CryptoChicks, the educational non-profit organization founded by Natalia Ameline, the mother of Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin, is looking to raise $2 million to develop long-term programs to bolster blockchain literacy among women and youth in Pakistan and The Bahamas.
CryptoChicks works in partnership with Blockgeeks, an educational startup spearheaded in part by Ameline’s ex-husband, Dmitry Buterin. The non-profit has offered programs to 608 women and youth in a range of jurisdictions, teaching a range of blockchain-agnostic topics including Bitcoin and smart contracts.
CryptoChicks Aims to Bolster Blockchain Literacy
In a recent interview with CoinDesk, Ameline emphasized that CryptoChicks is “an educational organization, not a political organization.” CryptoChicks co-founder, Elena Sinelnikova, stated the mission of the organization is to “provide women and youth with the maximum opportunity to make their own choices.”
While the non-profit stated by targeting youth, CryptoChicks seeks to close the gender gap in blockchain literacy, with Sinelnikova stating:
One of our goals is to bring more women into the space, […] That’s where girls disengage a bit and turn into different areas. That’s why we’re trying to get them involved early on.
Since launching in 2017, Ameline estimates that the non-profit has funneled $350,000 worth of donations into almost a dozen programs and conferences.
Organization to Develop a Mentorship Program
Earlier this year, CryptoChicks hosted a hackathon in Pakistan. CryptoChicks ambassador, Faiza Yousuf, stated that the event saw several companies such as IBM Pakistan local start-up CoinBundle hire individuals who participated in the hackathon. Nearly 30 young adults attended the event in Karachi, including 13 female developers.
“We want to work with these [hackathon] teams so that they can develop these projects further,” Yousuf stated. “There are not a lot of communities here in Pakistan related to blockchain […] so this was the first of its kind and we invited a lot of people from the technology industry just to start a conversation.”
If the organization is successful in its fundraising ambition, CryptoChicks plans to develop a mentorship program for the Pakastani participants, in addition to the participants of the upcoming hackathon scheduled for August in The Bahamas.
Over 100 Students Signed Up for Bahamas Hackathon
Bahamas-based conference co-organizer, Felix Stubbs, stated: “There are a lot of talented young kids here in the Bahamas,” adding that the hackathon will “position them nicely to explore careers in the space.”
Currently, 106 students between the ages of 7 and 25 have registered to participate in the hackathon in the Bahamas, with prizes valued at $1,500 available to the event’s winning teams.
