@2e64e275dfaf612d6790d7fcb11450edd8bdd357bec7324a4c5290878cfae37d [Posted on DevHub](https://near.social/#/devgovgigs.near/widget/Post?id=1574) ## Solution: NEAR-Campus University of Illinois ###### Requested amount: 10000 USDT ###### Requested sponsor: @neardevgov.near ### Proposal for NEAR Campus Program #### Illini Blockchain Club Overview The Blockchain club at UIUC is the second largest in the Big10, representing 600 community members and 19 separate teams working on anything from research and development to governance and node operation. Illini Blockchain also has a deep relationship with the university and other clubs on campus, such as UIUC AI, Women in Entrepreneurship, Women in CS, and Illini Quant. Our club has one of the best dev teams in the world, successfully winning prizes at every hackathon we’ve participated in over the last 3 semesters, and our primary goal this year is to expand our ability to send out teams to more hackathons around the world (as is the overarching goal this year for most CollegeDAO clubs). The university is well known for its alumni and the companies they’ve founded, such as a16z, mosaic Paypal, YouTube, tesla, Solana, jump, ShipBob, AMD, and many more. #### Objectives Our participation in the NEAR Campus Program aligns with the following objectives: Be a bridge between students of the Illini 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 Illini Blockchain Club to coordinate NEAR Campus activities: Workshops and Courses: Host at least 3 educational workshops covering Web3 basics and explore the possibility of advanced courses tailored to specific Web3 frameworks. Bootcamp on Rust and NEAR ecosystem (Remotely) Hackathons and Competitions: Organize hackathons and development competitions, inviting students from Illinois and other Big10 schools Guest Lectures and Discussions: Lectures and panel discussions with NEAR and other guests. Signing up Club members (especially devs) for mentorship with NEAR specialists and organizing two online 1:1 or group sessions. 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. Following up with the activities: Progress Feedback: The club and Near campus team will engage in follow-up calls to monitor together 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: ILLINI Blockchain Club's Engagement in the NEAR Ecosystem Start Date: 11/1/23 End Date: 2/1/23 Month 1: Awareness and Education - Funding request $10000 Activities: Host an introductory webinar on NEAR Protocol for club members and the academic community. Organize Online workshops on blockchain fundamentals and NEAR-specific Develop educational materials and resources related to NEAR for distribution. Establish the Illini NEAR Node as an official NEAR Campus participant. Sending the Illini dev team to NEARCON (We have swept every event we’ve participated in this year and last!)