Please describe your proposed solution

Our goal is to mentor a minimum of 5o student ambassadors within four months to take up roles such as innovators who will ideate novel projects, and also contribute to project catalyst as community reviewers. In the long term, these students can take on other higher roles as they gain more experience. Our team took steps to guarantee that this goal meets the SMART criteria.

Having successfully worked on the Cardano student Blockchain Ambassador Program in Fund 10, we have seen the need to go beyond getting students who may end up being passive members of the Cardano community, this is based on the feedback we received from our 83 selected ambassadors who expressed the need to be actively engaged in proposal submission and review roles. We chose to embark on this program because it will provide personalised guidance and support tailored to students' needs. Pairing experienced Cardano members with our student ambassadors will ensure they receive practical advice and feedback, increasing their chances of crafting successful proposals and submitting excellent reviews.

Our proposed solution therefore is the establishment of the Cardano Student Blockchain Innovators, an initiative birthed from the Cardano Student Blockchain Ambassador Program which will provide mentoring and support to our community of newly onboarded student Catalyst members. Our project will engage two primary groups; experienced members of the Cardano community including entrepreneurs, blockchain experts, successful proposers who will serve as mentors and our already existing community of students ambassadors who are interested in participating in the proposal review and submission on Ideascale.

Mentors will guide students through the proposal submission process, offering advice, feedback, and sharing their expertise to help students develop high-quality proposals. Mentoring will be done through a combination of virtual meetings, online communication channels and one in-person workshop to accommodate student' schedule and preferences.

The program will also provide students with access to resources such as documentation, guides, templates, and tools to facilitate proposal development. Additionally, networking opportunities will be organised to connect students with other members of the Cardano community, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing.

We will demonstrate our impact through several metrics including the number of mentored students, the quality and success rate of their proposals, and feedback from both mentors and students, Long-term impact will be assessed through the adoption and scalability of proposals developed by mentored students, showcasing the effectiveness of our mentorship program in nurturing talent within the Cardano ecosystem.

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

The Cardano Student Blockchain Innovators Program will have several positive impacts on the wider Cardano community. Specifically, It will lead to increased participation, quality proposals, community engagement and long-term sustainability.

1. Increased Participation: By providing support and guidance to our student ambassadors, we will encourage more young people to participate in catalyst, diversifying the pool of proposers and bringing fresh perspectives to the ecosystem.
2. Quality Proposals: Through mentorship, our student ambassadors will develop high-quality proposals that address real-world challenges and contribute to the growth and development of the Cardano ecosystem. Beyond that, there will be a valuable addition of excellent proposal reviews from students who would like to be community reviewers.
3. Community Engagement: The program will foster a sense of community among students and mentors, encouraging collaboration, knowledge sharing, and networking within the Cardano community.
4. Long-term Sustainability: By nurturing student innovators and empowering them to become active contributors to the Cardano ecosystem, our project will contribute to the long-term sustainability and growth of the Cardano community while increasing novel ideas from our community of student ambassadors.

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?

Having successfully embarked on a similar project in Fund 10, our team not only has the experience but the capability to work on this program. Our team consists of experienced members of the Cardano community with a proven track record of involvement in catalyst and other blockchain projects.

To ensure high levels of trust and accountability, we will establish clear guidelines and process for mentorship, including codes of conduct, conflict resolution mechanisms, and regular progress updates. We will also implement feedback mechanisms to gather input from mentored student ambassadors continuously in order improve our approach.

To validate the feasibility of our approach, we will conduct a pilot program and gather feedback from students and mentors. We will also monitor key metrics such as the number of proposals submitted by mentored students and their success rates to evaluate the effectiveness of our mentoring initiative.

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

Milestone 1: Month 1

Recruitment of experienced Cardano members and students: Our team will identify and onboard experienced Cardano community members who are willing to participate in the program and walk students through the ideation and review process then we will conduct a pilot test before finally onboarding.

Week 1-2 (Preparation, outreach and Promotion)

• Develop outreach materials including promotional flyers, social media posts, and emails to invite interested mentors.
• Identify mentors based on criteria such as expertise in blockchain, proposal writing experience and our students based on their interest in either submitting proposals or review of submissions.
• We will review student applications based on their area of interest.
• Create promotional flyers, social media, Cardano community forums, and email newsletters to reach potential mentors

Week 2-4 (Pilot Test, recruitment and onboarding)

• Pilot testing to gather feedback from mentors and student ambassadors
• Collect applications from interested mentors through online forms or email submissions.
• Provide code of conduct to our student ambassadors and recruited mentors to familiarise them the mentorship structure and expectations.

Outputs

1. Developed outreach materials, emails and application details in accordance with the program's expectations.
2. Compilation of criteria for mentor selection, focusing on proposal writing experience, and student interest.
3. Assessment of student applications based on their areas of interest and alignment with our program objective.
4. Well crafted code of conduct for both mentors and student ambassadors

Acceptance Criteria

1. Promotional materials created with clear messaging and reviewed for accuracy
2. Flyers, social media posts, and emails drafted and reviewed for accuracy and effectiveness.
3. Criteria for mentors and student ambassadors clearly defined and documented.
4. Developed code of conduct for use by mentors and student ambassadors.

Milestone 2: Month 2 (Online mentorship sessions)

During the second month, our team will be dedicated to organising two online workshops covering practical sessions on proposal ideation and development, proposal writing and community review processes. This will include brainstorming sessions that would require students to come up with novel ideas that can significantly contribute to the Cardano community. We will record the event proceedings and make all the content that will be shared during the workshop available to our student ambassadors and anyone in the Cardano community who may benefit from it.

Outputs

1. Online sessions held as per the program's schedule with all planned topics covered
2. Evidence of active participation from both mentors and students during sessions, including engagement in discussions and assigned tasks.
3. Feedback collected from participants to assess session's effectiveness to help the team identify areas for improvement.

Acceptance Criteria

1. Completed online sessions, covering various aspects of proposal development and refinement and community review processes.
2. Evidence in the form of recorded live sessions showing details of online workshops held.

Milestone 3: Month 3 (In-person mentorship and proposal submission)

After our online events, our team will hold an in-person event to allow our student ambassadors a one-on-one session with our experienced Cardano community mentors. During this workshop, mentors will review ideas that have been presented by these ambassadors and provide constructive feedback to ensure that the final work to be presented on ideascale are all refined and meets all the criteria needed for success. Students who opt to be reviewers will then be tasked to assess sample proposals presented to them and also receive feedback from mentors.

Outputs

1. successful planning and execution of an in-person event. during the third week, where mentors and students convene for interactive sessions and proposal reviews
2. Successful review of sample proposals and sample reviews by students under the guidance of mentors.

Acceptance Criteria

1. Online mentorship session held as per the schedule, covering topics such as proposal writing basics, project ideation and proposal refinement as well as review community processes.
2. Evidence in photos and videos of active participation from both mentors and students during the workshop.

Final Milestone: Month 4

Evaluation and feedback

We will gather feedback from students and mentors to evaluate the effectiveness of the program and identify areas for improvement

Outputs

1. Design and distribute feedback surveys to both students and mentors to gather their input on the programs
2. Compile and analyse feedback data collected from students and mentors to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas of improvement.
3. Generate a comprehensive report summarising the feedback findings and key insights derived from the evaluation process.

Acceptance Criteria

1. Feedback surveys developed and distributed to all participants in an timely manner.
2. Comprehensive report generated, documenting the feedback findings, including strengths, weaknesses and recommendations for the program's improvement

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

Barbara Ofosu - Project Lead

Barbara is a graduate of the University of Cape Coast and a member of the Cardano Community who has successfully led her team to implement the Cardano Student Blockchain Ambassador Program. Having previously worked as a Campus convener, she has a rich experience in working with student groups. Specifically, she organised series of successful events at institutions such as the University of Cape Coast, Kwame Nkrumah university of Science and Technology, Methodist University and currently the University of Education, Winneba focusing on various topics including entrepreneurship and blockchain technology, among others. Through her work, she has established collaborations with many organisations and campus offices, which she plans to utilise to ensure the success of this program. Additionally, she has served as a proposal assessor since Fund 9. Barbara has a strong interest in working with student groups and firsthand experience connecting with students and maximising opportunities for them.

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Email: [email protected]

Telegram: @ophosu_

Emmanuel Asare Worlanyo - Finance and Logistics Manager

Emmanuel Asare Worlanyo is a recent student of the University of Cape Coast who has an interest in blockchain technology. Having studied accounting, he will oversee budget allocation and ensure financial management, adherence to budget guidelines and accurate record keeping. His experience includes overseeing similar programs, coordinating resources, and managing logistical operations which he will employ in ensuring the success of this program.

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Email: [email protected]

Telegram: [email protected]

Monica Priscilla Ofosu - Program Relations Officer

Monica Ofosu has a wealth of experience working as the Founder of Young Visionaries for sustainability. An organisation that is focused on ensuring that young dreams of vulnerable youth in Ghana are nurtured. She has worked with youth at various levels on similar projects and sees this project as an opportunity to learn more while contributing her skills from her role to the project.

Email: [email protected]

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Month 1

Preparation, Outreach and Promotion (5,113 ADA)

• Development of outreach materials (flyers, social media posts) - 1,048 ADA
• Identification and recruitment of mentors - 2,000 ADA
• Promotion efforts (printing flyers, social media advertising, email subscription plans) - 2,065 ADA

Month 2

Recruitment and Onboarding (4,920 ADA)

• Collection of mentor applications (online forms, email submissions) - 600 ADA
• Designing and provision of code of conduct for mentors and students -1,045 ADA
• Training materials development - 3,275 ADA

Month 3

In-person workshop for mentorship and proposals submission (18,317 ADA)

• Event flyers for publicity - 1,035 ADA
• Venue booking - 3,600 ADA
• Presentation templates - 785 ADA
• Fees for mentors for sessions - 7,210 ADA
• Development of open source materials - 805 ADA
• Camera and photography - 2,100 ADA
• Logistics - 1,220 ADA
• Refreshment for participants and mentors - 1,562 ADA

Month 4

Evaluation and Feedback (2,735 ADA)

• Surveys - 600 ADA
• Feedback collection - 590 ADA
• Data analysis - 765 ADA
• Evaluation report - 780 ADA

Total budget: 31085 ADA

No dependencies

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 due to several reasons.

1. Investment in talent development: The project invests in nurturing talent within the Cardano community by providing mentorship and support to student ambassadors interested in contributing to the Cardano ecosystem. This will foster the growth of skilled individuals who can actively participate in the development and implementation of Cardano based projects, ultimately enhancing the ecosystems's innovation and sustainability.
2. Efficient resource allocation: The budget allocation is optimised to ensure that resources are utilised effectively across various activities, including recruitment, mentorship, proposal submission and evaluation, and feedback.
3. Long-term benefits: By facilitating mentorship and allocation between experienced Cardano members and our student ambassadors, the project creates a sustainable framework for knowledge transfer and skill development.
4. Measurable impact: The project's milestones and deliverables are designed to generate tangible outcomes that can be measured and evaluated. From the number of mentored student ambassadors to the quality of submitted proposals and the effectiveness of feedback mechanism, the project's impact can be quantified and assessed.
5. Community Engagement: By actively involving members of the Cardano community in mentorship, proposal review, and feedback sessions, the project fosters a sense of ownership and engagement among stakeholders which ensures that resources are utilised in alignment with the needs and priorities of the Cardano community.