One of my favorite areas within the web3 ecosystem is education, when I entered this world I could see that thanks to the pandemic, several Latin American countries have had to move to online education quickly, which in turn has allowed for more educational spaces accessible to all.
I mention this because during this period I was able to learn a lot of things, take advantage of all the free courses I found and be able to pass them from the comfort of my home, learning from people from all over the world.
I believe that web3 and blockchain technology are revolutionizing this sector, and with what I was researching about Stellar, I could see that it is an innovative platform that is improving access to education, the distribution of resources and transparency in academic processes.
In this article, we will explore how Stellar is already contributing to education and how it could have a greater impact in Latin America.
The role of Stellar in education
Stellar is currently being used in various educational initiatives that seek to benefit from blockchain features and thus enhance the educational experience. Here are few examples:
- Decentralized funding and scholarships
Stellar enables the creation of decentralized platforms that connect students with donors around the world to support them financially. These platforms use the Stellar network to transfer funds quickly and affordably, eliminating middlemen and ensuring that resources reach students directly.
For example: Impact Market is a platform that uses Stellar to fund scholarships and educational projects in emerging countries. Through this network, donors can directly fund students who need help to continue their studies, this whole process could have been very long and complicated, but now they are guaranteed that everything is transparent and that the funds arrive correctly.
I think this is a great idea and a great support, which could also be replicated in our countries, generating greater opportunities for students at different levels of education.
2. Certification of competencies and diplomas
Another use of Stellar in education is the issuance of diplomas and digital academic certificates that can be verified through the blockchain. This is a major breakthrough because this not only eliminates the risk of forgery, but also allows students to keep and share their credentials digitally and securely.
For example: The Open University has explored how to use Stellar to issue academic certifications that are immutable and verifiable by employers and other educational institutions.
This is another idea that I find very interesting since I was able to live this change between the physical and the digital and the truth is that I was very happy with this type of certifications through the blockchain, because it makes safe and reliable when looking for a job or academic scholarships, among other uses.
Ideas for educational projects in LATAM using Stellar
As blockchain technology continues to evolve, the opportunities for integrating Stellar into the educational sector in Latin America are immense. Here are some ideas that would be very interesting to apply in our region:
- Micro-scholarship platform for students in rural areas
In Latin America, many students in rural areas do not have access to higher education due to lack of resources. Therefore, a platform based on Stellar could allow these students to receive micro-scholarships from international donors in a transparent and direct way. And the funds would be sent through the Stellar network in stable currency, avoiding volatility and ensuring that the money goes to education.
How it would work: Students would be able to apply through the platform, verifying their data and educational goals. Donors, for their part, would have the opportunity to view profiles and choose who to support, with the guarantee that the funds would go directly to the beneficiary without any problems.
- Digital library with access tokenization
Access to quality educational material is limited in many parts of Latin America, so a platform could be created in Stellar that could tokenize access to a digital library offering books, academic articles and educational resources. In turn, and to generate sustainability, students could earn tokens through academic assignments, volunteering or even recommending other students and teachers.
How it would work: Users would earn tokens that could be redeemed for specific educational resources. These could be obtained through participation in collaborative tasks or community activities, promoting not only access to education, but also engagement with the community, but not only that it is a job for students but also for teachers and staff of educational establishments.
- Blockchain certification system for public universities
In some LATAM countries, certification and validation systems for academic degrees are very bureaucratic and vulnerable to fraud and even more so in the case of public universities. So Stellar could be used to create a system where degrees and certifications are issued directly on the blockchain, guaranteeing their validity and allowing them to be easily verified by employers and other institutions.
How it would work: Universities would issue tokenized degrees in Stellar, so graduates would have an immutable digital certificate that could be validated anywhere in the world without the need for intermediaries, eliminating unnecessary costs and time.
As you can see there are many ideas in which to apply Stellar, in my case and according to my interest I wanted to do it in the field of education, but you could apply it in the area in which you are working or studying.
*Why this matters?
Education is a key tool for the progress and development of people and countries around the world. In Latin America, where access to education is often unequal and limited by a lack of resources and bureaucracy, Stellar's blockchain technology could make education more accessible, transparent, and efficient. It could also help reduce educational gaps, empower educational communities, and create a fairer and just system.
*FAQ
What is Stellar? Stellar is a blockchain network that makes cross-border payments fast, secure, and low-cost. Its goal is to improve financial inclusion by allowing anyone to access financial services globally.
How can Stellar benefit education? Stellar can be used for big things like funding scholarships, issuing verifiable academic certificates through blockchain, creating accessible and transparent educational platforms, and much more.
What is educational access tokenization? Tokenization in education means using digital tokens to access academic resources, such as books, articles, and courses.
How does Stellar support the issuance of diplomas? Diplomas issued on Stellar's blockchain are immutable and publicly verifiable, ensuring their authenticity. This makes it easier for students to share their academic achievements with employers and other institutions in a transparent way.
What educational projects have been implemented with Stellar? Projects like Impact Market have used Stellar to facilitate educational funding through decentralized scholarships, allowing donors to support students from developing countries. Also, The Open University uses blockchain to issue educational certificates for its courses.
Bibliography
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ImpactMarket, Blockchain for education: Empowering students, accessed September 2024.
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Stellar.org, Blockchain solutions for a global financial system, accessed September 2024.
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Stellar Development Foundation, Use cases of Stellar in education, accessed September 2024.
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The Open University, Blockchain credentialing, accessed September 2024.
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