@5d71550a10bb07de12bc19f74c7ff6fa00b7ec40f85aa3af6403acea778b5ef9 [Posted on DevHub](/devgovgigs.near/widget/Post?id=2682) ## Idea: NEAR Campus and BU Blockchain: December 2023 Reflection ## Month Two (12/01/2023-12/31/2023): $1250 USDT. Evaluation, End-of-Semester Event, and Community Outreach This feedback is for the following NEAR Campus activities for Boston University as described here: https://near.social/devgovgigs.near/widget/gigs-board.pages.Post?id=1629* In December, we held two large group events: a symposium to highlight the technical talent in our club, and a photoshoot event aimed at enhancing member visibility and generating press coverage for our organization. This was strategically planned to generate substantial PR for BU Blockchain, in anticipation of an action-packed January focused on recruitment and 'ringing in the NEAR year' for 2024. We successfully met all our deliverables this month. Below, you will find each deliverable accompanied by a description of actions taken, a repository built by one of our members on NEAR, and a group photo of our organization's leaders taken during the photoshoot. Our Deliverables Are as Follows: **Continued Planning of High-Attendance Meetings, Buildathons, and 101 Workshops Pertaining to NEAR Campus (USD 0)**: We have planned for a NEAR Campus event to occur monthly this spring and have secured a speaker for February 2024. We also intend to host a buildathon in March, built on NEAR, and present it at our annual event. **Promotional content creation (about USD 200)** : Development of promotional materials highlighting members' achievements and projects during the semester. Designing and producing materials that outline the vision for 2024, focusing on recruitment, ecosystem participation, and larger-scale events. Allocation of part of the $450 budget for promotional material production, including a small club photoshoot of our technical team members who are champions of our mission towards an open web. Creation and distribution of memorabilia hoodies featuring both the Boston University Blockchain (BUB) and NEAR logos. **Drafting the Final Plan for Spring 2024 (USD 0)**: We have set and finalized our calendar for Spring 2024. This involved presenting our plan to our NEAR Campus points of contact for feedback and support. We showcased metrics and successes of initiatives from October to December, revising strategies that were initially less successful. From September to December 2023, we observed a 64% increase in membership, with 90% of new members attending three or more consecutive meetings. Enhanced recruitment strategies, including word-of-mouth and guerilla marketing, have improved our membership, attracting talent from all undergraduate colleges at Boston University, notably increasing representation among women and minorities. We did notice that enhanced recruitment strategies, such as word of mouth and guerilla marketing have only served to improve our membership and attract talent from all colleges at Boston University. Most notably, as of December 12, 2023, we have gained and retained members from all the undergraduate colleges. Many are women/minorities, further amplifying our commitment to serving underrepresented groups. **Enhanced Email and Social Media Strategies (USD 0)**: We consolidated our emails to be more concise and informative, leading to improved member retention. Initially, our social media presence, which focused on monochromatic posts with meeting details, had low engagement. By showcasing our members and presenting ourselves as a multifaceted organization, we increased our engagement count from approximately 10 likes to over 55, a more than 400% increase. **E-Board Weekly Office Hours (USD 0)**: These sessions have improved our knowledge of the NEAR Protocol and provided additional avenues for involvement in the ecosystem. For example, our member Inhye completed a hello-near tutorial and presented it at our December event. Here is the repository link: https://github.com/inhye-kang/hello-near-js. **System Updates for Server Management, Emails, and Task Management Platform (USD 100)**: We successfully paid for our software, including Mailchimp for email services and Asana for task management, maintaining our internal organization's efficiency. **End-of-Semester Event Arrangements (USD 1150)**: This includes food and refreshments showcasing our members' technical talents to a broad audience of Boston University Blockchain members and Boston-area community members. Sending invitations to Boston-area community members, emphasizing the event's focus on blockchain and technology. Photoshooting with club members emphasized the importance of team building/bonding, and brought many of our members together. This has only proven that BU Blockchain is a community-focused club open to all, regardless of previous knowledge. We allocated $700 for diverse food options and beverages, and $450 for materials needed for the event, such as table items, catering fees, and memorabilia and screens featuring both the Boston University Blockchain (BUB) and NEAR logos. We also allocated a portion of the $450 for the club photoshoot. The event also involved awarding NEAR the title of flagship sponsor and creating promotional content about our members' semester activities. We achieved a significant increase in engagement on social media, indicating strong community response to our initiatives.