Kujira Academy: The Litepaper

The educational hub of the Kujira ecosystem, built by students, for students.

There’s no doubt about it, entering the Web3 space is incredibly daunting. Users are often left misdirected, misinformed, and confused by a seemingly endless stream of information, with no clear way of navigating this ever-evolving landscape.

Among students, there exists a real lack of opportunity, both in education and employment, posing a significant hurdle to the Web3 industry that must be vaulted if mass adoption is ever to be achieved.

This article will introduce the key components of Kujira Academy, explaining how these will slot together to bridge the gap between universities and blockchain technology, improving the quality and quantity of information available to users, and providing students with a prescriptive way to kickstart their career in Web3.

Let’s start by identifying some of the barriers Kujira, and the wider ecosystem, must break through to shift the public perception of ‘crypto’, and lead the charge toward mass adoption.

Identifying the Challenge

Web2 vs. Web3: A Lack of Education & Employment Opportunities

In traditional industries such as legacy finance, there exists an infrastructure to support and guide users, with education and training a central focus for the large majority of firms.

Companies offer insight days, placements, and internships to lower the friction for students, providing a clear pathway to the desired destination and a sense of security among prospective employees.

In Web3, however, no such infrastructure exists.

The lack of educational material within this industry makes the barriers to entry much higher, leading to poor retention of new users and sub-standard investment decisions for those who do choose to bite the bullet.

This leaves new users perilously trapezing the tightrope that is Web3, having to figure out for themselves which actions are useful, and which actions are not. In a space characterized by rapid change, this becomes exceedingly difficult.

Ultimately, with no guarantee of employment, new users are discouraged from attempting to break into the industry. After all, in a world where individuals value security and comfort, a path rooted in uncertainty is less than ideal.

Unlimited Information, Limited Time

Quality content is few and far between, with just a select few delivering actual value to a protocol’s ecosystem. Remaining users saturate the space, making it all the more difficult to make sense of it all.

This relates not just to Kujira but to the Web3 space at large, posing a significant challenge to protocols and begging the question, how do you filter out the noise to identify meaningful content that educates, informs, and motivates new users?

Presenting the Solution

If Web3 ever hopes to penetrate mass markets, the infrastructure provided to new users must improve, and quickly. Protocols need to provide a way to filter out the noise and make relevant, quality information available to all, or risk fading into the abyss.

Further, a clear pathway must be presented to students that lowers the friction associated with onboarding, provides quality education, and real, tangible employment opportunities for those seeking a career in Web3. This is what Kujira Academy aims to do.

Whilst the end goal is clear, setting up the necessary infrastructure is a slightly more complex task. After all, a good architect knows a well-built house must have strong foundations.

Kujira Academy: The Blueprint

There are 3 core aims we are setting out to achieve at Kujira Academy.

Core Aims

To become the Information Hub of the Kujira ecosystem.
To bridge the gap between universities and blockchain technology.
To improve accessibility to resources and opportunities for all users.

How will we achieve this, you ask? Allow me to explain.

Setting The Foundations

Kujira Academy is held up by 4 separate beams, or verticals, that will all play a vital part in achieving the core aims stated above.

These are:

Content Creation
Student Ambassador Program
Kujira Academy Twitter
NFT Hackathon

While these verticals primarily focus on students, there are opportunities for the wider community to engage, who can register their interest here.

Anyway, let’s get into it.

Content Creation

Our Aim

To deliver consistent, quality content across multiple languages that educate, inform, and motivate users.

What Does This Involve?

Students will be tasked with creating content on Kujira, Cosmos, and the wider ecosystem, producing a diverse range of content that expands Kujira’s reach, attracting new users and capital to our ecosystem.

Examples of such content include:

Weekly newsletters
Interviews
Protocol Deep Dives
Group Projects

So, why bother creating content for Kujira Academy?

Benefits To Students

Get Paid to Learn

A unique environment that develops students’ creativity and writing skills, offering performance-based pay in accordance with the quality and reach of students’ work.

2. Get Recognized by Employers

Curate a portfolio of articles that will be published to a growing following of 80,000, enabling you to stand out from the crowd, and get your start in Web3. This is how both KP & I began our journeys!

3. A Collaborative Community

Become part of a growing community and play a pivotal role in enacting Kujira Academy’s vision of becoming the information hub of Kujira.

Now, we explore the second, and perhaps most significant vertical in Kujira Academy, the Student Ambassador Program.

The Student Ambassador Program

Our Aim

To bridge the gap between universities and blockchain technologies, improving accessibility to educational resources and providing employment opportunities within Web3.

Outlining The Program

This Student Ambassador Program constitutes the backbone of Kujira Academy, spanning four weeks and covering three key aspects: education, performance, and feedback.

As a student enrolling in this program, you will be given the opportunity to:

Attend seminars and workshops to familiarize yourself with the Kujira ecosystem, and learn how to present a business proposal.
Present an individual, and group proposal, providing solutions to real-life business case topics.
Talk with protocol founders and collaborate on research pieces, articles, and threads, posted to the protocols’ growing following.
Receive a weekly feedback call reviewing your performance in the business case topics, as well as your progress towards the goals established at the start of the program.

Students will be assessed on their individual performance, group performance, and overall engagement with the program’s resources.

Following the end of this program, students possessing the qualities we associate with successful ambassadors will be chosen.

So, what does an Ambassadors role involve?

An Ambassador’s Role

Ambassadors will act as a representative of Kujira Academy within their university and local community, collaborating with societies to host events educating students about the Kujira ecosystem and wider blockchain environment.

Picture it. An international, interconnected network of universities that provide accessible, educational material to students across the globe.

Ambassador Program: Time vs. Employability

Sounds good, right? Now, the important part. Why does it matter to you?

Why Should I Become An Ambassador?

A Solid Foundation

A safe, low-risk environment that lowers the barriers of entry to Web3 and shines a light on a previously unlit path.
An accredited program that will get you recognized by employers, and put you ahead of the curve.

Exclusive Access to Industry leaders

Access to exclusive events, that develop students’ skills and provide them with a portfolio of skills and experience.
An invaluable network, mentorship from industry leaders, and the chance to collaborate with protocols’ ecosystems.

Career Pathway Creation

Real-life, tangible employment opportunities and a chance to contribute to bridging the gap between universities and blockchain technology.

So, if you believe you fit the mold of a Student Ambassador, there’s only one thing left to do. Register your interest through our application form, and keep an eye out for Kujira-related events, coming soon to universities near you.

NFT Hackathon

NFT projects, such as Plucky Penguins, are starting to garner attention from community members, who recognize the value they can bring to Kujira’s ecosystem.

This vertical will split students into groups of 3–4 people, tasking them with pitching an NFT project to a panel of judges.

Groups will be required to present 10 proof of concept artworks, a detailed plan for the branding and marketing of the project, and an outline of what they plan to do with the collection, should their NFTs be minted.

Benefits To Students

Prizes & Monetary Incentives

Not only will the winning team have their project incubated by Kujira, but they will also receive up to $1500 of the final mint proceeds awarded.

Any remaining proceeds from the NFT mint will be re-directed back to the community pool, providing additional incentives, events, and rewards to Kujira Academy students.

2. Exclusive Access to Industry Leaders

Students will have the opportunity to attend workshops and presentations hosted by existing NFT projects, with founders discussing their experience and offering guidance on how to build and maintain a strong community.

A key foundation for those wishing to build their own communities in the future!

3. Teamwork & Leadership Skills

This vertical will improve students’ time management, teamwork, and leadership qualities, helping to cultivate the skills necessary for a career in Web3.

Kujira Academy x Stargaze Partnership

As a quick aside, we have also managed to secure a partnership with Stargaze, the NFT launchpad of the Kujira ecosystem. Additional incentives will be provided to students, with $STARS awarded to groups that secure top positions.

Kujira Academy Twitter

The principal aims of this vertical are:

To create synergy between new and existing users, bringing them under one roof to generate consistent, quality content that educates, informs, and motivates readers.
To provide a platform for students to interact with protocols, get their work recognized by the wider community, and secure employment opportunities.

What Does This Involve?

There will be a number of roles available to students, with those selected responsible for the writing, editing, and distribution of content across Kujira.

As the landing page of Kujira Academy, it will facilitate content creation, host interviews and forge valuable partnerships with protocols, delivering real value to the ecosystem. Not bad, right?

The Final Formula

Kujira Academy will emerge as a promising solution to the current challenges that characterize the Web3 space, presenting a blueprint for bridging the gap between universities and blockchain technology.

Content Creation offers students a platform to produce quality content while learning and getting recognized. The Student Ambassador Program paves a path to Web3 careers by nurturing essential skills and industry connections.

The NFT Hackathon fosters creativity and teamwork while providing financial incentives. Lastly, the Kujira Academy Twitter serves as a bridge between users, protocols, and employment opportunities.

These four verticals will work in unison to make Kujira Academy the information hub of the Kujira ecosystem, improving accessibility to resources and providing real, tangible employment opportunities for students.

So, for those of you interested, what are you waiting for?