Learning by Building: Creating The Learning Playground with With 1,000 Students

[Biversen]

@biancaygg

REQUESTED BUDGET:
Total Budget: US$100,000 of $SAND

1. Together We Learn Shows: US$9,000
   Program & Resource Speakers
   Marketing & Rewards
2. Sandbox Crash Courses US$11,000
   Production
   Marketing & Rewards
3. Rolling Residency Program US$80,000
   IRL Activations & School Partners Support
   Programs & Lecturers
   Marketing & Rewards

While the idea is good, there are a few points that interest me.

1- Can you detail the budget? The distribution does not seem right to me.

2- What are the students coming out of the Pilot Program doing now? Are they just learning and leaving or are they doing something about it?

3- Can you give information about the schools you will partner with?

[biancaygg]

I think that’s clearer, yes. From this I gather there are no non-compete agreements. Do you require NDAs and employment/freelancer contracts?

We make use of smart contracts to engage for small gigs or bounties.
In some cases, yes have signed on NDA’s. For ex. our game testing team who frequently gets access to test early versions of games before they’re available to public
As for longer engagements, Independent contractor contracts are what makes the most sense for us.

That exciting to hear about. I use UpWork quite a lot when I have staffing needs for my company. When your platform becomes public, please let the DAO know.

DEFINITELY

[biancaygg]

1- Can you detail the budget? The distribution does not seem right to me.

For sure! The budget is centered around 3 of our learning pillars: Together We Learn (TWL) Shows, Crash Courses and the Rolling Residency Program.

Sharing snapshots of the official budget breakdown I submitted to the DAO earlier this week: Metaveristy Budget Breakdown Preview

Some things to note:

• When we finalized the breakdown, we decided to have TWL Shows costs folded into the Rolling Residency budget since it’s part of our ongoing activations. We’ve adjusted rewards to focus more on Crash Course and program finishers, rather than immediate show-engagement based incentives.

• The Rolling Residency cost includes the marketing spends for school event sponsorships, IRL event we will host and assumes a structure of four classes per month over 12 months. This is our most resource-intensive part and where we expect the biggest impact.

• Notably, around 50% of the total budget ($50,000) is allocated directly to learner rewards— a major focus to drive engagement and recognize participants’ efforts.

Let me know if you have any follow up q’s about it.

2- What are the students coming out of the Pilot Program doing now? Are they just learning and leaving or are they doing something about it?

The students from our pilot program were primarily 13 to 16-year-olds from the Sisters of Mary School, a community of scholars from under-privileged backgrounds. They are living on-campus while pursuing their studies.

The pilot program’s primary impact was to spark curiosity and expose them digital opportunities. That was the first time they had the chance to create in a digital space like Sandbox.

Here’s an excerpt from our MFW documentary highlighting our mission to get from learning to opportunity ready, featuring some of the student’s who finished our Pilot Sandbox program (it starts at 27:28 and about 10 mins long):
Metaverse Filipino Worker: Earning Online Without Leaving Home

This pilot program reaffirmed our mission.

Now, we’re shifting our focus towards university students and career shifters. A group that can take these skills and immediately apply them to real-world gigs, internships, and other opportunities. We’re building on that early impact to create a sustainable pathway for digital work and creativity.

3- Can you give information about the schools you will partner with?

We’re already affiliated with most of the major schools and universities across the PH. Per my last check we’re at over 25 school partnerships.

• To name a few: De La Salle, Ateneo de Manila, Adamson, National University.
• Some with campuses outside Metro Manila: University of Baguio, University of Perpetual Help, Mapua, University of Southeastern Philippines, University of Mindanao.
• Along with the likes of STI College, a network of schools across the PH who focuses on practical skills (mainly IT) and iAcademy which focuses on creative digital, technology and design skills.
  It’s also worth mentioning that we have a close relationship with our Department of Information & Communications Technology (DICT) which has been instrumental in getting us introductions to more school partners and institutions.

Let me know if you’d like to know more @Biversen !

[biancaygg]

Hey everyone!

Just wanted to let you know I’ve updated the MAIN POST of this idea to show our proposed milestone based release of funding and a more detailed breakdown of the proposed budget + where it’s mostly allocated to.

The amount we’re asking for is quite steep, and I’d like to acknowledge that. We’re more than willing to make adjustments to this proposal, if it means we’re able to kick it off and show success before we go ahead and scale bigger.

I really appreciate all your feedback and your support with our proposal. I’m very confident that we’d be able to deliver this value and move towards creating a sustainable learning to opportunities ecosystem for Sandbox 🫱🏻‍🫲🏼

My DM’s are open so we can chat!