An overview of the Flamingo crescent community engagement and service-learning project within CPUT department of town and regional planning

Abstract

One of the strategic objectives of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) is to integrate community engagement into the academic curriculum. CPUT seeks to be actively involved in social transformation and social responsiveness by matching academics with community engagement. Being an engaged university, CPUT continually seeks partnerships where mutual, interchangeable, cooperative interaction occurs between communities and the university. The Green Paper on Higher Education Transformation in South Africa, which was tabled in response to the National Commission on Higher Education Report, stipulates that Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) must develop curriculums that have more modes of delivery and variation in the patterns of teaching. As a result the Green Paper evolved into the White Paper 1997 that finally informed the National Plan for Higher Education. The question is how to create an enabling environment for community engagement, taking account of the complexity of power issues within the university and community. The University of Technology, Sydney in Australia uses the ‘shopfront’ model which works in partnerships with community groups on community-initiated projects. The ‘science shop’ model adopted by the University of Cape Town (UCT) consists of independent, participatory research support provided mostly by supervised students. The Department of Town and Regional Planning at CPUT embarked on a community-led mapping and enumeration project at Flamingo Crescent Informal Settlement in Lansdowne Industrial. A problem-based, service-learning model was used where students talk to the community, investigate how the community functions and then assist the community in making decisions with regard to ‘re-blocking’. This three-stage model includes analysis and reflection before engagement, critical thinking and reflection during engagement and finally decision making and reflection after engagement. One of the revealing outcomes of the project was the establishment of cooperation between individuals and groups within the community, resulting in social constructivism. Trust was established between CPUT students and Flamingo Crescent residents, this provided a catalyst for communication and cooperation. As advocates of the service learning movement it is necessary to document and publish best practice service-learning in order to support this academic form of community engagement. This paper reflects on the lessons learnt during the CPUT-Flamingo Crescent ‘re-blocking’ community engagement project on how these lessons can be carried forward to other community engagement projects.