<aside> 🌞 We published the below piece during our announcement in November 2022.
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<aside> ℹ️ Since the publishing of the Bitcoin whitepaper in 2008, blockchain has matured from an academic idea to a thriving industry that has captured the imagination of tens of millions about what the future might hold. 💭
Blockchain technology is much more than the billions it helps generate and the viral memes Elon Musk helps propagate. Early blockchain experiments in social impact and community building showcase the technology's potential to help build a future that is more resilient, collaborative, and equitable. 💞
But this potential will not be realized without an effective and scalable way to develop civic innovators who can leverage the power of blockchain for good. 🤔
We at Civics Unplugged are launching the Dream DAO to fill this gap. 🚀
The Dream DAO is a web3-native educational and philanthropic institution that will sustainably attract and channel the talent and capital of the blockchain space to develop thousands of Gen Z civic innovators by 2030. Gen Z, after all, are those who will solve the challenges we face today and have to address the ones that are yet to emerge. And they are more than ready to disrupt entrenched power structures that fail the people they claim to serve. 💪
We invite you to join us as we invest in our future leaders to work on humanity's greatest challenges and leverage the power of web3 to build a brighter future for us all. 😊
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The story of the Dream DAO starts with Civics Unplugged, a 501(c)(3) social enterprise founded in 2019 that empowers the leaders of Gen Z with the training, funding, and network they need to build a brighter future for humanity.
Twice a year, we run a Fellowship program that trains 500 high school-aged leaders around the world to become civic innovators. Fellowship graduates then join an alumni community that provides lifelong opportunities for specialized training, funding, internship and work opportunities, and mentorship to pursue their civic aspirations. Since November 1st, 2020, we have invested over $100,000 in exceptional Fellowship graduates. And that's just the beginning. By 2030, we will have invested at least $10 million.
In two short years, Fellowship graduates have created and contributed to projects that have already positively impacted hundreds of thousands of people. Their missions range from sex education in Brazil, democracy reform in Florida, climate tech education in NYC, voter access around the US, diversity and inclusion training around the globe, and more.
While we have had success supporting young people who are working to better their communities and the world in valuable ways, we recognize that young people won't be able to build paradigm-shifting projects necessary to effectively address today's global crises without proper training to innovate.
In an increasingly digital world, technology is the cornerstone of innovation. So how can we empower Gen Z to leverage its power for good?
As we have seen time and time again, new technology can unlock radically better possibilities for what the world can look like.
While blockchain and cryptocurrency have received a massive influx of cultural attention over the past year thanks to DeFi, [meme coins](https://www.europeanbusinessreview.com/why-are-meme-tokens-so-popular-in-2021/#:~:text=Meme coins are essentially cryptocurrencies,it is a successful crypto.), and profile picture NFTs, they are revolutionary, world-changing technologies that present hope for a future that is more resilient, collaborative, and equitable.
Let us explain.
The fact that blockchains are immutable, transparent, and secure gives them the potential to help increase accountability in situations vulnerable to exploitation, create systems more resistant to fraud and censorship, and support those who are poorly served by traditional financial systems.
So far, blockchain social impact projects have helped...