d6cb

3 Samuel Birhanu Wada - Developer

• GitHub: Samuel Birhanu Wada
• Email: [email protected]
• Software engineering student at Addis Ababa Institute of Technology (AAiT)
• Handles the backend development and integration of the app.
• Proficient in server-side programming languages.
• Experience in database management and API integration.

4 Mohammed Ibrahim - UX/UI Designer

• Portfolio: Mohammed Ibrahim
• Computer Science student at Hope Enterprise University
• Responsible for creating intuitive and visually appealing user experiences.
• Proficient in user interface design principles and user-centered design methodologies.
• Experience in designing engaging and user-friendly interfaces for mobile and web applications.

5 Tadesse Duressa - Frontend Developer

• Computer Science student at Admas University
• Responsible for developing the user interface and user experience of the app.
• Experienced in recent frontend technologies.
• Experienced in creating responsive and intuitive interfaces.

Additional Team Members (to be recruited):

1. Content Validator

• Reviewing and validating the educational content for accuracy and relevance.
• Strong subject knowledge in the relevant academic areas.

2. Community Engagement and Networking Manager

• Organizing meetups, events, and community outreach efforts.

Engagement and Communications

The project team has engaged with relevant technical groups, including Cardano Ethiopa Group and CodeNight to communicate with the Cardano community, seek feedback, and collaborate with other developers and enthusiasts. Direct lines of communication have been established to ensure effective coordination and access to necessary resources.

How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

• Meetup Events: The budget includes organizing meetup events to facilitate networking, and education among Cardano enthusiasts.

• User Engagement and Community Building: Budget allocation for community engagement, and networking activities fosters a vibrant Cardano user community.

• Skilled Project Team: Costs reflect the expertise of professionals in app development, content management, user engagement, and community building.

• Justified Cost Estimation: Costs are based on industry standards, market rates, and the complexity of tasks, ensuring a reasonable and value-driven budget.

• App Users Community: The project aims to build a strong community of Cardano Blockchain students, promoting collaboration, feedback, and knowledge sharing.

• Comprehensive Educational Resources: The project delivers valuable educational materials for students, representing a cost-effective investment in knowledge acquisition.