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 2016
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
Multi-Sector Analysis of the Progress and Challenges of Soil-Transmitted Helminth Eradication in Rural Udaipur, Jessica Ellis, University of Texas at Austin
Nutrient Cycling in the Amazon: A Comparison of Soil Characteristics, Insects, Root Types and Decomposition Rates between Varzea and Terra Firme habitats in the Ecuadorian Amazon, Mira Ensley-Field, Macalester College
Self-Perceptions of Disability and Impairment in an Indian Prosthetic Population using Jaipur Foot Technology, Litany Esguerra, University of Illinois at Chicago
Obstetric Violence within the Brazilian Healthcare System: A Critical Analysis of the Childbirth Narratives of Tupinambá Indigenous Women from the Olivença, Ilhéus Community, Cassandra Fareira, University of Washington, Seattle
Healthcare Access for Syrian Refugees Lacking Legal Documentation in Jordan, Caroline Flynn, Tulane University
The Complex Combatant: Constructions of Victimhood and Perpetrator-hood in Gulu District, Northern Uganda, Kyra Fox, University of Wisconsin
Protección de los niños y niñas indígenas: El caso del SENAME y el pueblo mapuche en Chile / 90/5000 Protection of indigenous children: The case of the SENAME and the Mapuche people in Chile, Maxine Freedman, Macalester College
An Evolution of Tradition: Understanding the Unintended Effects of the 1999 Inheritance and Marital Property Law on Intra-Family Relationships in Rwanda., Pete Freeman, University of Notre Dame
The development of a reproductive population of chorongos: Intergroup interactions, dispersal, and sexual behavior of Lagothrix lagotricha poeppigii in natural rehabilitation on the island of Sumak Allpa, Ecuador, Rachel Gallegos, Duke University
Vivas nos Queremos: Feminicidio en Bolivia, Taslim Tavarez Garcia, Pace University
Traditional Fresh Markets and the Supermarket Revolution: A Case Study on Châu Long Market, Carly Giddings, George Washington University
Maternal Healthcare in Eastern Uganda: The Three Delays, Mothers Making Empowered Choices, and Combatting Maternal Mortality, Emma Gier, DePaul University
An Assessment of Soil Erosion on Pemba Island Using the Universal Soil Loss Equation, Emily Gillispie, Miami University
Nesting trends of the Green (Chelonia mydas) and Hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) turtles on Misali Island, Pemba, Thaowan Giorno and Megan Herrmann, Beloit College & Oberlin College
The Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Political Aspects of Nuclear Power in a Modern Context, Eve Gleeson, Emory University
Exploring Access to Portable Water and Sanitation Practices in a Post-Conflict Environment: The Case of Gulu District, Northern Uganda, Peyton Going, St. Norbert College
La minería en la conciencia urbana: las estrategias de los YASunidos de Cuenca contra la minería en el Azuay, Alexandra Golden, Yale University
Kila Wakati ni Wakati wa Chai: Mapping the Regional Commodity Chain of Tea in the Village of Sagara, Rebecca Gourlay, Boston College
Local Flavors: A Look at Farm to Table in Samoa, Emily Gove, University of Richmond
Proxy Dating in Iceland Testing the validity of Silene acaulis as a phytometric proxy, Madelyn Grant, Williams College
Annapurna’s Porters: Labor Conditions and the Factors that Shape Them, Ari Grant-Sasson, Middlebury College
Tracking the Elephant (Lexodonta Africana) Corridor and the Human-‐Wildlife Conflict in Esilalei Village, A Continuation Study, Victoria Gray and Cara Cappelletti, University of Colorado Boulder
Perspectivas locales sobre el Litio en el Salar de Uyuni: Niveles de conocimiento y opiniones regionales sobre el proyecto que puede determinar el futuro del litio en el mundo, Gillian Greenberg, Washington University in St. Louis
Resource Quality and Defense: Feeding Behaviors and Female Territoriality in Two Species of Tropical Hummingbird, Briana Grether
El método anticonceptivo implante subdérmico para prevenir la repetición del embarazo adolescente en la provincia de Tucumán, Madelaine Hack, Middlebury College
Capacity Building of Health Workforce: Investigation of Training Process for Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) Serving Refugee Populations in Host Communities, as Perceived by Participants and Trainers, Jerusalem Hadush, Yale University
The Use Versus Availability of Wood Extraction at the Baga II Forest Reserve Border Adjacent to Kizanda Village in the West Usambara Mountains, Tanzania, Rebecca Halter, Skidmore College
Asessing the Implementation of HIV/AIDS Programs Amongst Youth Fisherfolk: The Case of Mbita, Kenya, Edward Ham, University of Rochester
A Study of the Integration of Artificial Insemination into the Dairy Sector of the Alaotra Mangoro Region of Madagascar, Tara Hammonds, Cornell University
Del Movimiento Estudiantil a Revolución Democrática: Esperanza está en la institución, Jensen Handwork, University of Puget Sound
Breast is Best: Determinants of Breastfeeding in Bali, Leah Hardenbergh, Brown University
The Importance of Rivers in Protected Areas: Macroinvertebrate Sampling Reveals the Impact of Humans and Highways on Water Quality, Marie-Claire Harrison, Pomona College
THE INFLUENCE OF AJANTA ON INDIAN MODERN ART, Nolan Hawkins, Tufts University
Problemas con la producción de café en Los Yungas / Problems with coffee production in Los Yungas, Rob Hefferon, Williams College
Continuing Efforts to Alleviate "Orange Pain" An Internship with the Da Nang Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin, Loan Heilner, Colby College
A Critical Analysis of the Public Sphere: How the LGBTQ Movement Utilizes and Occupies Space in Morocco, Katherine Hirsch, Tufts University
La reconstrucción del debate en Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia: Una herramienta para la auto-descolonización y el desarrollo de un pensamiento crítico entre jóvenes., Tessa Holtzman, Bates College
El uso de terapias psicológicas en mujeres jóvenes en la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (CABA), Argentina, Batsheva Honig, Washington and Lee University
Humanity balancing on a turtle’s back: perceptions and values of sea turtle conservation among different demographics at four sites in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago Bocas del Toro, Panama, Roxanne Hoorn, Eckerd College
Needle Exchange Programs and HIV/AIDS: A Comparison of the Use of Harm Reduction Methods in Switzerland and the United States of America, Margaret House, Brown University
Symbiont type and photophysiology of Acropora loripes and Platygyra daedalea under future scenarios of rising ocean temperatures and pCO2, Lauren Howe-Kerr, Rice University
¿Quién tiene la voz? Un estudio de murales y movimientos estudiantiles / Who has got the voice? A study of murals and students’ movements., Mara Imms,, Colgate University
Student Protests at UCT: An Analysis of UCT Community's Perspectives of Tactics Used in the Fallist Movement, Laura Isdahl, Gustavus Adolphus College
Evaluation Des Impacts Sociaux et Ecologiques de la Gestion Communautaire de la Forêt d’Analabe, Nicole Israel-Meyer, Johns Hopkins University
¿El derecho a una vida sin discriminación?: Un análisis de las representaciones discriminatorias sobre los migrantes bolivianos por parte de los residentes argentinos en el barrio porteño de Flores, Kelly Johnson, Ursinus College
Avifaunal Community Composition in a Tropical Forest Corridor: A Case Study from the Atherton Tableland, North Queensland, Don Jones, Middlebury College
Pelear por la Dignidad: La lucha de las mujeres trabajadoras sexuales voluntarias por derechos laborales en un clima estigmatizado políticamente / To Fight for Dignity: The fight of female voluntary sex workers for labor rights in a politically stigmatized climate, Rosalind Jones, Occidental College
A Review of Climate Change Induced Effects on Avian Prey Species and their Consequences for Arctic Fox Populations of Western Iceland, Mikala Jordan, Villanova University
Economy and Decision: How Economic Factors Influence the Journeys and Destinations of Trans-Saharan Migrants in Oujda, Morocco, Dianne Kaiyoorawongs, Yale University
Tibetan Football:Perspectives From the 2016 Gyalyum Chenmo Memorial Gold Cup, James Karsten, Bates College
A Comparative Study of Women’s Health Care: Non-Syrian Refugee Women Living in Amman and Syrian Refugee Women Living in Refugee Camps, Megan Kerstein, Washington University in St. Louis
Is Faith Truly the Reason for Our Security? A study on the extent to which Islam influences Jordanian National Security, Shynelle Kissi, The George Washington University
Paediatric Tuberculosis in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India: DOTS, Diagnosis, and Determinants, Emma Klein, Harvey Mudd College
Sub-Saharan Refugees Finding Space and Place in Rabat, Morocco, Katherine Knapp, Indiana University- Bloomington
Escaping the Concrete Jungle: An Exploration of Ecotourism Development in Dzongu, North Sikkim, Katrina Kniss, Goucher College
Las percepciones de las dinámicas de género a través de los niveles socioeconómicos de dos liceos de Santiago de Chile / 119/5000 Perceptions of dynamics Gender equality across socio-economic levels Of two high schools in Santiago de Chile, Sarah Kochanek, Carleton College
The Case for State-Led Trade Policies in Economic and Human Development, Prahlad Krishnan, Duke University
Accessibility and Quality of Education for Refugees: A Case Study of Kyangwali Refugee Settlement, Meital Kupfer, George Washington University
Pink Parenthood: An Exploration of Lesbian Parenting in The Netherlands, Sophia Ladner, Smith College
Flip Cup: Problems Related to Alcohol Consumption in Modern China, Helen Lamm, Wofford College
L’insecte Sage in the Age of Global Climate Crisis: A Biocultural and Ontological Study of Vulnerability and Resilience in the Manakara Beekeeping Network, Tamar Law, Cornell University
Solid Waste Management of Disposable Diaper Sanitation and the Connection to Environmental Awareness for Women in Zanzibar, Micalea Leaska, Saint Michael's College
Developing Nations and Disadvantaged Populations: How the 2009 H1N1 Influenza Pandemic Exacerbated Disparities and Inequities, Rebecca Lebeaux, Emory University
Proceso identitario: la vinculación entre la autoadscripción de jóvenes chinos-argentinos en Buenos Aires, Argentina y las oportunidades laborales, experiencias educativas y la conservación del idioma chino, Cassiopeia Lee, Smith College
The Vibrant Traditions of Masaya: El Mestizaje as a Culture, a Process, and a State of Being, Isabelle Lee, Emory University
Instead of Silence: Chinese Nicaraguans and the Formation of Identity across Two Cultures, Lisa Lee, Brown University
Ñaan baat : Ousmane Sembène et l’adaptation wolof comme discours accessible sur la politique linguistique sénégalaise, Xavier Lee, Swarthmore College
Los médicos no creen en la brujería: El choque entre la psicologia occidental, el catolicismo y las creencias ancestrales en la salud mental boliviana, Olivia Legan, Kenyon College
Educación del Paciente para el Auto Cuidado de la Diabetes en el Centro de Salud de Primaria Atención: Villa Verde en Partido de Pilar, Buenos Aires, Ethan Leigner, Tulane University
Chemical and Physical Characteristics of Rivers Above and Below Four Hydroelectric Power Facilities in the Chiriquí Viejo and Chico Watersheds of Chiriquí, Panama, Tricia Light, Scripps College
Suzhi at the Margins: Minority Politics and Identity Among the Mosuo, Graham Link, Yale-NUS College
“Mi resistencia me nutre” Las vivencias de mujeres matagalpinas de acoso callejero y sus estrategias de resistencia / "My resistance nourishes me" The experiences of female street killers of matagalpinas and their strategies of resistance, Olivia Linn, University of North Carolina
Navigating Cape Town: A Poetic Cartography, Sam Lin-Sommer, Brown University
Trauma and Recovery in Post-Conflict Northern Uganda: An analysis of Trauma and its effects on the Family, Shelby Logan, George Washington University
A Road to Somewhere: Changing Trade and the Adaptation to Survive in Humla, Sophie Louaillier, Colgate University
Cultural Capital: An Investigation in Community Sustainability, Harrison Luft, Occidental College
CHILOÉ ESTÁ PRIVADO: Una investigación como un movimiento social genera cambio en un sistema centralizado, Nathan Madeira, Colby College
Effect of Varied Disturbance Types on Dorylus (Anomma) molestus Defensive Behavior in the West Usumbara Mountains, Tanzania., Ryan Mahar, Bates College
Los nuevos actores políticos de la izquierda chilena y el cambio al sistema político, Henry Manning, The George Washington University
Uso, impacto y futuro del Mapudungun en la comunidad de Chapod, Tierney Marey, Duke University
Trash on Taboga: a case study on solid waste management and feasible methods for sustainable improvements, Taboga Island, Panama, Madison Marra
El rol de los supermercados chinos en la integración social de la población china en Buenos Aires / The Role of Chinese Supermarkets in the Social Integration of the Chinese Population in Buenos Aires, Dana Marrero, Davidson College
The Challenge of Adverse Selection to Domestic Seafood Markets in Vietnam: Assessing Consumer Demand and Supply-Side Policy Options, Eliot Martin, Vanderbilt University
El fútbol femenino: Los implicaciones de ser una futbolista femenina en una cultura machista, Maya McCann, Smith College
Women’s Views on the Challenges and Solutions in Preventing the Gendered Spread of HIV in Masxha, Cato Manor, Paige McMahon, Georgetown University
Un nuevo fenómeno en un mundo de tradición: Percepciones del cambio climático en la isla de Taquile / 99/5000 A new phenomenon in a world of tradition: Perceptions of climate change on the island of Taquile, Daniel Meagher, The College of New Jersey
An Interpersonal Exploration of Zen Buddhism: A Case Study of Thiền Viện Trúc Lâm, Yuwen Michelson, Hamilton College
Populist radical right parties and the securitization of migration in France, Ashley Middleton, Duke University
Investigating effects of climate change on glaciers and proglacial landscapes in southeast Iceland: Fluvioglacial Behavior of Sólheimajökull and Seljavallajökull, Roberta B.C. Miller, Williams College
Street Art in Kathmandu as a Tool for Activism and Social Change, Madison Minchin, University of Redlands
A Precarious Paradigm: Seeking Alternatives to Public-Private Partnerships in Health, a Case for the Code, Lena Mininberg, Connecticut College
VARIABILITY OF LACUSTRINE SEDIMENT PROXY RESPONSES TO LATE HOLOCENE CLIMATE CHANGE AS MODIFIED BY LAKE SPECIFIC PROCESSES: A REVIEW OF ECOLOGICAL AND GEOPHYSICAL PROCESSES ACROSS NORTHERN AND EASTERN ICELAND, Mallory Mintz, Carleton College
Demise From Within: Factionalism in Maoist Parliamentary Politics in Nepal, Jehdeiah Mixon, Colgate University
The effects of sub-lethal predation on the reproductive output of Acanthaster planci (crown-of-thorns starfish), Emily Mucha, Rollins College
The effects of sub-lethal predation on the reproductive output of Acanthaster planci (crown-of-thorns starfish), Emily Mucha, Rollins College