Cuenca, Ecuador Project Center - IQP

Current Director(s)
Laureen Elgert
Courtney Kurlanska
Active Program Term(s)
C-Term during winter
D-Term during spring
Project Opportunities
Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP)
GET STARTED

Established in 2016, the Cuenca, Ecuador Project Center focuses on projects in community development, environmental engagement, and cultural awareness. In affiliation with the University of Cuenca, WPI students participate in a 3-day pre-term orientation and are assigned a 'tandem' (or, 'buddy'). Cuenca's historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage site, is extremely walkable and offers many opportunities for entertainment and recreation.

Past Cuenca students have:

  • Developed public engagement programs for the Museo de las Conceptas, a religious museum and home to cloistered nuns in downtown Cuenca;
  • Worked with the rural communities to develop resources that support community-based, sustainable tourism; 
  • Promoted non-motorized transportation in the city by designing and piloting ‘walking school buses’ and developing resources for cycling; 
  • Worked with local authorities to promote sustainable land use and water protection in rural farming and ranching communities.