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Centro de encuentro

Centro Tinku (Encounter)

Tinku

[En español]

Centro Tinku www.centrotinku. com is a cultural center dedicated to exchanges between University students, and other visitors from the world over, and the Andean Peoples, through language classes and the diffusion of knowledge about traditional cultures of Peru ( tinku means encounter in Quechua).

This cultural encounter is achieved through the elaboration of specifically designed programs that respond to the special needs of individuals, universities and other interested institutions.

Since its creation in 2003, Centro Tinku has developed study abroad programs with a dozen major U.S. universities and other institutions, always emphasizing the originality of each program and its specific requirements.

Languages

Centro Tinku prides itself on the quality and experience of its language teaching staff. We currently have 9 levels of intensive Spanish and 3 levels of Quechua in groups or individual instruction.

In addition, we can arrange courses in Latin American literature taught in Spanish by Centro Tinku's professional staff and also courses in Oral Literature taught by local linguists and anthropologists.

Academic and cultural activities

We offer educational and academic services focusing on Arts and Literature, Anthropology and History, Archaeology, Sustainable Development, etc. The courses that we have developed for that purpose include the following components:

- Andean Ethnology

- History of the Incas

- Paleography

- Economy and Local Development

- Ecology

- Archaeology Practicum

- Weaving Workshops

- Traditional Medicine Workshops

Our instructors are all locally-based experts, able to lecture in English and /or Spanish

Homestays

Central to our philosophy, is the idea of total cultural immersion through individual stays in selected cusqueño homes. For this, we have established a group of homestay families in residential areas, located only minutes away from the historical town center where Centro Tinku is. We offer this to guarantee that students will be housed in homes with a minimum of comfort (private bedroom, equipped bathroom with hot shower.).

All houses are within a two or three street-blocks radius in this middle class neighborhood. Students can visit each other to do their homework and organize their evening activities together. The families we work with have had at least 2 years experience working with Tinku and have been trained on such topics as food-safety and health emergency. In addition to the Program coordinator form Tinku, we have a group-coordinator who lives in the neighborhood, and who will make the appropriate decisions in case of emergency, and an English-speaking MD, who will be on call for the duration of the stay of our students.

Excursions and trips

Centro Tinku has created its own Travel Center, Tinku Tours www.tinkutours.com , through which we organize all kinds of study trips and excursions that may be required to supplement the teaching components of the respective Programs. This Travel Center outgrew its planned role of logistic support and has been called upon to organize trips for families and individuals who contacted us directly and have been recommending us to their own friends and relatives.

Community service

In recent years, we have started responding to demands from institutions and individuals from the North interested in volunteering. We have established covenants with local NGOs, institutions and communities and are now able to offer a variety of placement, ranging from kinder to secondary education, special education, health, biodiversity and sustainable development, etc.

Fair trade

We are currently working on establishing a fair-trade shop in Centro Tinku that will offer goods from our local partners. We hope to have the "Mercado Justo" up and running by the end of the year.

Café Tinku

In June 2009, we opened our restaurant, serving our students and also the local population in general. This has been met with great success. Café Tinku offers gourmet food created with local ingredients, an array of breakfasts, sandwiches, salads, fresh juices, and some of the best coffee and hot cocoa in town.

Associated Institutions

The activities of Centro Tinku help finance the operation of an NGO, Asociación Kuraka, and its research institute, ILAI ( www.kuraka.org ). We have cooperation agreements with the Escuela de Bellas Artes and the Museo Inka in Cusco and are also formally linked with the local university San Antonio Abad del Cusco.