CapeTown, South Africa B 08

At A Glance

Term – B 2008

Project opportunities – IQP

Housing – Shared furnished rooms in a local hostel

Preparation – 1/2 unit preparation activity

Application deadline – September 27, 2007 (before 1:00 pm)

LOCATION

Cape Town is located at the southern tip of South Africa and is one of the world’s most beautiful cities. Situated between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, the Table Mountain range runs through the city and down the Cape of Good Hope. It is both a very cosmopolitan city with visitors and residents from around the globe, and a city dealing with problems of poverty and rapid urban growth that many developing nations face. South Africa is a culturally diverse country still very much creating a new future for itself in the aftermath of apartheid, the system of racial discrimination that dominated social and economic life in the country until the 1990s. Cape Town offers music, art and theatre, and is home to many important historical and cultural sites. We arrive just as the wonderfully temperate summer is beginning, and travel to some of the loveliest and most interesting landscape in Southern Africa. Students can visit parkland in the African bush to see wild animals, hike along stunning terrain, enjoy great food, meet interesting people, and work on projects in some of the poorest and neediest areas of the region.

PROJECTS

Our projects focus on sustainable development in the informal settlements where many people live in shacks or other substandard housing with inadequate services. In our first year of operation, B 2007, students are working with city agencies, local non-profit organizations and citizens groups on projects such as:

Town planning for the Indlovu Centre and eco-village in Monwabisi district
Planning soccer fields and community sports activities at Khayelitsha schools
Sustainable management planning for the Look Out Hill tourism and community center situated atop an ecologically sensitive sand dune
Creating options for healthy, prosperous meat marketing in Khayelitsha
Planning for an innovative, networked downtown bus stop system
Communicating lessons in sustainable development in Cape Town through video.
Future projects will address other issues of sustainable development including housing, water, sanitation, health, education, and local employment. This is a project center for intrepid, hardworking students eager to help “make a difference” in South Africa.

Estimated Out-of-Pocket Expenses	$1,600 $ 150 $ 800 $ 800 $3,350	Round trip travel to site Local transportation on site (taxis) Dining and groceries Weekend tourist activities & incidentals Estimated Total Out-of-Pocket Expenses
Expenses Included on your WPI Bill	$2,200	Housing and program expenses
Estimated Total Expenses	$5,500	Tuition and WPI on-campus housing NOT INCLUDED

^* Subject to change due to fluctuations in exchange rate

NOTE:

In calculating the extra expense to participate in an off-campus project experience compare this figure to expenses incurred while living on campus: groceries or meal plan, entertainment expenses, transportation, etc.

Travel Dates:

Arrive on site Friday, October 24, 2008
Depart site on Friday, December 19, 2008
Housing is provided beginning and ending on the dates above. Students who plan to arrive earlier or stay later will need to make their own accomodation arrangements outside of those dates.