Cross Listed: PSC-391 / HNRS-391 / PSC-491

TR, 9:10 - 11:00

Location: 6-124: the Performing Arts Center Click to see on map

Pete Schwartz, Cal Poly Physics:, Pete's Webpage, pschwart@calpoly.edu

Office hours in 180-608

Monday: 10:10 AM - noon

Tuesday: 3:10 PM - 4:00 PM

Wednesday: 1:10 PM - 2:00 PM

Thursday: 12:10 PM - 1:00 PM

Chris Nelson, Cal Poly Political Science, cnelso81@calpoly.edu

Office hours in Heron 107 Tuesday 11:00-12:00. Or by appointment

Past classes: 391 from Winter 2024, Fall 2021, as well as the "Design and Build" other class, 392 of Spring 2024. General Appropriate Technology Website for all Past Classes

Self Interventions: Explained in syllabus
2nd week: Transition from Victimhood to Empowerment by focusing on your actions
4th week: Don't throw anything away
6th week: Empathy Intervention Website... Empathy. Imagine you are that person.
8th week: Nonviolent Communication
10th week: Two interventions of your choice: one intervention benefits you, one for society/planet.

Feedback:

Student Redesign of 391 at the final presentations, exam week.

Final (exam) Presentations:

Course Timeline, under construction

Click on the link number to see the class plan

link	Date	Description
wk 1	1/6	Tues: How does Pete live? Your Development Model Thurs: Define projects and meet Chris Nelson
wk 2	1/13	Tues: Peter Keller and Aid Africa; Development Models. Thurs Project presentation: Grp 2: presents
wk 3	1/20	Tues: No Class... Tuesday follows Monday schedule Thurs: Dr. Mark Manary of Project Peanut Butter Grp 3 Presents
wk 4	1/27	Tues: Pete goes to Africa & Nepal with Cooking Technologies, Thurs: Pete's fabulous failures in Fiji
wk 5	2/3	Tues: Grp 4 presents Add discussion about Dzalenka Refugee Camp, Malawi
wk 6		Thurs: Miles and EWB
wk 7	2/17	Monday is a Holiday, but Tuesday is business as usual for us Tues: Mark Lamore, Transitions Mental Health. Group #5 presents Thurs: Nick Babin, Costa Rica Agroecology, Nick Slides, Group #1 presents
wk 8	2/24	Tues: Chris presents on Puerto Rico post Hurricane and the challenges to survive in the Sahel. Group #1 presents Thurs: Garrett and Coco, Peace Corps in Nepal. Group #2 presents
wk 9	3/4	Tues: Pete and Failures in Guatemala Thurs: Joanna Nsenga from Journeyman International
wk10	3/11	Tues: Jason Hickel on Imperialism, Paul Polak on Entrepreneurship Thurs: Discussion and Final Essay
Exam wk	11/30	Final presentations: Thurs. March 20, 10 AM - 1 PM, according to Cal Poly Final Exam Schedule
removed visitors		Tues: Alex Petrov and Working Villages International, DR Congo Thurs: Corinne Kohlen, Sierra Leone Nutrition Thurs: Carley Althoff, Journeyman International

Projects

Website Link	Description of the topic	Members Contact
#1 Advocacy for Maasai Girls	Maasai Girls: Mesha is a true Maasai warrior, having received recognition in combatting Female Genital Mutilation and Childhood Matrimonial Slavery. She presently works with Bob in Arusha with the Maasai Stoves and Solar Project (ICSEE) and has initiated a boarding school for Maasai girls. Pete met with Mesha during January of 2023. This group of students produced this website for the Maasai Girls' School.	Emerson H. Kara F. Rhett VH
#2 Togo Demo Farm and ISECooking	Togo Cookstoves: Salma has an electronics business in Togo and is presently developing production of ISECooking, an alternative cooking technology we've been developing at Cal Poly since 2015. See our research website. Additionally, he is developing a Demonstration Farm, to grow food with community members. Growing Moringa at Salma's Demo Farm: Moringa is a super food tree. The leaves are high in vitamins and nutrients and grows quickly. Additionally, the seeds can be pressed producing an oil that is valued by the cosmetics industry. An MIT project, True Moringa has been profitable. Past groups have worked with Salma: Fall 2021, Spring 2021, Winter 2023, I spent most of Nov, 2022 with Salma, as documented in my blog. Presently, Salma is interested in three things: 1) Direct Drive Solar with Alexis (see project #4) 2) Designing small houses for farm workers. Can you help him design them? 3) Securing a grant to fund the demo farm. You can improve his applications.	Mariana H. Kaitlyn R. Anna R. Lizzy M.
#3 Direct Drive Solar in Africa	Alexis Zeigler of Living Energy Farm (and here) promotes Direct Drive Solar where solar electricity is used primarily as it is generated, in the sunlight. What needs to be done to build small DC electrical capacity in low income communities? Read Alexis's challenge plan and in PSC-391, Winter, 2024, a student group studied their efforts to introduce Direct Drive Solar in Puerto Rico. Alexis is considering partnerships in Africa.	Daniel P. Yuritzy P. Allison O. Camille S.
#4 Solar Development Project for the Navajo Nation	Skip the Grid is a Cal Poly student organization out of Construction Management that installs modular home solar electrical systems in the Navajo Nation during spring break. Skip the Grid presently uses expensive consumer systems. In Spring, 2024 (392 appropriate technology class) designed a simpler, less expensive system that provides the same services and can be assembled by partners on the Navajo Nation. This innovation will require considerable coordination with Construction Management, the partnering companies, and the Navajo Nation. Please find a description of this challenge written by Alexis.	Michael A. Ramy N. Erin A.
#5 Markets in Malawi	We started two projects in vocational schools in Malawi, and I also met people in Malawi who have businesses, but no one to sell to because no one has money to buy things. Is there a solution? Can we find a mechanism to import things? Please read about these schools in my blog. Also, see how the "design and build" class from Spring, 2024 supported the carpentry instructor to build a guitar.	Miles F Kali R.

Ideas for Course Improvement

With Direct Giving:
https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2025/01/03/nx-s1-5246014/tb-tuberculosis-brazil-poverty-cash-transfer

With cash handouts, there's a 50% decrease in TB