To welcome!
The Devcon Scholars Program is an initiative of the Ethereum Foundation designed to provide members of the Ethereum ecosystem from underserved communities, unique circumstances, or developing areas the opportunity to attend the largest annual gathering in the Ethereum ecosystem .
The Devcon Scholars program, now in its second year, offers full scholarships to many people around the world to learn, connect and grow with others in the blockchain space, culminating in an experience to attend Devcon 5 in Osaka.
In collaboration with ecosystem leaders including UNICEF Innovation, ConsenSys and Bounties Network, the Ethereum Foundation has selected over 50 academics from around the world to participate in the program. The selected researchers represent diverse backgrounds, as well as a wide range of blockchain knowledge. Their skills include design, software engineering, academia, political experience and much more. Honorees receive travel and conference accommodations, exclusive programming, professional networking opportunities, and one-on-one guidance from a group of extraordinary volunteers. Researchers are invited to publish articles on the transformative potential of blockchain technology and later on their experiences at the conference. We hope that every Devcon Scholar finds their place in the Ethereum community and that the opportunity to participate in Devcon will help jump-start a future career in this dynamic ecosystem.
Demographics of the 2019 cohort
We believe that working to increase diversity within our community is an investment in the future of Ethereum. The Devcon Scholars program aims to promote diversity and inclusion within our growing industry and democratize access to Ethereum education.
The 2019 Devcon Scholars cohort represents individuals from 15 different countries, including Afghanistan, Argentina, Egypt, Nigeria, Sweden, and Syria, among others. The demographic distribution of the cohort is as follows:
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50% of researchers identify as blockchain beginners, with the remaining 50% identifying as intermediate or expert in Ethereum technology.
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Approximately 80% of fellows are aged 18 to 34 and the majority of fellows are women.
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The Scholar cohort identifies as 18% Hispanic or Latino, 22% Asian/Pacific Islander, 27% Black or African American, 9% White, and 24% identifying as multiethnic.
The Devcon Scholars program is supported in part by generous contributions from many organizations, including:
ConsenSys: $30,000 in educational programs and certification opportunities offered by ConsenSys Academy
UNICEF Innovation: UNICEF Boost (BST) The token is used on the Bounty Network to teach blockchain concepts, encourage multinational engagement, and bring new voices to the ecosystem. There were over 140 bounty submissions in July 2019 alone.
Bounty Network: Developed ETHScholars’ bespoke environment and funds gas fees for all Scholars’ transactions throughout the program.
In the coming weeks, the Ethereum Foundation will recognize a number of scholarship donors as we reveal this year’s Devcon sponsors.
Finally, following Devcon, Bounties Network will publish Devcon Scholar videos to highlight their experiences in Osaka.
For more information about the Devcon Scholars program, visit Means of Ethereum Devcon researcherswhich will be written by the fellows themselves and managed by the program partners.
Please join us in congratulating this year’s class of Devcon Scholars. We can’t wait to meet everyone in Osaka!
Ps – As mentioned in our last Devcon blog, we are running two chain ticket distribution mechanisms this year, the profits from which will be donated to the Devcon Scholars program. These will be on a relatively small scale as we are testing this approach for the first time, but may expand in coming years. The first is an on-chain auction that will use a small fee as a measure of Sybil resistance, and it will begin two days after this release and last for 48 hours. Stay tuned for more details on Thursday via the blog and Twitter!
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devcon team
