The RPP curriculum and study abroad experiences are supported by a manual of information about the course and participants from each country (students, faculty, and community members). It reviews the program purposes (including curricula enhancement, community planning experiences, design-build experiences, interdisciplinary studies, community empowerment, and community enhancement). It develops understanding of the RPP local-global collaborative learning model, and unique manner in which it is implemented including, for BSU students, campus-based activities at BSU (classroom-based, global videoconferencing, and technology-enhanced inter-institutional “virtual studio”) and in Mexico (TEC classroom-based, at the recycling, and in immersive field studies and community design-build projects with TEC students and residents of the informal/incremental/progressive community where we work).

Curriculum: The Manual reviews the curriculum and the intent and activities of each course. It addresses how the curriculum and courses interconnect with student degree programs, educational development, and professional development. It reviews requirements to document the experience including a journal of daily activities, at least one sketch per day while in Mexico, documentation of planning and design processes and products, transport of documents to the US, and (for BSU students) production of a publication and competition submission in formats set by instructors and competition guidelines. The Manual also reviews special RPP supports for enhanced learning including IT supports and supports provided by programs in which the two RPP instructors play significant roles. At BSU, these include the Land Design Institute; North American Sustainability, Housing and Community Consortium; U.S.-Brazil Universities of the Future Consortium; Sustainability for the Americas initiative; and other initiatives. At the TEC, it includes the Masters of Urban Sustainability Program, 10X10 Project, Water and Life Project, and others.

The Manual reviews the 10-week 12 CR curriculum and its U.S. and Mexico components. It discusses BSU-based activities including classroom activities, BSU-TEC videoconferencing, theory development, conceptual planning and design prior to the trip, and post-trip documentation (process and products) and competition submission. It reviews the Mexico-based portion, including BSU-TEC student classroom activities, BSU-TEC project design and construction (with residents) of a building and site development (in a low-income community) integrated with site resource-flows (e.g., water) and local/regional resource-flows (e.g., waste and recycled materials). It also reviews planned study tours in Monterrey and Northern Mexico.

The Manual reviews each of the three courses in the Summer 2010 Reconnecting People and Place curriculum to include:

  1. Interdisciplinary Socialization and Sustainability and Community Development Theory: Prior to departure for Mexico, BSU and TEC students participate in integrated technology-enhanced “virtual classroom-based” distance education that includes socialization, sustainability theory, community development theory, and review of related previous work by BSU and TEC faculty and students.
  2. Design-Build Studio: Prior to departure, BSU students participate in technology-enhanced (Bridgit, videoconferencing, VOI, Smartboard, etc.) BSU-TEC virtual design studio. They pursue planning and design studies prior to the study abroad. Then, in the Mexico component, they develop a working understanding of the people, place and community. They engage in focused study of regional building materials, food & material productions, and processes for adding value and jobs. They also design-build a small house (or similar building) and site development. When possible they use locally-produced, job-generating, green technologies integrated into site and regional resource-flows.
  3. Study Tour & Documentation of Study Abroad and Design-Build Project: This includes a study tour of Northern Mexico, major cities of Monterrey and Zacatecas (16h Century gold mining town; now major city; colonial center is UNESCO World Heritage site), La Quemada archeological zone (300-1200 AD), Real de Catorce (tourism/mining town), San Felipe (indigenous desert town; Water and Life project for water harvesting, food production, and green building), and regionally unique Huajuco Canyon and Horsetail Falls. BSU and TEC students document the study abroad experience and design-build project process & products. Upon return from Mexico, BSU students complete documentation/publication of study abroad experience and project process and products.

Itinerary: The Manual includes the RPP itinerary including, for BSU students, the itinerary for trip preparation, the trip itinerary, the itinerary for documentation of the RPP process and products and the itinerary for production of submission(s) to the ACSA Awards Competition.

Housing, and Transportation: The Manual includes a section on accommodation including general descriptions and contact information for the TEC student housing while in Monterrey and contact information of hotels during the Northern Mexico field trip. It also includes a section on transportation while in Monterrey (including daily to/from the design-build site), rail and bus systems in Monterrey and bus arrangements for the Northern Mexico study tour.

The Almaguer Community: The Manual includes information about the Almaguer community, where we anticipate doing community development and master planning studies, and the design-build project. It identifies community goals for the TEC-BSU Reconnecting People and Place project including urban and community scale goals, building and site goals, and construction goals.

Recommendations Concerning What to Bring: The Manual closes with information about what to bring on the study abroad trip. This includes sections on clothing, ersona items, and supplies. It identifies required items, recommended items, and optional items.