Over the last academic year, MouseBelt University has been working to build the future of blockchain education and inspire the next generation of blockchain leaders. We launched the program in Fall 2018 after speaking with dozens of students and faculty about blockchain programming on their campuses. We found that students were passionate about creating a decentralized society and hungry for opportunities to learn from industry experts like MouseBelt. We worked with 13 student organizations to organize meetups, hackathons and conferences. Since then we’ve built an association of over 68+ student organizations from 14 countries worldwide.
In Spring of 2019 we expanded our program to include 8-week courses in blockchain engineering, business, and leadership, exclusive social channels for our members, one-on-one mentorship from our team of industry professionals, and pitch competitions for student-run startups. We’ve been working hard behind the scenes this summer to bring more opportunities to our awesome student community.
So what’s new for Fall 2019?
Updated Courses
Blockchain technology is always evolving. New use cases and challenges are discovered every day. Our instructors are industry professionals actively working in the space to bring the most informed and current perspectives to our content. We’ve also made it easier for students to access their courses, track progress, and receive certificates upon completion.
Open Office Hours
Participants in our program can access instructors during “office hours” by scheduling a Zoom meeting through our MouseBelt University platform. 20+ hours of advising are available weekly for one-on-one advising on everything from code reviews, business plans, event planning, and more!
“Kickstarter Kits”
Students looking to “kick-start” their blockchain student organization can receive free web hosting and design, promotional materials like shirts, banners and flyers, and food & drink for up to 3 meetups per semester.
Virtual Meetups
Students can connect and develop projects together via weekly virtual meetups on topics from our courses such as “Building a Pitch Deck” and “Careers in Blockchain”. In addition, we’ve brought on some of the top platforms, protocols, investors, and thought leaders in the space to lead talks and workshops.
Virtual Hackathon
30–60 days into the fall program we will be announcing 3 themes and start forming teams and hosting workshops for our first ever Virtual Hackathon. We will be offering $5k in prizes and the opportunity for funding top projects through our accelerator. The first theme is backed by existing code being offered to students for free to build an open source project called related to risk and reputation solution.
Live-stream Pitch Competition
Students involved in our university program will be eligible to pitch their startup ideas to our team for investment through our accelerator. In the weeks leading up to the application deadline we will host weekly workshops on writing and presenting a pitch. The top teams will get to present at a live steamed pitch event at Blockchain Center SF to a room of partners and investors. Applications are due January 1, 2020.
Ambassador Program
MouseBelt University is now offering the opportunity for students to gain experience in the blockchain space, learn about the startup and VC world, and enhance their networking and marketing skills through our Ambassador Program. Ambassadors will serve as a representative for MouseBelt, their school, and blockchain innovation in their region. Interested parties can apply here.
The Blockchain Education Alliance
We’re inviting leading innovators in the technology sector who want to be involved in blockchain education to join our coalition of students, researchers, developers and investors in creating a future where people choose privacy, autonomy, decentralization, ownership and security as a mindset and philosophy. Stay tuned for an announcement regarding our founding members soon!
