Abstract
Open Campus launched the $10M Global Educators Fund (the “Fund”) in May 2023 and was joined by key contributors including TinyTap, Animoca Brands, GEMS Education, Liberty City Ventures and many others. This is the world’s first attempt to fund individual teachers and content creators to produce educational content via a decentralized approach.
The Fund aims to support subjects that complement traditional curriculum (such as life skills, emotional intelligence, etc.) but may not receive sufficient funding from school or government in the past. The courses created will be tokenized and sold as Publisher NFTs - which will be minted in EDU, and similarly, the revenue shared with the creator, co-publisher, partner, DAO will also be denominated in EDU (https://twitter.com/opencampus_xyz/status/1666644984739803136?s=20).
More details on the Fund, including the goal, selection criteria and application process, can be found here: https://www.opencampus.xyz/fund.
Below is the full list of 343 applications that have been received as of June 12, 2023: Proposal Review sent to DAO - Google Sheets.
The DAO Administrator has selected the first batch of 10 applications based on the Ideation Guidelines and Global Educator Fund selection criteria listed on the website:
- Content suitability e.g. whether the content is fit for students from Pre-K to 12th Grade. The current focus does not prioritize applications intended for audiences aged 18 and above; however, their inclusion in the Global Educators Fund in the future remains a possibility.
- Subject matter expertise e.g. applicant’s qualifications, track record, past experience in creating interactive courses.
- Overall completeness of the application.
- Additional factors including the subjects chosen by applicants, and their capability to teach at the academic level selected. The DAO Administrator actively sought innovative ideas and concepts that could challenge norms and have a meaningful impact in their respective fields. The administrator also assessed the alignment of applicants’ proposals with market dynamics, ensuring their ideas resonated with the evolving needs and preferences of the target audience. The thorough evaluation aimed to uncover each candidate’s potential and determine their suitability for the selection process, driven by the commitment to maintain high standards and make informed decisions.
Details on the 10 applications can be found here: Global Educators Fund Batch #1 - Google Slides.
The rationale for the applications that are selected is as follows:
- Target Age Audience: Each of the selected educational courses has been chosen based on its suitability for the specific age group for which it is intended. Pre-K to 12th grade.
- Subject Relevancy: The courses have been carefully selected based on their direct relevance to academic disciplines or fields of study. The first phase focuses on education areas that are typically underserved today.
- In-Depth Explanation of the Vision of the Course: Each selected course has provided a comprehensive and detailed explanation of its vision.
- Explanation of the Goals of the Course: The courses have been chosen based on the clarity and alignment of their goals with the needs and expectations of learners.
- Course Creator Background: Consideration has been given to the background and expertise of the course creators. The content must be created by a Qualified Educator or Educators, Education Organization, or someone with subject matter knowledge in the educational content.
Summary of the first batch of 10 applications:
1. English language for pre-k students: This course aims to build foundational English vocabulary, develops listening and speaking skills, and cultivates a love for learning English in young learners, fostering early language development and setting a solid groundwork for future language proficiency
2. Gearing Up For Reading: This course aims to engage young learners ages 3 to 5 in activities that improve vocabulary, comprehension, and attention span through interactive learning experiences.
3. Teaching Dyslexic students: This course aims to support and address the needs of Dyslexic learners/students by exploring their strengths and challenges, providing effective accommodations, utilizing assistive technologies/techniques, and adapting teaching materials and methods to enhance academic enrichment and meet industry demands.
4. STEAM Unit for Teaching Time Concepts: This course aims to teach comprehension of basic time concepts, use appropriate vocabulary, and become familiar with using calendars and clocks.
5. A Loving Hug: This course is based on the book “A Loving Hug” by Dr. Gila Matzliah Liberman, which offers a psychologically analyzed and age-appropriate approach to introducing young children to the topic of the Holocaust, allowing them to maintain a safe distance while fostering empathy, resilience, and self-efficacy.
6. Reading and Writing Enhancement: This course aims to support the development of a comprehensive literacy program that addresses the pressing need for improved reading fluency, expressive writing skills, and a love for literature among students.
7. SEL - Circle of Friends: This course aims to teach Social and Emotional Learning problem-solving and analysis skills, that will help educators identify social outliers earlier to better serve socially struggling youth, as well as equip teens on how to handle difficult emotional situations like peer pressure, bullying and more
8. Solar Energy Immersion for students: This course aims to equip students with comprehensive knowledge about solar energy, actively engage them in the clean energy transition, and inspire them to envision a solar-powered world.
9. SCORA-Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights including HIV and AIDS: This course aims to provide comprehensive sex education to empower adolescents with accurate information, promote inclusivity, and develop skills for healthy relationships.
10. Foundations of Mathematics: From Numbers to Calculus: This course aims to provide learners with a strong understanding of fundamental mathematical concepts and skills, such as number operations, algebraic equations, and geometric principles.
Please note the review of Fund applications is conducted on a rolling basis. The first batch of applications presented in this proposal only represents a small subset of the applications that will eventually be funded by the Fund. The DAO Administrator will continue to reach out to applicants in due course with either 1) a request for further information to supplement the initial proposal or 2) a rejection.
Motivation
The Fund aims to incentivize qualified teachers and creators with relevant subject matter knowledge to create educational courses, including interactive games, slideshows, videos, and other forms of content. Courses can then be published on Open Campus launch partners, such as TinyTap, and tokenized and sold as Publisher NFTs, allowing the creators to truly own their content and earn revenue.
Goal for Proposal
This proposal put forward the first batch of 10 high quality applications that the DAO have received for the Fund. The Open Campus community’s feedback is now being sought to approve the DAO in funding the applications.
Specification
The detailed specifications, including the funding amount, key milestones and corresponding funding for each milestone, will be discussed between the DAO Administrator and the successful applicants to ensure smooth delivery.
Proposed Budget
The EDU funding for the 10 successful applicants will be agreed upon further discussions with the applicants.
Benefits
The first batch of grant recipients of the Fund will be the seed cohort to showcase Open Campus DAO in 1) funding highly talented teachers and creators in producing high quality content without going through traditional channels and 2) expanding the EDU ecosystem that grows beyond institutions to a broader set of individual creators.
Risks & Drawbacks
The funding disbursed to applicants will be subject to performance milestones to minimize the risk of applicants not finishing the production of the course. In addition, the Administrator will work with applicants to 1) ensure a detailed work plan will be put in place, 2) conduct periodic check-ins with applicants to ensure they are following the timeline. Any portion of the funding which has not been disbursed to successful applicants for whatever reason (e.g. the failure to meet performance milestones) will be returned to the Fund for future use.
