@blockchainatucsb_baf.near [Posted on DevHub](https://near.social/#/devgovgigs.near/widget/Post?id=1554) ## Solution: NEAR Campus - University of California Santa Barbara ###### Requested amount: 14200 USDT ###### Requested sponsor: @neardevgov.near **Blockchain at UCSB University California Santa Barbara # Proposal for NEAR Campus Program ## UCSB Blockchain Club Overview Blockchain at UCSB is a hub for blockchain enthusiasts, developers, and researchers at the University of California, Santa Barbara. We focus on educating our members about blockchain technology, decentralized finance, and Web3 frameworks. Our activities include weekly educational sessions, hackathons, guest lectures from industry experts, and collaborative research projects. At the end of the last school year, we created an 8-week in-person Blockchain Fundamentals lecture series that brought in over 200 students. Building on that success, we plan to expand our educational offerings this year by introducing more advanced courses, initiating research projects, and fostering community engagement through additional hackathons and workshops. We don’t every week, but we have Henley Hall room 1010 reserved every Wednesday from 6-7 p.m. and will host events there. Objectives Our participation in the NEAR Campus Program aligns with the following objectives: Be a bridge between students of the UCSB Blockchain club and the NEAR ecosystem, actively participate in the NEAR ecosystem through Near Campus activities, including educational workshops, hackathons, and guest lectures, working together in open-source projects, encouraging members to contribute to open-source Web3 projects actively, fostering a collaborative culture. ## Implementation Plan & Activities **Formation of NEAR Node:** Establish a dedicated NEAR agenda within UCSB Blockchain Club to coordinate NEAR Campus activities: NEAR Node Operational Costs: We propose to run a NEAR node to deepen our engagement with the NEAR ecosystem. We request a significant token delegation from NEAR to offset the operational costs. Based on a conservative 4% yield from staking NEAR tokens, we estimate that the token delegation should be sufficient to cover the following: Server Costs (AWS/Contabo): Estimated at $500 per year Required Token Delegation: Equivalent to $12,500 to yield the necessary $500 per year at a 4% staking return * Workshops and Courses: Host educational workshops covering Web3 basics and explore the possibility of advanced courses tailored to specific Web3 frameworks. * Bootcamp on Rust and NEAR ecosystem (Remotely and/or IRL) * Hackathons and Competitions: Organize hackathons and development competitions, inviting students from UCSB. (More likely Winter and Spring Quarter) * Move the Website to NEAR BOS and get some assistance from the NEAR team. * Guest Lectures and Discussions: Lectures and panel discussions with NEAR and other guests. * Signing up Club members for mentorship with NEAR specialists and organizing two online 1:1 or group sessions. * B@SB would like NEAR educational resources so we can start development on an NEAR Online Course * Internship and Placement Programs: Organize online and IRL job fairs where members can learn about internships and/or job placement opportunities. * Infrastructure Support: Explore opportunities to set up and launch critical Web3 infrastructure components, with a focus on technical assistance, resources, and guidance. Allocate a flexible software budget of $1,200 for the academic year to cover various software and tooling expenses that may arise. This budget will be a catch-all for miscellaneous costs crucial for the club's operations and will be chronicled on the club’s notion. * Research Grants and Opportunities: Launch a research arm within the club to explore various blockchain technologies and frameworks, including but not limited to NEAR. This arm will offer research bounties and opportunities for student-led projects, aiming to contribute to the broader blockchain ecosystem. The research initiatives will be open to collaborations and will actively seek partnerships for grant funding. * Creating DAOcho - Setting up DAOcho: To streamline the process of receiving and managing funds for Blockchain at UCSB, we propose legally incorporating DAOcho, a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO). We estimate an initial budget of $500 to cover the legal fees for incorporation, smart contract deployment, and other administrative setup costs. Incorporating DAOcho will simplify the KYC requirements for receiving external funds, making club operations more agile and efficient. Once incorporated, DAOcho could serve as a student-led investment fund managed by senior club members. While not immediately essential, this fund could be an educational platform for students to gain real-world experience in fund management, investment strategies, and decentralized governance. If pursued, we aim to build the fund on the NEAR BOS (Blockchain Operating System) and request an initial capital of $5,000 - $30,000 to kickstart investment activities. **Total Financial Summary for Implementation Plan & Activities** NEAR Node Operational Costs: $12,500 in token delegation Infrastructure Support: $1,200 Creating DAOcho: $500 Grand Total: $14,200 Potential Additional Costs: DAOcho Student-Led Fund: $5,000 - $30,000 Potential Grand Total: $19,200 - $44,200 **Following up with the activities:** Progress Feedback: The club and Near campus team will engage in follow-up calls to monitor progress in achieving the objectives outlined in this proposal. Mapping Improvement: Gather feedback from members and stakeholders to continuously improve our NEAR Campus initiatives. Tracking the path: Generate periodic reports highlighting achievements, successful projects, and lessons learned from participating in NEAR Campus activities. ## 3-Month Plan: UCSB Blockchain Club's Engagement in NEAR Ecosystem Start Date: 10/15/2023 End Date: 1/15/2024 **Month 1: Awareness and Education + Node set up : $14,200** Activities: Establish the UCSB NEAR Node as an official NEAR Campus participant ($12,500). Create DAO LLC registered in Tennessee ($500). Infrastructure allocation for software resources and organization for the club ($1200). Host an introductory webinar on NEAR Protocol for club members and the academic community. Start a discussion on potential research grants. Develop educational materials and resources related to NEAR for distribution for online certification. Organize workshops on blockchain fundamentals and NEAR-specific features—online and IRL. **Month 2: Research and Development + DAOcho initial allocation: $5,000-30,000** Activities: Launch a NEAR-focused research grant program for student-led projects under the B@SB research arm. Move blockchainucsb.com to NEAR BOS Create a DAOcho investment fund and governing team to conduct research. Encourage club members to participate in open-source NEAR projects. **Month 3: Community Building and Partnerships** Activities: Host guest lectures and panel discussions with NEAR industry experts. IRL Job Fair: Initiate partnerships with NEAR-related projects or startups for internships. Overall KPIs: Community Engagement: Monitor the level of engagement within the members and NEAR ecosystem (For example, attendance in the NEAR-focused activities). Impact: Measure the percentage of participants who reported an improved understanding of the NEAR ecosystem. (If there is a lack of understanding we can organize more workshops and online 1:1). Hackathon Success: Evaluate the hackathon's success by the number of participants, projects completed, and innovative solutions developed—one in-person and one online per term. This 3-month plan outlines a structured approach for the UCSB Blockchain Club to actively engage with the NEAR ecosystem, fostering education, research, and community growth while contributing to the NEAR Campus initiative. Regular monitoring and reporting will ensure the achievement of set objectives and the overall success of the club's involvement with NEAR.