Hey y’all! I’ve been in a bunker of sorts for a while, but have been fished out by some of my students to show me SIP-33, and I must say, this feels really personal, having been the one who not only created the course and curriculum for the Metaverse Builder’s program, but also taught it for a couple months in partnership with The Sandbox, Metaversity, and YGG.
For those unfamiliar, I’m EL Bonuan from XOVOX Labs, a trusted partner studio of The Sandbox in the Philippines 
. I know I said in a previous initiative proposed to The SandboxDAO that I have been, and always will be, a supporter of educational pushes to on-board and build with new creators, this has been a core advocacy since 2021 - being part of @SANDcultivator 's first few students at The Sandbox Bootcamp, and how The Sandbox has literally changed the trajectory of my life - granted it be executed properly, consistently, and nurtured until the teacher can pass the torch to their students.
That said, being in the space, I’ve seen the pitfalls and shortcomings ill-prepared execution and commitment can cause. On top of my head, having taught thousands of students both online and offline for institutions, brand partners, our studio, and The Sandbox events, only a fraction of them actually explored further beyond the Zoom call or classroom, of those that did, only a handful would eventually build experiences and create assets during Game Jams and Voxedit Contests, beyond that, only those who got employed or kept winning competitions would stay and build in the ecosystem as #Sandfam. Anecdotally, I’ve seen more success during live hands-on training where the students convert to builders vs online sessions. Which is to say, I’m more inclined to support anything that pushes for education in a live in-person setting.
That sentiment is especially true from XOVOX Labs’ collaboration with Metaversity before teaching almost 200 students weekly for over 4 months. It was- rocky, to say the least… but I did admire the goal of providing tools for the students at The Sisters of Mary to be able to work as Metaverse creators through The Sandbox. Having the setbacks I experienced during the term though, I’d like to provide some insights that could make this program much more successful, for both the students and The Sandbox.
-
Aim to have live hands-on training as a key part of the programs. (Online sessions tend to be low-commitment and problems in power, devices, connectivity, etc. make teaching and learning that much more difficult)
-
Study the curriculum design so that time is dynamic across lessons. Ideally catering for longer sessions for topics that tackles the Game Maker and Voxedit. (Some lessons don’t have to be an hour long, and some need at least 3 hours including hands-on training - it varies depending on the topic)
-
Have a living document that updates the curriculum based on the newest versions of The Sandbox software. (The curriculum I made for the previous program uses information dated May 2024, since then the Game Maker and Voxedit have gone through a couple of major version updates)
-
Have your partner institutions prepare the devices the students will use for the Game Maker and Voxedit before the sessions even start, not after it started. (This was a crucial roadblock that made facilitating the program nigh impossible last time)
-
Treat the program as a studio incubator, and not just a single-person ladder program. (This I found true after the fact, having taught groups of students for SoM. A studio incubator that gives the students agency to pursue game development, design, asset creation, and operations would make for a more well-rounded program vs an individualist approach that have, so far, been hit or miss)
-
Use the lessons as content across social media to spread word of the work. (This helps for posterity, and boosts The Sandbox beyond the class and sessions - giving a worldwide audience that could potentially build in the platform as well)
-
Use a capstone project for the program as both an assessment and an incentive for the students to build with others in their groups, like a practicum for doing studio work. (A lot of the students feel forced into the prior programs having it as a “requirement” for a class, but it was always my intent to have a contest at the end to encourage collaboration and incentivize further learning with prizes)
-
In addition to the previous point, it would be more encouraging to have partners be involved in the capstone. The promise of a job or project after the program would prove to be a good motivator especially for graduating students pre-employment. (This is also a good insert for your brand partners to be involved in The Sandbox ecosystem, potentially leading to officially entering and creating an experience within their LAND - and the students themselves could be their hired builders!)
–
That said, I am extremely proud of the works created by the students of The Sisters of Mary. In a perfect world, all of the students would have had the chance to learn more beyond the 1 hour classes, all their computers would have been sufficient to create the entire experience just by themselves, and we would have been able to on-board more builders into The Sandbox from their co-hort. I see this as an opportunity to build on the previous program, fix mistakes, and have a more holistic agenda. I know @biancaygg from her work and in events, and I trust that they would proceed with this program and push for education that uplifts and sustains, here in the Philippines, and beyond.
I’m hopeful that with the proper management of an educational push, The Sandbox would be reinvigorated with new creatives and builder studios that create not just for brand projects, but also their own IPs built within the Metaverse. We need it, because only getting more builders that are just waiting for jobs is the exact disease ailing this platform. With big studios and creators leaving or going on hiatus (sorry, guilty as charged) the past while, The Sandbox now, more than ever, needs fresh takes and ideas that go beyond what brand partners can give. Game Maker 0.11 allows for games that are not possible a year ago, and I’m excited to see what young blood can do with the tools we give them!
As always, cheers and good luck, sandfam! 