Urbe.eth: Empowering Web3 Developers Through Education

Fostering Web3 innovation through immersive developer bootcamps

The rapid growth of the Web3 ecosystem has created a strong demand for effective education that equips developers to innovate with confidence. Traditional learning methods often fall short when it comes to preparing developers for the dynamic and complex nature of blockchain technology. Urbe.eth, an Italian community committed to making Web3 accessible and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, presents a solution: Urbe Campus. This initiative offers intensive, practical bootcamps led by international experts, strategically aligned with major Ethereum hackathons, enabling developers to immediately apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios.

Urbe.eth’s Mission and Key Initiatives

Urbe.eth stands out as a hub for collaboration among Web3 developers and builders, with a mission to shift the narrative from financial speculation to showcasing the practical, real-world applications of blockchain technology. Through educational programs, workshops, and events, Urbe.eth cultivates a supportive environment for Web3 builders. Urbe Campus, one of its key initiatives, exemplifies this commitment by providing intensive, hands-on training sessions that prepare developers to excel in competitive and innovative settings.

Warsaw Urbe Campus Overview

Urbe Campus hosted a significant event in Warsaw, Poland, on September 5th-6th, 2024, right before the ETHWarsaw hackathon. This 2-day bootcamp engaged over 25 participants in 10 hours of workshops focused on building foundational Web3 skills.

The program covered Solidity and smart contract development, frontend dApp creation using ScaffoldETH, and comprehensive hackathon preparation, including tips, team formation, and ideation sessions. Experienced mentors, including @limone_eth, @Frankc_eth, and @orbuloeth, led live sessions to provide practical insights and strategies for successful hackathon participation. This event also served as a pilot for running Urbe Campus within a conference setting, providing valuable lessons for future events.

Urbe Campus at ETHRome

The ENS DAO-powered Urbe Campus in Rome, held from September 30th to October 3rd, 2024, preparation for ETHRome, which is also hosted by Urbe.eth. Developed in partnership with 42 Roma Coding School, this 4-day bootcamp provided an immersive educational experience combining theoretical learning and practical application. The program included an introduction to Ethereum and the EVM environment, advanced to hands-on training with Solidity, smart contract development, and secure token creation using OpenZeppelin for token creation.

Participants engaged in dApp development sessions with Scaffold-ETH, learning to set up frontends, connect to the blockchain, and utilize tools such as Viem and Wagmi. The final day featured practical challenges, hackathon strategies, and a guided walkthrough of the Speedrun Ethereum challenge. This comprehensive bootcamp prepared participants with the skills and confidence needed for ETHRome, an event focused on privacy, governance, and onboarding new Web3 developers.

Urbe Campus at Devcon Bangkok

The ENS DAO-supported Urbe Campus at Devcon Bangkok from November 12th-15th, 2024, also followed Urbe.eth’s proven bootcamp structure, preparing developers for the ETHGlobal hackathon.The program included comprehensive sessions that moved from blockchain basics to deploying smart contracts and building dApps. Attendees gained practical skills using development tools like HardHat and Scaffold-ETH.

Key sessions included a presentation by @vegaypatino from ENS DAO on the importance of public goods funding, alongside talks by @BrianknowsAI on moving from hackathon ideas to startups and hackathon strategies from @Limone_eth, ensuring participants were equipped for the ETHGlobal hackathon’s dynamic demands.

Milestones Supported by ENS DAO Grants

The Public Goods Working Group awarded Urbe a 40k USDC grant from its Large Grants initiative to support the execution and success of these educational bootcamps. The grant covered essential costs, including team travel expenses, expert-led teaching sessions, locations, and provisions for attendees. The structured funding distribution helped ensure the successful rollout of the Warsaw, Rome, and Bangkok campuses, each of which provided unique, impactful training opportunities for developers.

About ENS DAO Grants

The Large Grants opportunity from the Public Goods Working Group awards up to 50k USDC to applicable Ethereum or Web3 Public Goods. This grant aims to provide a pathway for foundational Public Goods in the Ethereum or Web3 ecosystems to request more significant funding from the Public Goods working group. Foundational Public Goods in the context of this grant have exceptional usefulness or an established record of making an impact for users or developers.

To learn more, visit the ENS DAO Forum and follow ENS DAO for updates on future opportunities.

Note: Grants are paid out in tranches. The original distribution date was Q3 2024, and subsequent fund distributions have been made since, following the completion of milestones.