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
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
Do Africans support English football teams and neglect local African teams: an interrogation of eight black African men in Cape Town, Eddie Mungai, Washington University in Saint Louis
Tomando en Cuenta: Perspectivas sobre las Tomas del Movimiento Estudiantil Chileno / Taking into consideration: Perspectives on the Tomas of the Chilean Student Movement, María Navarro-Gutiérrez, Carnegie Mellon University
Hanoians’ Experience: Suspending Moral Bias to Recognize Human Dimensions of War, Maggie Norsworthy, Lehigh University
Laughing It Off The Role of Comedy and Humor in Combating Extremist Ideals in Jordan, Juan Nunez Ledesma, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
FEMM Committee as Feminalist Space: Gendered Legislative Styles in the European Parliament, Madison Oakley, Beloit College
Educating Global Citizens: Moroccan University Students’ Global Awareness and Perceptions, Julia Ohanyan, Elon University
Nit Nitay Garabame: Analyzing Mental Illness and Art Therapy Within Dakar’s Atelier d’EX-PRESSION Artistique, Alaina Orr, Pitzer College
The Transgender Community in Bangalore: Health Issues and Factors Negatively Affecting Outcomes, Zayahary Ortiz, University of Texas at Austin
Continuous Care in Complex Contexts: Access to Health Services for Noncommunicable Diseases among Syrian Refugee Women in Jordanian Host Communities, Jennifer Ostrowski, University of Wisconsin
A Preliminary Study of Intergenerational Differences in Masxha Regarding Practice and Attitudes Towards Zulu Traditions During Pregnancy and Birth, Momoko Oyama, Washington University in Saint Louis
Los Derechos Humanos en un Contexto Local: La relación entre los derechos humanos y los movimientos Mapuche / Human Rights in a Local Context: Relationship between the Human Rights and the Mapuche movements., Lucas Richard-Virgene Paulson, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
La lluvia y el océano oculto: el estudio del unu cambio y su relación con Viracocha en Chinchero / The rain and the occult ocean: the study of the change and its Relationship with Viracocha in Chinchero, Edgar J. Payano, Sewanee The University of the South
What is the Taste of CO2? The sustainability of Icelandic food systems in the face of climate change, Molly Peek, Smith College
Song of the Dzopa: A Case Study of Traditional Farming, Food, and, Isabella Pezzulo, The University of Richmond
Dropping In: The emergence of skateboard culture in urban Nepal, Olivia Pincince, Brown University
The Feminization of HIV/AIDS in Yunnan, China, Leah Pinckney, Gettysburg College
An Old and New START to Russian—United States Nuclear Arms Control Agreements, Samantha Pitz, Washington University in St. Louis
Cameroon’s Political Opposition: Efforts and Obstacles Towards Political Change in Contemporary Cameroon, Clare Platt, George Washington University
Foraging Time and Food Resource use of Geoffroy’s Tamarin (Saguinus geoffroyi) in an Urban Forest Landscape, Parque Natural Metropolitano, Ciudad de Panamá, Panamá, Rachael Pruitt, Gettysburg College
Deaf or [insert ethnicity here]? The impact of South African Sign Language and Deaf community membership on the ethnic identities of three Deaf students in Cape Town, Leanna Quach, Ithaca College
Human Creativity as a Vehicle for Societal Change: Can Social Action Through Art and Music Drive Positive Societal Change in Jordan?, Marina Qutab, University of Massachusetts Amherst
“It’s Not Important for You to Speak:” The Perception of Purity and Its Power Over Women’s Reproductive and Sexual Health, Margot Radding, Carleton College
Exploration of the State of Mental Healthcare Services for Youth in Nairobi, Rashiidah Richardson, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Food for Thought: Perceptions of Food Access and Heathful Eating in The Masxha Community, Hannah Richason, Indiana University
Evaluating a Squirrel Monkey Troop in Natural Rehabilitation: An Assessment of Population and Behavior of Saimiri sciureus in Preparation for Relocation from Sumak Allpa to Yasuní National Park, Bria Riggs, Bates College
Enough: Narratives of Migration on a Small-Farm in SidiBouafif, Steven Ring, Kenyon College
Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja) conservation: juvenile behavior and diet at a nest near Pijibasal, Darien, Hannah Rodgers, Oberlin College
Beyond What is Heard: A Documentary Film about Acoustic Ecology as Sustainability Activism, Jesse Rolfe, Ithaca College
Where Women Stand in Rural Electrification Efforts: An Exploratory Study within Gujarat, Meital Rosenberg, University of Pittsburgh
En toma. Desesperanza aprendida: El rol de la memoria colectiva en los movimientos estudiantiles. / Occupation. Learned Despair: The role of collective memory in the students’ movements., Abigail Rothstein, Brandeis University
Wildlife Underpasses: Frequency of use by neotropic mammals in Parque Natural Metropolitano, Panamá City, Panamá, Kelly Russo, University of Colorado at Boulder
Water Resource Change and Management: Implications of Climate Change and Water Resource Management for Pastoral Herders in Bayan Ulgii, Rachel Ryan, University of Denver
Balancing the Local and the Global: Understanding Alternative Education in Modern Ladakh, Hannah Ryde, Tufts University
Use of Cycling Paths along the Morogoro BRT Line, Ford Sanger, University of Denver
Sentido de comunidad: Conectando la teoría con la práctica en el sector La Mariscal, Quito, Ecuador / Sense of community: Connecting theory with practice in the Mariscal sector, Quito, Ecuador, Matthew Sant-Miller, Yale University
Estigma y discriminación hacia hombres que tienen sexo con otros hombres (HSH) y mujeres trans: el impacto en la vulnerabilidad y riesgo frente al VIH/SIDA / Stigma and discrimination against men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women: the impact on vulnerability and risk of HIV / AIDS, Alessandra Scher, Tulane University
Exploring Social Cohesion in South Africa Within the Context of Post Apartheid Racial-Disparity, Peter Schneider, Washington University in St. Louis
Migrant Education in Morocco: Cross-Cultural Competence Favored Over Integrative Reform. An analysis of the Moroccan government’s migrant integration efforts through education., Ella Schoenen, Macalester College
Illuminating Infertility: An Exploration of the Socioreligious Implications of Infertility in Bali, Michaela Schwartz, Barnard College
Tapez le Tam-Tam and the People Will Come: A Study of Theater for Social Justice in Kaolack, Senegal, Emily Schwerdtfeger, University of Kansas
Life in the Collective Era: How Land Cooperatives Tried (and Failed) to Promote Local-National Integration in Tunisia, Isaiah Sciford, Washington University in St. Louis
“Ellas miran la realidad”: La sequía y la gestión de mujeres en Santa Julia, Nicaragua, Deborah Secular, Barnard College
Análisis de las políticas públicas de prevención del cáncer de cuello uterino vinculadas al control del virus del papiloma humano (VPH) en Argentina / An Analysis of Argentina’s Public Health Prevention Strategies of Cervical Cancer Related to the Control of the Human Papiloma Virus (HPV), Caroline Seman, Tulane University
Special Education in Tunisia: A Case Study in Social Entrepreneurship, Kaitlan Shaub, College of William and Mary
KOMPA AS A LESSON IN VALUE OR A SEMI-VOYERISTIC APPRECIATION OF THE BAMBOO BASKET IN DOLPA, Maxwell Shaw-Jones, Middlebury College
Reef fish and coral assemblages on Hospital Point and near Bastimentos Island, Panama, Elaine Shen, Rice University
Give a Man a Fish: A Narrative Approach to a Case Study of Soup Kitchens in the Wentworth Community, Evelyn Shen, Washington University in Saint Louis
Neglect Amidst the Zika Epidemic: A Case Study on the Reach of Government Campaigns and Resources in Quilombo Community Praia Grande, Bahia, Jenna Sherman, Tufts University
Consecuencias de la dictadura: la salud mental transgeneracional en hijos de detenidos desaparecidos / Consequences of the dictatorship: transgenerational mental health in children of disappeared detainees, Catherine Sillari, Tufts University
The Annapurna Road: Development and Tourism on the Annapurna Circuit, Benjamin Skach, Tufts University
Syrian Refugee Women in Jordan: Family Planning Preferences and Barriers in a Host Community, Hilary Smith, University of Denver
Analysis of Media in Rwanda: Internship with the New Times, Rhiannon Snide, University of Massachusetts
They Come Like the Clouds: Governing the Mountainous Periphery, Jared Sousa, Macalester College