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 2017
Factors that determine civil action in opposition to hydroelectric development along the Chiriquí Viejo River in the Chiriquí province of Panamá, Nora Sawyer, University of Oregon
Solid Waste Management in the Developing World: The Role of Local Government in Kisumu, Kenya, Rachel Schlueter, Boston University
The Role of Young Environmental Activists in Iceland and Furthering Youth Engagement with Environmental Issues, Story Schwantes, Colorado College
The Power Dynamics of Language: An Analysis of the Positionality of Amazigh Language in Morocco, Jessica Schwed, Vassar College
Las condiciones de vida de los usuarios adultos mayores del Hospital Makewe / The living conditions of elderly users of Makewe Hospital, Taylor Selembo, Tulane University
Where Ethnography Breaks Down: The Ethics, Miscommunications, and Failures of My Independent Study Project, Natasha Shannon, University of Richmond
Being Transgender and Seeking Healthcare in the World’s Most Liberal City, Nicole Sharpe, University of Colorado
Avian species and family composition along elevational and disturbance gradients in Santa Fe National Park, Veraguas Province, Panamá, Benjamin Shipley, University of Colorado
Land Insecurity in Gulu, Uganda: A Clash Between Culture and Capitalism, Zachary Slotkin, The George Washington University
The Effect of Warming on Wind Speed and Potential Wind Power in Iceland, Alexei Smith, Hamilton College
Agricultural Responses to Climate Change: A Study of Adaptive Farming Methods in Kizanda Village, Bailey Smith-Helman, Northwestern University
Man and Land: Competing Ontologies, Colonial Legacies, and the Quest for Food Sovereignty, Savannah Smith, Vassar College
Shifting Mental Health from the Back Burner: An Investigation of the Mental Health Treatment Gap, Eva Hanorah Stanton, Columbia University
From the Margins to the Frame: Social Identities and a “pan-Pacific” Moana, Keara Sternberg, Skidmore College
Una exploración del proceso de recuperación frente a desastres y las fuentes de resiliencia en Alimapu, "La Tierra Quemada” / An exploration of the disaster recovery process and sources of resilience in Alimapu, "La Tierra Quemada", Alison Stewart, Washington University
When the Books Hit Back: Perceived Stress in University Students, Henry Stoddard, Tulane University
After the Flood: Fish Farming and Climate Change Adaptation in Chitwan, Nepal, Signe Stroming, Georgetown University
Remembering Negdels: Nostalgia, Memory & Soviet-Era Herding Collectives, Maya Sutton-Smith, Connecticut College
Gender Socialization in Chinese Schools: Teachers, Children and Gender Roles, Connor Swan, Williams College
O Negro e O Poder: The significance of social support and positive Black identity formation through an Afro-Brazilian politico-cultural organization in Salvador, Bahia, Ninar Taha, University of Virginia
El estudio del viejismo en la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires desde la perspectiva de los adultos mayores con diferentes coberturas de salud \ The Study of Ageism in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires from the Perspective of Older Adults with Different Health Coverage, Tara Tardino, Cornell University
Community Management and Governance of COMATSA-Sud New Protected Area (Ambalamanasy II Commune), Allison Tennant, Amherst College
“Uno es Palestino por el orgullo” Palestinian Assimilation and Identity in Nicaragua., Eric Thornton, Kenyon College
Agrarian Reform in Sumber Klampok, Emma Trainor, University of Vermont
Investigating geothermally-sourced H2S pollution in the Reykjavík area: a case study of early March 2017., Shawnee Traylor, Columbia University
An Ethnobotanical Examination of Traditional Medicine in Ngezi Forest Reserve, Tyler Tsang, Siena College
Motivations and Obstacles on the Long Walk to Integration: Determinants of Six Cape Town Chinese Immigrants’ Political Participation, Yawen Tsao, Smith College
Impacts of Migration on Mosuo Cultural Identity: A case study of the Mosuo People in Lijiang, Isabel Ullmann, University of California, Berkeley
Creating Safe Spaces in a Homonormative Society: A Study of The Hang-Out 010, Taryn Urban, Bucknell University
ABC or AEI: A Comparison of Approaches to Early Childhood Education in Samoa, Sofia Valbuena, Villanova University
The Economic Legacies of Lingering Colonialism: A Case Study in Identity and Multiculturalism in Northern Morocco and the Spanish Enclaves, Jeremy Vale, Colby College
Kali Gandaki: The Road from Lower Mustang to a Global Food Market, Austin Van Wart, University of Wisconsin- Madison
Digital Diplomacy and Its Effect on International Relations, Bridget Verrekia, Gettysburg College
Neoliberalismo & Pensamiento Crítico: Relaciones entre la Educación Popular y sistemas actuales chilenos / Neoliberalism & Critical Thinking: Relations between Popular Education and current Chilean systems, Sarah Wagner, Amherst College
The Tribulations of Moroccan Child Laborers: A Forced Existence and Loss of Innocence, David Wien-Kandil, University of Mary Washington
Geopolitical Relations: Uganda’s Role in the Development of the River Nile, Jordan Williams, The George Washington University
Russia's Northern Rook: Nord Stream 2 on the European Energy Chessboard, David E. Wilson, The College of Wooster
Optimized Organic Waste Treatment System An assessment of composting and biogas potential at Santos Organics, Abbie Winter, Bucknell University
Essential Newborn Care during Humanitarian Crises: Integration of Low-Cost Interventions, Athena Wong, Cornell University
Las ofrendas a la tierra en un mundo global \ Offerings to land in a global world, Alison Wuensch, University of San Francisco
Shaped by Changing Space: Exploring Gender and the Discourse of Empowerment in Sikles, Nepal, Rachel Yanover, Wesleyan University
The Latex Journey: A Narrative Approach to Exploring Condom Use, Stigma, and Education from the Perspective of Women in Masxha, Kylie Yocum, Tulane University
Development of a Wild Infant Woolly Monkey Social interactions, time allocation and behavior of a wild Lagothrix lagotricha poeppigii infant and her mother, Saba Zewdie, Whitman College
Submissions from 2016
Both a Borrower and a Lender Be: A Look at the Local Economy and Credit Culture in the Tarap Valley in Dolpa, Nepal, Alexa Adams, Bates College
The Impact of Religion and Culture on Coparenting in Morocco, Corrine Ahrabi-Nejad, George Washington University
Epigeal fauna of Bosque Protector Cerro Candelaria, Justine Albers, Swarthmore College
Los factores influyentes en las perspectivas de aborto de los estudiantes universitarios en Santiago, Chile: desde lo conservador a lo contrario, Victoria Albert, Washington University in St. Louis
Protecting the Right to Life of the Internally Displaced: An Examination of Encampment and Its Effects on the Communities in Unyama and Koro Sub-Counties in Gulu District, Northern Uganda, Ashley Alessandra, George Washington University
Democratization in the Arab World: A Moroccan case study of Culture, Religion, and Governance, Marwah Al-Jilani, Oregon State University
Goals of Aid Organizations and Perspectives of Employees: Urban Integration of Syrian Refugees in Jordan, Alysha Alloway, Macalester College
Framing Feminine Identity: Exploring Ways of Being a Woman, through the Practice of Faith, and Ideas of Equality and Justice through Narratives of South African Muslim Women Activists, Rachel Anderson, University of Oregon
For a public-private partnership to achieve migrant health equality in Morocco: A Cross-Analysis of Integration Policies and Migrant Peer Educator Programs, Victoria Anders, Pomona College
One Year Later: The Politics and Stories of Post-Earthquake Nepal, Boyer Andrew, Macalaster College
University Expectations and Preparations at the Upper-Secondary School Level: A Case Study at the Experimental High School of Hanoi and Hanoi University, Charlotte Andrews, Hamilton College
The Future of Agriculture in Cameroon in the Age of Agricultural Biotechnology, Audrey Ball, Washington University in St. Louis
Human Rights Education: A Tool for the Cultivation of National Human Rights Culture in Morocco, Page Benoit, Bard College
Pathways to Positive Change: A People's Perspective of Healthcare in Humla, Wensday Meyers Berman, Macalester College
Globalization of the Food Industry: Transnational Food Corporations, the Spread of Processed Food, and Their Implications for Food Security and Nutrition, Elizabeth Black, Loyola University Chicago
Women in the Religious Wave of Terrorism and Beyond: The West Versus the Rest An analysis of women’s motives and agency in Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, Regina Blaskie, Illinois Wesleyan University
Conservation as Mutualism: A Case Study of Thulo Syafru, Jennifer S. Brady, Bucknell University
Así que, ¿qué podía hacer? / So what could I do?, Summer Brandimarte, University of Texas
Geospasial Indonesia: The Utilization of Spatial Data Through Geographic Information Systems Across Indonesia in Various Environmental Contexts, Kaitlyn Bretz, University of South Carolina
Relocation, Resistance and Resilience: Squatter Community Responses to Government Intervention for Urban Development in Kathmandu, Reilly Brooks, Rice University
Perceptions of Dignity in Humanitarian Aid: A Postcolonial Critique of Syrian Refugee Response, Jonathon Burne, Williams College
Access is not Enough: Family Planning in Dar Es Salaam, Claire Burrus, Trinity University
Emergency Medical Services and Public Policy in Durban, Kwazulu-Natal, John Buyske, Pomona College
Rural Emergings, Urban Imaginings: The Effect of Urbanization on Senegalese Ethnic Identity, Arianna Calabrese, Georgetown University
Dharma Dogs: A Narrative Approach to Understanding the Connection of Sentience Between Humans and Canines, Anna Caldwell, Franklin & Marshall College
Una mueca irónica: !El travestismo como recurso artístico de las Yeguas del Apocalipsis / An ironic grin: ! Cross-dressing as an artistic resource of the Apocalypseof the Yeguas, Sophia Cantizano, Columbia University
Un análisis post-colonial: la encarnación de la pérdida histórica en la manifestación de depresión en personas Mapuche en el contexto urbano, Haley Case, Whitman College
Independent Study Project: Investigation into the implications of zooarchaeological studies for climate reconstruction in the North Atlantic; zooarchaeological research at the Agricultural University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Hazel Cashman, Bates College
Why Children, Adults and the Elderly are living on the streets in Moroccan cities and what Morocco is doing about it., Nora Charidah, Villanova University
Benthic algae and diatom communities in seagrass meadows under three different human impact regimes in Bocas del Toro, Panamá, Averyl Cheng, Carleton College
A Racism Without Race: A Moroccan Case Study of Race Denial, Leila Chreiteh, Agnes Scott College
Talking Walls: Freeing Art in Bali, Indonesia, Lila Chu, Occidental College
La accesibilidad al Test de VPH y al Papanicolaou para la prevención del cáncer cervicouterino en servicios públicos de salud en San Miguel de Tucumán según la perspectiva de los profesionales de salud, Eve Cleghorn, Ithaca College
The Importance of Nature: An Investigation on How Geography Influences Well-being, Christina Cobb, Claremont McKenna College
The Spike of Female Soccer Players in the Netherlands since 2010, Morgan Colley, Rollins College
David vs. Goliat: Políticas y prácticas exitosas de la DECOIN (Defensa y Conservación Ecológica de Intag) durante la lucha contra la minería en Intag, Ecuador, Ana Teresa Colón García, Haverford College
Watch Chöd Self: An Examination of Chöd, Its Practitioners, and Its Music, Weston Conner, Muhlenberg College
The Influence of Raja Ravi Varma’s Mythological Subjects in Popular Art, Rachel Cooksey, Portland State University
The Impact of Geopolitical Factors on the Future Economic Integration of ASEAN +3, Michael Corrigan, College of the Holy Cross
Making it work: Supporting contemporary artists in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Michael Curran, Macalester College
La construcción de una identidad propia por parte de las mujeres piqueteras de Claypole, como protagonistas, dentro del Frente de Organizaciones en Lucha (FOL) / Mujeres Piqueteras of Claypole Constructing their own Identity as Protagonists within the Frente de Organizaciones en Lucha (FOL), Luz Daniela Castro, Whittier College
The Changing Roles and Reputations of Dais in Rural Uttarakhand: An Investigation into the Maternal Health Services of Villages in Okhalkanda Block in Nainital, Jenna Davis, Vanderbilt University
La creación de crianza: un retrato de la niñez en Martín Centeno, Sara Dean, Wesleyan University
Dealing with Migratory Trauma: Mental Health Stressors and Coping Mechanisms among Sub-Saharan Migrants in Rabat, Morocco, Dominique DeFreece, Rhodes College
Powerful Words: An Exploration of Linguistic Hierarchy in Moroccan Hospitals, Ellelan Degife, Pomona College
Violating of Individual Privacy: Moroccan Perceptions of the Ban of VoIP Services, Tyler Delhees, Morocco: Multiculturalism and Human Rights
The Political Participation, Engagement, and Perceptions of President Magufuli Among Students at the College of African Wildlife Management, Carolyn Del Vecchio, Gustavus Adolphus College
Orientalism and the Archaeological Survey(s) of India, Ilan Desai-Geller, Brown University
Las sobrevivientes: La represión social y política del trauma sufrido de las mujeres desde la dictadura, Savannah Ducharm, University of Colorado Boulder
Welcome to the Streets: Tracing the Development of Street Art in Nepal Since 2010, Malik Earle, Macalester College
When The Hunt Is Over: Culture and Conservation in Kazakh Eagle Falconry, Nolan R. Ebner, Macalester College
Reconciliation as a form of Cultural Catharsis: The Role of Theater in Revitalizing Kosovo-Serbian Relations, Sarah Edwards, Whitman College
Migrant Access to Healthcare: A Study of Undocumented Migrant Access to Sexual Healthcare & Family Planning Services in Switzerland in 2016, Emily Egbert, Washington University in St. Louis