A nonprofit organization operating in El Salvador that focuses on Bitcoin (BTC) education has recently launched an updated version of its Bitcoin Diploma Program. The program aims to promote wider adoption of the leading cryptocurrency and educate individuals on the benefits of its underlying technology.
BTC education goes mainstream
The organization, known as "Mi Primer Bitcoin" or "My First Bitcoin," began offering BTC courses after El Salvador implemented its Bitcoin law in 2021.
In June 2022, they launched their first 10-week education program with 38 students from Salvadoran public schools. This move marks the first time that the BTC diploma program has been introduced in any public school system globally.
The nonprofit is now partnering with the El Salvador Ministry of Education, which has adopted the open-source workbook as the primary resource for its BTC-focused education programs.
Through a pilot program in partnership with the government of El Salvador and in partnership with the Bitcoin Beach Project, which is developing a “sustainable Bitcoin (BTC) economic ecosystem” for the country’s coast, the nonprofit is currently training 700 public school teachers across the country. These teachers will then teach BTC diploma courses in their local schools.
In addition, My First Bitcoin established an autonomous “node network” of frontline BTC educators in March 2023, and more than 29 educational programs from 18 countries have adopted Bitcoin diplomas.
Financial literacy in the age of Bitcoin
The launch of the 2024 edition of the BTC Diploma is an important milestone in My First Bitcoin’s mission to promote global BTC adoption and financial empowerment.
The course covers a variety of topics, including the history of money, the emergence of government-issued currencies, challenges associated with fiat currencies, and how BTC can provide solutions to these problems. It also delves into the technical workings of BTC and the Lightning Network, the functionality that implements BTC’s layer 2 network smart contracts.
This 175-page workbook is divided into ten chapters and is designed for a ten-week study program. All materials are publicly available on GitHub, and the organization actively encourages individual participation in course translation.
The 2023 edition has been translated into 23 languages, including Korean, Swahili, Luganda, Russian, Tamil, Japanese, and Hindi, by a network of more than 40 international educators.
John Dennehy, founder and executive director of My First Bitcoin, emphasized the organization’s belief in the educational power of BTC. He said:
We believe Bitcoin education will change the world, and this new version is a big step in that direction. Learning about finance in the Bitcoin era can enhance empowerment and bring significant second-order effects. This knowledge will encourage us to further build, create and plan for the future, which will change everything. #萨尔瓦多 #比特币教育
