The ISP, or Independent Study Project, is written by students from the undergraduate programs of SIT Study Abroad and relates to a program theme. Using primary sources students choose topics with a manageable focus that can be carried out in a variety of settings, such as schools, nongovernmental organizations or field research stations. During the independent study period students work closely with a project advisor and other key contacts in the field. The ISP is typically a 20- to 40-page paper presented to student colleagues, the academic director and, often, the advisor and other interested host-country individuals.
Copyright permissions have been obtained by all contributors to this collection.
Submissions from 2020
Climate Change Effects on Volcanoes in the Tropics: A review of the deglaciation of Antisana and its effects on subsequent water streams and rivers over 20 years, Callie C. Rominger, Whitman College
La justicia medioambiental y la minería aurífera: Las implicaciones de la deforestación y la contaminación de metales pesados en Madre de Dios, Perú, Madison Scully, Georgetown University
The Cultural and Systemic Influence on Substance Use Disorder, Christina Seery, Franklin & Marshall College
Why is Las Vegas busy everyday? A behavioural analysis of impact investors’ attitude and decision-making process, Isha Shah, Bennington College
The Social Dimensions of Reproductive Health: Analyzing Disparities in Morocco through Health Indicators and Social Determinants, Mila Sicorsky, Vanderbilt University
Constructions of Democratic Citizenship and Civic Education in Tunisia, Abigail Smith, Barnard College
Rastreo de la agencia de los Uchurracaínos: Yuxtaposicionando la CVLL y la CVR para analizar la representación de la gente indígena durante la Violencia Política Peruana, Emma Smith, Macalester College
Mysticism and Syncretism on the Island of Java, Ryan Smith, Whittier College
A Look into the Varying Usage Patterns of Traditional and Western Medicine Within Senegal’s Urban Centers, Sarah Smith, Swarthmore College
Non-Conventional Vehicles as a Way Towards Carbon Neutrality in Iceland, Julia Sokolowska, Wellesley College
The Right to Housing in Spain: Community Action and Alternative Housing Models, Georgia Sparks, Barnard College
Connections With(in): Exploring the Intangibles of Public Transit in Prague, Sarah Stapleton, Smith College
Crude Intentions: Evaluating the Growing Risks of Arctic Alaskan Oil Production, Eliot Stein, Tufts University
Analyzing the Social Impact of Gacaca Courts in the Reconciliation Process in Rwanda, Mary Thibodeau, Elon University
¿Buscando estabilidad y encontrando crisis? jóvenes venezolanos en el estallido social chileno, Carmen Rio Vescia, Washington University in St. Louis
The Key Factors Driving CCP Opposition to Taiwanese Independence, Connor Warshauer, Washington University in St. Louis
Iskay Simipi Yachay: El papel de la educación intercultural bilingüe en la preservación y valoración de la lengua quechua en Perú, Tori Wiese, Albion College
Ensuring Accountability to Affected Populations in Humanitarian Settings: "Holding humanitarian organizations accountable to people.", Jazmin Williamson, Schreiner University
Geopolitics and the Digital Domain: How Cyberspace is Impacting International Security, Georgia Wood, University of Michigan
An Apex Predator in Peril in the Western Lowlands of Ecuador: Mapping the Population Distribution of Harpy Eagles (Harpia harpyja) in a Highly Deforested Region, Samuel Zhang, Amherst College
Submissions from 2019
Endangered Danger: Christianity, Affect, and Harmless Snakes in Samoa, Ariel Abonizio G. S., Bates College
The Impacts of Tourism on Subak, Sawah, and the Environment, Reiley Adelson, Saint Michael's College
Islands in a Sea of Aaruul: Globalization and Mongolian Cheesemakers, Pearse Anderson, Oberlin College
Cuentos cortos sobre terrorismo de estado en Argentina: lecturas, análisis y usos / Short stories about Argentina’s state terrorism: readings, analysis and uses, Shannon Anderson, Davidson College
From the American People: An Autoethnographic Exploration of South African NGOs' Perceptions of PEPFAR, Antonia Asher, Tulane University
La Estructura Neo-Colonial del Turismo Espiritual en el Perú: las percepciones locales de quien controla la mercantilización del ayahuasca en Cusco, Andrea Aspajo, Yale University
Child’s Play: A Service Learning Project Conducted at ROROŠ, Nové Mešto pod Smrkem, Sanaya Attari, Denison University
Foraging Behavior in Atta Leaf-Cutter Ants: A comparison of disturbed versus undisturbed nests, Ariana Baetz, Mount Holyoke College
Unity in Diversity: Textile Expressions of the Human Condition in Times of Economic and Cultural Anxiety, Eli J. Baez, Whitman College
Informing Joyality 4 Kids: Ecopsychology Education to Support Upper Primary Children’s Well-being Through Environmental and Social Crisis, Cambry Baker, College of Wooster
Salud mental comunitaria: Implementación en Chile actual, Emma Baker, Vanderbilt University
Impacts of anthropogenic waste on Tasmanian Pacific Gull (Larus pacificus) diet, Anne Bartlett, Cornell University
Mixed Responses to Woody Encroachment in Icelandic Herbaceous Plant Morphology and Phenology, Cait Battle-McDonald, Smith College
The Hapless State of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in India: A comprehensive look at life and medical services for ALS patients in rural Himachal Pradesh, Carson J. Bergström, Pacific Lutheran University
Mammals of the Northern Andes: An analysis of camera trap data and observation in Angochagua, Ecuador, Risa Berman, Saint Michael's College
La construcción de espacios para la memoria: El rol de los actores en tres ex centros clandestinos de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Quentin Bernhard, Muhlenberg College
Socio-Political Criticism in Contemporary Indonesian Art, Isabel Betsill, Lewis and Clark College
¿Quién compone la historia?: Un estudio creativo de la enseñanza y memoria de la dictadura cívico militar chilena a través de las artes y trabajos originales, Emily Beuter, The College of Wooster
Terra Nullius: The Effects of Australia’s Colonial History on Sense of Place, Anna Beyette, Wellesley College
The tourist and the toured: How hostel owners navigate the age of global gentrification, Brianna Bilter, Northwestern University
El esfuerzo para establecer la Reserva Wilapewen: las motivaciones y impedimentos de establecer una reserva ecológica en la comuna de Curarrehue, Alexandra K. Black, Hamilton College
Packaging Morocco for the foreign eye: A survey into the Moroccan tourism industry, Pangrum Boonbaichaiyapruck, Pomona College
Kasbah 3, Kais Saied, and The Construction of a Post-Revolutionary Political Paradigm in Tunisia, AJ Braverman, Brown University
Self-Perceptions of the French Community in Morocco, Madeleine L. Breunig, Grinnell College
Intersections Between Health and Disability: A Case Study at Disha Centre, Jaipur, Rajasthan, Finnian Brokaw, The University of Vermont
An Analysis of the Rajasthan Public Health System’s Response to the 2019 Dengue Insurgence, Luke Bryan, Boston College
Primitive Palms: A density study on the impacts of harvesting natural materials for construction purposes on Sumak Allpa of the Amazon rainforest, Zachary Bull, University of Colorado Boulder
Perceptions of Rural Birthing Practices: A Glimpse into Maternal and Child Health for Women in Kangra District, Himachal Pradesh, Mackenzie Burke, The George Washington University
The Influence of Gender on Female Business Owners in Ho Chi Minh City, Abby Busis, Emory University
“El territorio como protagonista”: Un análisis de los recuerdos territoriales como parte de la memoria colectiva del pueblo mapuche / “Territory as a Protagonist”: An Analysis of Territorial Memories that Form Part of the Collective Memory of the Pueblo Mapuche, Sabrina Bustamante, Yale University
Water and War: The Potential for Perpetuation of Conflict Due To Climate Change, Kaufman Butler, Occidental College
Beach composition preferences for nesting populations of leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea), Armila Beach, Guna Yala Comarca, Scott Campbell, Ursinus College
Educator Perspectives on Suggested Changes to the Jordanian Education System as a Result of the Syrian Refugee Crisis, Sara Sydney Caplan, Bowdoin College
Pensaba que Te Había Olvidado: El daño duradero de la Trauma que Viene de Tortura en la Dictadura Chilena, Antonia McDonnell Capossela, Scripps College
El Otro Mundo Posible en el Horizonte: el Imaginario Político y la Política Prefigurativa de lxs Estudiantes de las Protestas de Otoño 2019, Lorne Carter, Colby College
The Other Side: How Mexican-American University Students Living in Mexico Negotiate Their Transborder Identities, Francisco Javier Cernada, Harvard University
Long-Term Mental Health Support for Refugees after Resettlement: Assessment of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services for Refugees in Switzerland, Courtney W. Chan, Washington University in St. Louis
How is Disability Seen? An Auto-Ethnographic Exploration of Disability in Urban Townships in Ethekwini, South Africa, Connie Chao, Wellesley College
The Next Page of Yoga Anatomy: An Anatomical Lens on Selected Yoga Asanas, Viana Chau, Illinois Wesleyan University
La Integración y Percepción de los Inmigrantes Venezolanos en Tacna y Prácticas Transnacionalistas, Darla Chavez Chavez, Occidental College
Perspectives on Community Policing of Durban Juveniles Living on the Streets, Dena Cheng, Columbia University
Understanding Sexual Pleasure and Health: A Study of Urban Middle-Class Women’s Narratives in New Delhi, India, Solana Chertow, Washington University in St. Louis
Indonesia’s “Fresh Meat”: LGBTQ Activism Amid Political Homophobia and Transphobia, Catherine Cho, Duke University
Los proyectos educativos alternativos para terminar con la desigualdad, Samuel Christensen, Vanderbilt University
Influencia del quechua en el castellano andino del Cusco, Perú, Meredith Church, Rice University
Crisis in Crimea: A Case Study in Geopolitics, Jesse Clarke, University of Oregon
Living with Bees: A Look into The Relationships Between People and Native Bees in Western Nepal, Alexandra Cobb, Middlebury College
Andean condor cliff and parental care behavior: A behavioral study of a chick and his free-living parents on the Peñón del Isco, Ecuador, Ellie Cohn, Tufts University
Assessing the Implications of a Tidal Barrage Power Plant in Hvalfjörður, Iceland, Olive M. Colangelo, Knox College
Seeing Every Corner of Tangier: A Photographic Collection Going Beyond the Media Sphere, Cynthia J. Coleman, Lehigh University
Disability and Migration: How systems of violence intersect with the production and experience of disability for migrants in Morocco, Frances Condon, Haverford College
Río Muchacho: La interacción entre agricultura orgánica, educación ambiental y ecoturismo, Tatum Contreras, Bucknell University
Designing an Accessible Wave Energy Conversion Device for Powering Ocean Sensors, Sophie Coppieters ‘t Wallant, Wellesley College
SWAGriculture: A Qualitative Examination of Women’s Participation in Samoa’s Agriculture Industry as Farmers and Growers, Charlotte Crandall, Smith College
"I Have Plenty of Things to Say:" The Language Choice of Senegalese Women Writers, Alexander Cullison, Beloit College
“¿Qué es ser de izquierda ahora en América Latina?” Reflexiones sobre veinte años de los gobiernos progresistas latinoamericanos, el legado del ‘giro a la izquierda,’ y el poder del pueblo., Isabel Cushing, Williams College
Falta de dirección: Conflictos dentro del movimiento indígena de la provincia de Chimborazo, Yann Dardonville, Whitman College
“Para nunca más vivirlo, nunca más negarlo”: El Legado de Violencia Sexual Durante la Dictadura, Isabel de la Torre, Columbia University
"Root Causes Not Symptoms": Sustainable Organizational Structures, Réseau de Lutte Contre la Faim: The Decision-Making Process in Combatting Systemic Issues, Ambar Deleon, Denison University
La vulneración de los derechos e invisibilización sobre lxs migrantes senegaleses en CABA / The violation of human rights and the invisibilization of Senegalese immigrants in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Madeline Doane, Virginia Commonwealth University
Life Events which Motivate Youth to become Climate Activists in Sydney and Canberra, Phoebe Dolan, Brandeis University
Lepidopteran diversity and abundance across five different indigenously managed land use zones in the Naso-Teribe Territory, Bocas del Toro Province, Panama, Eli Dotson, Gustavus Adolphus College
Perceptions of Whiteness, Eloise Doubleday, Hamilton College
The Relationship Between Forest Management and Stream Discharge in Mazumbai and Baga II Forest Reserves, Tanga Region, Tanzania, Shannon Duffy, Colgate University
Iceland's migratory birds in changing environmental conditions: An interactive synthesis, Frances J. Duncan, Smith College
The Understandings and Human Cost of ‘Prevention Through Deterrence,’ as seen amongst advocates in the United States and Mexico, Margaret Edwards, Tufts University
Pasantía en RED OSS: Más que una Clínica, Saad Ehsan, Rice University
Internamente Solo: Escuchando y Resistiendo La Soledad de Adultos Mayores en La Araucanía, Chile / Internally Alone: Hearing and Resisting the Loneliness of Seniors in La Araucanía, Chile, Grace Ellrodt, Bates College
Working for the Worker? A Study of the Union Générale Tunisienne du Travail (UGTT), Ava Erfani, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Quality Over Quantity: A Comparative Analysis of the Quality Measures and Performance Between Switzerland and the United States, Lexi Farina, Cornell University
Los efectos de la minería en la salud: El movimiento social Aymara en torno al Cerro Márquez, Maya Hajny Fernandez, Macalester College
La Mujeres y su Derecho a la Cuidad: Una evaluación del Proyecto de Integración Urbana en Villa 31 con perspectiva de género, Stephanie Fernandez, Yale University
Mining’s Impact on Environmental and Human Health: A Case Study of Ramba County’s Gold Mine, Vivika Fernes, The George Washington University
Basque Nationalism and Education: The influence of Euskara on student achievement in the Basque Country, Amanda Flores, Harvard University
A Study of Scars: Narratives of Unintentional Childhood Injuries in Cato Manor, Carolyn Fox, Washington University in St. Louis
“GOOOOOAL!”: An Exploration of the Dutch-Moroccan Footballer Experience, Kate J. Freeman, Miami University
A Preliminary Study for the Future Translocation of a Saimiri sciureus Troop from Sumak Allpa to Yasuní National Park: Assessing the Habitat Use, Population, and Behavior of a Common Squirrel Monkey Troop in Indillama, Kenia French, Tufts University
Los Efectos de la Socialización Política en las Percepciones sobre los Migrantes Centroamericanos, Katherine Fulcher, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
El empoderamiento económico de las mujeres y los programas del Estado argentino / The Economic Empowerment of Women and Programs of the Argentinian State, Kate Fulshaw, Mount Holyoke College