Devcon Scholars: Empowering Underrepresented Blockchain Leaders

Problem

The Ethereum ecosystem has made many strides since its launch in 2015, boasting over 250k blockchain developers and supporting use cases spanning from real estate tokenization to crypto-backed cash transfer programming. However, there are still many who have yet to access the technology and realize its capabilities. Many groups are still underrepresented within the blockchain community, and oftentimes it is these same groups that need the technology the most to combat public sector corruption, minimize the costs of remittances, or increase access to financial services and other tools of economic empowerment. Also, currently marginalized community members may have the answers to the scalability and usability questions burdening the crypto community.

How can a blockchain ecosystem ensure that it is inclusive of engineers, designers, policymakers, and community developers from all around the world – instead of creating a western-centric echo chamber? How can blockchain companies affect positive change when it comes to inclusion and diversity?

ConsenSys Social Impact, ConsenSys Academy, the Bounties Network, and UNICEF Innovation worked with the Ethereum Foundation (EF) to provide free blockchain education and engagement exercises with EF’s Devcon Scholars Program.

Solution

If you live outside the crypto-bubble, breaking into the blockchain ecosystem can be difficult. Resources are scattered across the internet, many tutorials tend to have incomplete information, and oftentimes, most resources are only available in English. Although helpful, these tools can only be leveraged by a select few – and for those that are not English literate, or those who live in areas with low or non-existent internet connectivity, accessing the transformative opportunity of becoming a blockchain developer online, or learning how blockchain technology can empower your local community is near impossible. Even worse, over-resourced communities without the diverse perspective of typically marginalized community members cannot adequately serve locales beyond their own cultural experience.  

The Devcon Scholars Program aims to more strategically extend the impact of EF’s original efforts to provide an expense-paid trip to the Devcon conference. It provides sustaining support to selected scholars so that they can enter and stay within the Ethereum community. Thus, in its new iteration, the Devcon Scholars Program leverages new ecosystem partners in the Bounties Network, ConsenSys Academy, and the UNICEF Innovation teams. The Devcon V Scholars Program supported 53 full scholarships and 8 partial scholarships to a cohort representing 25 different countries, including Afghanistan, Argentina, Egypt, Nigeria, Sweden, and Syria, among others. 

The core goals of the program are the following: 

1. Upskill underrepresented community members from around the world to become leaders and major contributors toward Ethereum’s ecosystem 

2. Increase accessibility to the Ethereum Foundation by translating documentation and the Ethereum.org website into multiple languages to make ecosystem onboarding easier, and to spread community events across underrepresented regions 

3. Place Devcon scholars in organizations dedicated to leveraging Ethereum’s technology (internships and full-time opportunities) 

Impact

The 2019 scholars cohort comprised of 53 scholars from 25 different countries around the world receiving over $300k in ecosystem support, immersion, and educational resources. Over 60% of the scholars cohort became certified blockchain professionals.  

• Cohort Breakdown 

  • 53 Scholars supported representing 25 countries (+8 Partial Scholarships)

  • 54% Female 43% Male  3% Non-binary

  • 19% Blockchain Experts, 32% Blockchain Intermediate, 48% Blockchain Beginners

  • 30% Engineers, 37% Students, 7% Designers, 26% Researchers, Project Managers, & Entrepreneurs 

• Program Experience 

  • ConsenSys provided $55,000 in in-kind support via 1,000 employee volunteer hours, helping manage and support the operations of the program

  • 91.5% saw the program as deeply impact and or life-changing

• Education 

  • ConsenSys Academy provided mentorship and $30,000 in educational resources through their blockchain developer program

  • 100% conducted Bitcoin and Ethereum learning and research exercises  

  • 64% of Scholars are now Consensys Academy Certified

• Professional Development

  • 2 Weeks out of Devcon V, 41% have secured internship/full-time interviews from companies including ConsenSys, Coinbase, Storj, and Sempo among others

  • 2 Weeks out of Devcon V, 24% have secured internship/full-time offers from companies including Coinbase and ConsenSys

Learn More

You may learn more about the program, which continues to this day, here, here, and here.

Role

• Program Co-Founder, Program Manager