• Invitation
• Handbook
• Application
• Dominicana Program 2011-current
• Chiapas Program 2010
• Parras Program 2005-2008

In the Practivistas Dominicana program, each student lives with a unique family in Santo Domingo, while studying with local students in the prestigious UNIBE and working in one of three different barrios on a project team with locals tackling real problems with existing resources to create and document solutions on Appropedia. The program is an intense six week immersion in many different aspects of Dominican culture along a wide breadth of socioeconomic classes. Students are expected to be, and received as, contributing members looking to learn how to improve living systems together.

¡STUDY APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY AND SPANISH IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC!

Cal Poly Humboldt (HSU) and Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE) invite you to the Hands-on, resilient community technologies, Program in the Dominican Republic

Note: Applications are closed until further notice.

Projects

• Practivistas Dominicana Projects
• 
  La Yuca ecoladrillo schoolroom (2011)
• 
  La Yuca schoolroom renovation (2013)
• 
  La Yuca rainwater catchment (2014) (2013) (2012) (2011)
• 
  La Yuca small scale renewable energy (2014) (2012) (2011)
• 
  Las Malvinas ecoladrillo schoolroom (2012)
• 
  Las Malvinas fiber-crete (2013) (2014)
• 
  Las Malvinas botica popular ecoladrillo (2013)
• 
  Las Malvinas rainwater catchment (2014) (2014 Feasibility) (2013)
• 
  Ghetto2Garden solar power (2014) (2013)
• 
  Arroyo Norte sustainable market materials (2014)
• 
  Las Malvinas destacamento (2014)
• 
  Las Malvinas community shade structure (2014)

Description

In the summer of 2011, students studied appropriate technology and Spanish while working with community members of La Yuca to build a schoolroom from plastic bottles and concrete, lit with solar and homemade wind power from bike parts and newspaper press waste, that catches its own rainwater for cleaning and possibly drinking.

• Prezi on Practivistas Dominicana 2011

In the summer of 2012, students returned to Santo Domingo to continue our learning and community collaboration. Students worked with community members of La Yuca to make the renewable energy system from bikeparts and newspaper press waste more hurricane safe and durable, and to make the rainwater catchment more potable and tested. In addition, students worked in Las Malvinas II to build a classroom from plastic bottles, concrete, sawdust, papercrete and industrial wood waste for 25 young students.

• TreeHugger article on the 2012 projects - Spanish article from UNIBE - Spanish article from Gikplus - Article in Humboldt Now

In the summer of 2013, students returned again to Santo Domingo. Students and community members worked together to design and construct:

• Rainwater catchment for all the water needs of an urban school (La Yuca rainwater catchment 2013) and a rural community center (Las Malvinas rainwater catchment system).
• Solar power for lighting an urban schoolroom (La Yuca) all of the electricity for an off-grid stray animal shelter (Ghetto2Garden solar power).
• Natural plaster from clay, sand and flour, and other improvements to an urban schoolroom we built from plastic bottles in 2011 (La Yuca schoolroom renovation).
• A rural public pharmacy (Las Malvinas) made from plastic bottles (Las Malvinas botica popular ecoladrillo 2013) and blocks made of rice husks, rice husk ash, lime, cement, and sand (Las Malvinas botica popular hullkrete 2013).

In the summer of 2014 the students collaborated with three communities in Santo Domingo. The students and community members worked together to create:

• Sustainable market materials in Arroyo Norte. This was the first year that the practivistas got to work with the community of Arroyo Norte.
• An improved rainwater catchment system for the La Yuca schoolroom, a feasibility study for a potential rainwater catchment system in Las Malvinas, and a rainwater catchment system for a pharmacy in Las Malvinas.
• A shade structure made from bamboo, bilboard material, and zinc for the community center in Las Malvinas.
• A series of tests on various eco-blocks to assess the potential of cinder blocks that use less concrete and more of materials like sawdust, paper, and coconut.
• A destacamento (police station) in Las Malvinas made with some of the eco-blocks created in the community.
• A renewable energy system for the La Yuca schoolroom, and a renewable energy system for Ghetto2Garden.

This program is open to all skill levels, but does require some ability to do manual work and move around. Expect to work hard, learn a bunch, build lasting projects and friendships.

• Prezi for 2015

Tentative Details

• Summer 2017
• $3,860 (includes room, board, units, classroom facilities and deposit)
• $120 health insurance
• 8 Units: 2 Units of Spanish and six units (two of the following courses), depending on your track - ENGR 308 Technology and the Environment (Upper Division Area B GE), ENVS 410 Environmental Science practicum, ENGR 305 (Upper Division Area B GE), ENGR 215 Introduction to Design
• Location: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
• Partners: Colectivo Revark (cultural liaisons and more), UNIBE (University), Appropedia (Information sharing)
• A hands-on experience in Appropriate Technology and sustainability in the diverse environment of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
• Immersed in the language and culture of the Dominican Republic.
• Live with a Dominican family.
• Visit cultural and natural places guided by faculty and community liaisons.
• All courses apply to the HSU Minor and Majors or count as HSU graduating electives.
• May use Financial Aid to cover related expenses.
• You do not need to be an HSU student to apply.

Application

1. Complete Program Application. Due Date: 3.23.18
2. Complete Interview with HSU Practivistas Program Director, Lonny Grafman.

Contact the Dominican Program Leaders

No employee or student shall on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, disability, veteran status or national or ethnic origin be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of or be otherwise subjected to unlawful discrimination, including discriminatory harassment, under any program of the University.

Courses

Don't let the engineering courses fool you. This program is not just for engineers. The best solutions to the toughest problems come from the most diverse teams. We are open to all majors and community members as well.

The main courses for the summer program, totaling eight semester units, are as follows:

• 2 Units of Spanish: SPAN 250, Conversational Spanish
• 6 units (two of the following courses), depending on your track: ENGR 308 Technology and the Environment (Upper Division Area B GE), ENVS 410 Environmental Science practicum, ENGR 305 Appropriate Technology (Upper Division Area B GE), ENGR 215 Introduction to Design

Note: Exceptions and alternates can be made in some special cases (especially when a student has already completed one of the courses).

Video

See More

• Practivistas Dominicana/handbook
• Practivistas Dominicana/what to bring
• Join the Practivistas Dominicana Facebook group at http://on.fb.me/HSUdom.