Program Legacy: Analyzing the Impacts of Past and Current Student Projects in Cape Town
Sponsoring Organization:
The Cape Town Project Center (CTPC) at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)
Sponsor Contacts:
Gbetonmasse Somasse, Ph.D. (CTPC Director), Scott Jiusto, Ph.D. (CTPC Founding Director)
Meet the Team:
Advisors – Michelle Femc-Bagwell, Ph.D., Patricia Agupusi, Ph.D.
Student Researchers – Camila Leathers (Chemical Engineering, 2026), Trajen Masner (Mechanical and Robotics Engineering), Seth McGowan (Mechanical Engineering, 2026), Andrew Pugh (Mechanical Engineering, 2026)
Student Researchers from Left to Right: Seth McGowan, Andrew Pugh, Trajen Masner, and Camila Leathers
Abstract:
In collaboration with the Cape Town Project Center (CTPC) at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, the student research team assessed the overall impacts of past and present project work in Cape Town and investigated opportunities for future initiatives in new fields of sustainable development. Utilizing a mixed methodology approach consisting of a quantitative survey, semi-structured interviews, and onsite observations, the researchers identified common themes from the experiences of students and sponsors throughout the years of project work in Cape Town. Through inductive coding of the survey and interviews, findings indicated that project stakeholders were most notably impacted by four main themes: community involvement within the projects, the collaborative nature of the student-sponsor relationship, a motivating focus on deliverables, and the alignment of the project with the sponsor’s overall mission. The student research team proposed new directions for future CTPC projects and provided recommendations for new and existing partners to expand its work into different areas of community development. Two videos were also created to promote the CTPC to prospective sponsors and WPI students.
2024 Cape Town Cohort at Maiden’s Cove
The final analysis and subsequent recommendations for future Cape Town Interactive Qualifying Projects can be accessed below through the full report and visual presentation. Once approved by the Project Center, the video deliverables will also be available to view via the following links:
Exploring Community – Student Experience in Cape Town (link pending)
Collaborative Partnership – Representing Projects to Cape Town Sponsors (link pending)
Executive Summary:
Introduction
Since 2007, the Cape Town Project Center has been enacting changes in the southernmost country in Africa. These projects have addressed housing, homelessness, early childhood development, water and sanitation, and gardening. Given such an extensive history, it is important to assess the project’s efficacy on the residents of Cape Town and as well as the effect of the project center as a whole.
Issues Impacting Projects
The city of Cape Town is filled with a long history of socioeconomic issues and inequalities stemming from the systemic racial segregation of apartheid. Many underprivileged communities around the city are still faced with struggles caused by apartheid despite its transition towards democracy. To address these problems, the Cape Town Project Center (CTPC) collaborated with local organizations on projects shaped around various community needs mentioned previously. With no formal metric for the CTPC to measure the success of these projects, the assessment team project investigated the sustainability and impact of the past and current projects.
Project Goal and Objectives
This project aimed to investigate the impact of past and current CTPC projects from student, sponsor, and community perspectives and recommended new opportunities for future projects. Additionally, two new videos were generated to promote the CTPC to interested WPI students and sponsoring organizations. To fulfill the goal of this project, the student research team identified the following objectives:
- Designed and administered surveys to all current students of the CTPC
- Scheduled and conducted interviews with representatives from three of the CTPC’s continued project sponsors (the Green Light Project, the Center for Early Childhood Development, and The Hope Exchange), and four WPI faculty members involved with the center
- Generated a rubric for organizing the successful attributes of former CTPC projects at different levels of impact
- Investigated new sponsors willing to partner with the CTPC and recommended them to its director
- Researched media production techniques along with audio and video equipment through consultations with the WPI Global Lab and WPI Academic Technology Center (ACT)
Methods
2024 Cape Town Cohort at Kruger National Park
The research team incorporated a mixed-methodology approach to gain further insight into the past and present nature of the Cape Town Project Center. To fully investigate the effects of the CTPC, the team conducted 45-minute semi-structured interviews with fourteen key informants who have worked with the CTPC. These included the project sponsoring organizations and the WPI faculty members who have current or previous partnerships with the Center. Each interviewee offered different perspectives and integral insight to assessing the impact of past student projects. Additionally, the research team designed a survey to assess the current students’ project experiences and the long-term effects of the CTPC’s work. The aim of gathering data from student’s perspectives was to obtain a more holistic view of project experiences from various project stakeholders.
In collaboration with the team’s sponsors CTPC director Professor Somasse and CTPC founder Professor Jiusto, the investigators focused on three of the Center’s longest partnerships. These three organizations, the Centre for Early Childhood Development (CECD), the Green Light Project (GLP), and The Hope Exchange (THE), have partnered with the Cape Town Project Center since 2009. The student research team concentrated on these three partners given the extensive history of project work, as research findings would support their lasting relationships and impact on their communities.
Findings
The student research team administered surveys to the 25 current IQP students at the CTPC and received 12 responses. The survey was designed to assess their perspectives on sponsor collaboration and project impact. Key findings from the data highlighted strong adherence to project timelines, varying experiences with budgets, and the importance of clear objectives shaped by community feedback. Students reported high levels of satisfaction, emphasizing productive relationships and meaningful work. Community involvement varied based on the projects however, projects generally achieved positive local impacts. Students valued their experience in Cape Town, citing personal growth and cultural immersion. Despite limited survey participation, the findings provide valuable insights into improving future IQPs.
The researchers also conducted 14 interviews with past and present project sponsors and WPI faculty affiliated with the CTPC. Questions were designed to assess the sponsors’ perspectives on working with WPI students and the lasting impacts of the student project work. Through inductive coding of the interview transcripts, key findings highlighted an evolving positive relationship between sponsors and students, the energy and different perspectives from WPI students enhancing the sponsors’ mission, and factors that have resulted in sustainability of the projects.
Volunteering at Ladles for Love
Since 2019, the Cape Town Project Center (CTPC) has collaborated with The Hope Exchange (THE) to support innovative programs addressing homelessness, such as a Medical Locker for medication storage, a Healing Garden for therapeutic use, and the multi-year Barista Training Program that equips clients with employable skills. These initiatives, shaped by student research and community input, have fostered sustainable impacts, including the ongoing use of medical lockers and the revitalized garden, while successive teams have enhanced the Barista Training Program. Strong communication and a collaborative, family-like relationship between students and THE staff have been key to these successes. However, THE faces significant funding challenges, limiting their ability to plan long-term projects and programs.
The Cape Town Project Center (CTPC) has collaborated with the Green Light Project (GLP) since 2011, fostering community unity in Maitland Garden Village through initiatives like vertical gardening, early childhood development, and recreational programs. Guided by community leader Ronell Trout, the GLP has benefited from a strong student-sponsor relationship, enabling impactful projects aligned with local needs. However, challenges include limited sustainability of past programs due to space constraints and a lack of year-round engagement.
Working with the Centre for Early Childhood Development (CECD) since 2010 has led to a deep-rooted partnership in raising awareness for early childhood development. The relationship between the CECD and the CTPC can be attributed to the clear communication, dedication, and collaborative project work done by both the organization and WPI students. This partnership also played a key role in the establishment of the Cape Town Museum of Childhood (CTMoC), which has since become a branch of the CECD, meaning the CECD effectively has two ongoing projects; continuing to raise awareness for early childhood development and expanding the museum’s mobile exhibit.
Limitations
The team encountered several setbacks during the research process including the limited timeline of the project, the limited data available to the team, and the delays caused by communication difficulties. Each of these limitations required the team to adjust and, in some cases, make minor modifications to their research and deliverables. Time was a factor that limited the number of interviews and the depth of the research the team was able to complete. Limited data from the current student survey and past student surveys limited the analysis process for the team. The communication between the team and interviewees limited the team as well due to the process of reaching out, introductions, and then planning the interviews in a way that worked for both the team and the interviewees’ schedules.
Conclusions and Recommendations
The Cape Town Project Center (CTPC) has fostered impactful collaborations between WPI students and local organizations for over a decade, emphasizing social science and sustainable development. Projects align with sponsor missions, and project sponsors benefit from students’ fresh perspectives, technical expertise, and enthusiasm while addressing community needs. Key challenges include cultural acclimatization, team cohesion, and the limited eight-week timeframe, which can be constraining factors to both immediate and long-term impacts. However, strong stakeholder collaboration, diligent sustainability planning, and unique funding resources, such as the General Electric grant, have enabled lasting success.
Chiseling Loose Concrete at the Imizamo Yethu Library Space
Recommendations for future Cape Town Project Center programming include emphasize aligning expectations, strengthening networks with Stellenbosch and the University of Cape Town, refining project structures, and exploring new partnerships to expand CTPC’s legacy and ensure sustainable outcomes. With this goal in mind, the following four recommendations reflect the factors that contribute to prolonged impacts for students, sponsors, and community members across WPI projects. The recommendations based on the team’s research findings include:
- To strengthen program improvement, prioritize youth program design with new and existing sponsors, introduce a returning IQP in D-term, and prepare students with a better understanding of local culture prior to arriving on-site.
- As the CTPC aims to grow its programs and branch into different humanitarian disciplines, health scientist Hameer Vanmali has provided specific project concepts and contacts for organizations interested in designing eight-week initiatives with WPI students.
- Reimplementing the deliverable-first model and multi-organizational approach followed by early CTPC initiatives to maximize project impact and the educational experience of students.
- The CTPC can continue to investigate its impact on the stakeholder groups contributing to community development in Cape Town through a broader assessment of projects.