The Capstone Paper is written by students in the SIT Graduate Institute Master's Programs. Capstones reassess theoretical knowledge in light of professional experience in the form of a final research paper, incorporating both classroom knowledge and practicum based experience.
The full-text of papers written before July 2011 is limited to World Learning/SIT faculty, staff, students, and alumni. If you are not affiliated with World Learning and want access to these papers contact your local library and ask about requesting the hard copy on interlibrary loan. Papers written after July 2011 are all available full-text online with no restrictions
Submissions from 2013
Engaging Young Professionals in Credit Unions: Reviving a Movement through Online Social Networking, Meet-ups, and Events, Rebecca Spachek
Science Without Borders: Science Diplomacy and the Politics of Power, Alice L. Urban
A Tale of Two Trusts: A Case Study of the Consolidation of Two Community Land Trust Affordable Housing Organizations in Vermont, Isaac I. Wagner
Second Lines, Story Circles, and Freedom Songs: A Call and Response, Ann-Meredith Wootton
Access Abroad: A Design in Equitable Access to Education Abroad, Matthew Zielsdorf
Submissions from 2012
Regenerative Entrepreneurship, Matthew Abrams
Knowledge and Financial Management in Households: An Examination of Married Women’s Perspectives in Chadbourn, North Carolina, Hmoud Fanash Al Surikhi
An Introduction to Life at a U.S. University: A Pre-departure orientation for Thai students going to the U.S. to Study, Alexandra B. Ashley
Thirsting For Justice: A Campaign to Educate and Mobolize Palestinian Youth to Advocate For Water Rights, Ashraf Ashqar
Changing the Status Quo of Waste Management: Case Study of a Rural Costa Rican Town, Anna Katherine Rodenborg Baker
Journey to the "New" West: A Course Proposal for Cultural Integration in Chinese ESL Education, Erica Balazs
Women Empowerment and Community Development through Ecotourism, Katherine S. Barry
Addressing the Learning Needs at Occupy DC, Andrew J. Batcher
Making Changes and Coming Full Circle: A Look at How Women Farmers in Oregon and Washington Define Their Own Identities, Realities, and Contributions, Courtney Bauman
Analysis of National Association of Bilingual Education, Sam J. Baumer
It Will Be an Ugly Winter (Again) This Year: A Case Study of the Vermont Community Action Partnership's Perennial Fight for Low-Income Fuel Assistance Programs, Elizabeth H. Bennett
Exploring Locally to Grow Globally: A Community Excursion-based Elective for Intensive English Programs, Andrea L. Bernasconi
Social Entrepreneurship in Egypt: Turning Revolutionary Ambition into Tangible Results, Chris C. Blackwood
Revolutionary Ideology in the Information Age: Technology of the Occupy Wall Street Movement, Jed D. Blume
The Journey Home from Ecuador: A Reentry Guide for Tandana Foundation Volunteers, Heidi Bohn
Weaving Culture into Context: Redesigning the Internship Program for Barcelona Study Abroad Experience, Sara Bradshaw
Creating Effective Programming for Iraqi Adult Mentors in World Learning’s Youth Peacebuilding and Leadership Programs, Kira L. Brady
Northern Lights: Fourth World Nations and the Geopolitical Dance in the Arctic, Heidi G. Bruce
Addiction in Alaska: How Alcohol Abuse is Impacting Community Members in Native Villages throughout Rural Alaska, Cristina Casillo
Spain & Morocco: Issues in Hospitality & Tourism, Shanathan Crayton
The Conflict Transformation Team of the Henry Martyn Institute and their Pursuit of Transformation, Robert Danzi
Community Perspectives- How Study Abroad with Service Learning Impacts the Locals, Sarah J. Delcambre
"The Need for Nature: Exploring Youth Leadership Development through Outdoor Activities", Margaret A. Dudley
Moroccan Encounter: A Cross-Cultural, Peacebuilding, and Interfaith Program for U.S. and Moroccan Youth, Kristin A. Eberman
In what ways does research-based gender-specific youth programming affect girls’ development post-program?, Alaina Ennamorati
Stable, Practical, and High-paying: How Second Generation Indian/Pakistani Adults are Affected by Parental Pressure in Their Career Choices, Sabrina Eveland
American Ways: A Course in Contemporary U.S. Culture for International Students, Christopher D. Fitch
Marketing Vermont as a Multicultural Brand, Shambulia Gadsden Sams
The First Generation Community: What Does It Mean to be a Youth Member?, Elissa M. Gallup
A Monitoring and Evaluation Plan for the Core Competencies of Skilled Birth Attendants in Nepal, Roberta Goldstein
A Diversity Initiative in Global Education for First-Generation Students, Jessica Greenbaum
Learning to inform action: Most Significant Change technique as a tool to build evaluative capacity at Tostan, Sarah Harris
Empowerment, Engagement and Efficacy: Incorporating Youth Participant Voices into Program Assessment at OneWorld Now!, Darielle Horsey
The Role of Local Food in Increasing Access to Healthy Food in Indianapolis, Indiana, Anna Hostetter
Suicide Rates Among Young, Married Women in Nepal, Kirra L. Hughes
Community Development Challegnes in Rural Guatemala, Maryam Jamali
Project GAYA: A Study Abroad Program Design for Fundación Operación GAYA Internacional, Lauren E. Johanson
Power of Play: Is Girls’ Empowerment through Sport Social Justice?, Victoria M. Jones
“Around the World Project” at the Maryland Institute College of Art: Making International Education Week a Year-long Program, Rebecca L. La Creta
Internationalization of K-12 Schools Through the Eyes of Public School Principals, Megan M. Landwehr
Consulting Cultural Informants: A Look at the Extent to which Students Use Informants and Other Strategies to Learn from Their International Experiences, William Scott Leroy
Mountain Movement: The Design, Implementation, & Evaluation of a Youth Yoga Program, Abigail A. Long
Land is Life: A Policy Advocacy Case Study of the Northern Thailand Land Reform Movement, Jason Lubanski
The Californians Against Sexual Exploitation (CASE) Act: A Case Study in Policy Advocacy, Bailey Mannisto-Ichés
Unlocking the Roots of Stigma Towards Victims of Trafficking in Albania, Dana L. Marion
Freedom in Creation: Global Village Education Program, Daniel C. Maxwell
Twin Oaks: A Case Study of an Intentional Egalitarian Community, Katharina F. McCarty
On the Road to Internationalization: Designing an International Student Handbook for Northern New Mexico College, Sara M. McCormick
Dialogue Between Israelis and Palestinians: Obsolete Approach or Still Viable Technique in the Middle East Conflict Transformation Toolkit?, Laurie Millman
Identity, Entitlement and Violence: A Cross Analysis of Intimate Partner Domestic Violent with the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict, Troy D. Montes
The Transition Movement in Putney, Vermont: Building Social and Economic Resilience, With a Focus on Putney Farmers’ Market, Sombat Moontha
VISIONS Service Adventures: China; A Comprehensive Program Design, Whitney Morgan
Chronic Child Neglect: CYS Staff Perspectives on Repeat Clients, Erin M. Murphy
Exploring Sydney: An Onsite Orientation Program for Students Studying in Australia, Meaghan Murphy
Learning Spanish Through Community Interaction, Leigh E. Newman-Bell
Challenges in the land of hope: Phoenix area refugees and the recession, Valerie E. Nightingale
Korean-American Divided Families: catalyst for changing the course of the USA policy on North Korea, Jungyoung Park
The Meeting School: An Alternative Mode of Education, Hallel Parsons
Planning and Designing a Sustainable Volunteer Based Organization: The Putney Food Shelf, Annik Yvette Paul
Case Study of Voces de la Frontera and Immigration Policy in Walker's Wisconsin, Erin E. Peot
The Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy: A Case Study Advocating for Pregnant and Parenting Teens in Massachusetts, Kassandra Petr
Behind Bars: prison abolition and collective work toward social justice, Emily M. Pulsfus
Effects of Leadership and Trauma on Grassroots Community Development in Post-Conflict/Genocide Societies: A Rwandan Case Study, Bryna C. Ramsey
Homelessness: An Outcome of Structural Cruelty, Bharat Rathod
ExplOre, Educate, Expand: The ExplOratorium’s Education Abroad Youth Program, Nina Rubin
Food Fight: A Case Study of the Community Food Security Coalition’s Campaign for a Fair Farm Bill, Marni Salmon
A Lone Nut in Compton:Lessons in Community Engagement with TreePeople in South Los Angeles, Jason Schlatter
Strength in Numbers? Creating a Peacebuilding Network in Rwanda, Dan Shamblin
Enhancing Road Scholar Cuba Programs through Group Leader Training, Desiree N. Shrode
Training Parent Volunteers As Effective Allies In Youth Empowerment Programs, Ria Shroff
Global Italia: An Online Intercultural Communication Orientation for the University of Washington, Elizabeth S. Singh
West Coast Antiwar Nonprofit Collaboration, Rosalind Sipe
Assessing the Unassessed: Incorporating Evaluation into the North Carolina State University Curriculum Integration Program, Jamie B. Snow
Incentivized HIV Testing--Is It Needed and Effective? Developing an Evaluation Tool, Dawn Spellman
Branding Lazos de Amor: Importance and Challenges of Branding Small Non-Profits, The Journey Towards a Better Brand., Sugey Terrero
New Culture: Personal and Cultural Transformation, April G. Thomas
A Mission-Driven Organization Case Study: The Joshua Collingsworth Memorial Foundation, Laura R. Thomas
Designing A Complete Community Center: Responsive Design in a Rural Setting, Sheryl Tubbs
Motivating Factors for Young Adults in the Brattleboro Area to Start in Organic Agriculture for Their Career, Tomokazu Utsugi
LinkedIn to Facebook and Twitter: The role of social media in developing community for non-profits, Elizabeth Weaver
Road Scholar Service-Learning Corps: Reflection and Reciprocity in Rajasthan, India, Lezlie R. Weber
Thinking Beyond Borders: Critical Pedagogy in a Neoliberal Economy, Sarah E. White
Looking To Do More. Evaluating the Process of Researching and Proposing a Location Change to a Local Food Pantry, Allison Wilde
Submissions from 2011
Transforming Lives and Communities: A case study on building partnerships in the Philippines through Appreciative Inquiry, Rizalina L. Ababa
An Analysis of Women’s Participation In Peace Negotiations; 1992 - 2010, Tuohy Ahern
Jordanian Teachers of Arabic as a Second Language: Effective techniques and problems encountered across cultures, Jumana Al-Mahamid
Arabic Diglossia And Arabic As A Foregn Language: The Perception Of Students In World Learning Oman Center, Hilal Al-Mamari