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 2015
Dying for a Drink: How the Consumption of Home brews Affects Health within the Kibera Slum of Nairobi, Kenya, Teaka Jackson, University of Maine
“Going Back Home”: The Mawale Movement and the Rediscovery of Minahasan Identity, Nathan Jacobson and Erica Larson, Drake University / Boston University
Treatment of Drug Addiction Within Brazil’s Penitentiary System A Qualitative Investigation, Samantha Jain, University of Denver
Fauna Census of Intertidal Cliffs, Mangapwani, Zanzibar, Emily Jankowski, Gettysburg College
KENYA’S KONZA TECHNO CITY: UTOPIAN VISION MEETS SOCIAL REALITY, Amina Johari, George Washington University
Un análisis del trabajo de equipos asistenciales de salud mental que acompañan a los hijos de desaparecidos en el proceso de restitución de su identidad en Buenos Aires / An analysis of mental health teams that work with the appropriated children of the desaparecidos throughout the judicial identity restitution process in Buenos Aires, Magdalena Jurczuk, Tulane University
How Social Determinants of Health, Health-Seeking Behaviors, and Treatment Adherence Influence and Interact with Endemic Levels of Pulmonary TB and MDR-TB in Urban Rajasthan, Michelle Kagei, Emory University
A Home In The Hills: Examining the Socioeconomic Benefits of Homestay Tourism on Rural Women and Their Communities in the Darjeeling District, Isabel Kannegieser, Middlebury College
Narratives Towards Ending Stigma: HIV-Related Stigma in the Netherlands from the Standpoint of Those who Experience it First-Hand, Anya Katz, Oberlin College
Engaging Non-State Armed Groups (NSAGs) in the ‘Fight’ Against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Eastern Congo (DRC), Mackenzie Kennedy, Colby College
Placeness: Mongolia A Call for the Creation of a Human Impact Assessment, C. Winston Kies, Middlebury College
An Analysis of Biodiversity, Sustainability, and Ecotourism in the VO.I.M.MA Community Managed Forest, Andasibe, Madagascar, Catherine Knowlton and Charlotte Walton, Trinity College / Bucknell Univeristy
Patagonia Con Poder: El Éxito de la Oposición frente el Proyecto HidroAysén, Nathaniel Korn, University of Northwestern
Sin derecho a respirar: una investigación audiovisual sobre los efectos de los agronegocios en el cordon industrial del rio Paraná / Without the Right to Breathe: An Audiovisual Investigation About the Effects of Agro-Business in the Industrial Belt of the Parana River, Emma Kraft and Nora Meyers Sackett, Brandeis University / Lewis and Clark College
An Assessment of the Impact of Sand Mining: Unguja, Zanzibar, Caroline Ladlow, Lafayette College
Identity, Movement and Belonging In a Land of Tradition: A Critical Examination of the Nepali Workforce in Leh, Ladakh, Teresa Langseth-Depaolis, Occidental College
Women’s Work in a Rural Village: Realities, Motivations, and Satisfaction, Sierra Larson, Colgate University
Processes, practices and politics in the treatment centers for addictions and problematic consumptions: an analysis of the perspectives and practices of the professionals in a treatment center in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Chiara Lawrence, Middlebury College
Community Owned Renewable Energy in North Coast NSW Social Housing, Kelly Leatherman, Drake University
Prevalence of Depression among Active TB and TB/HIV Patients in Kisumu County, Esther Lee, Wellesley College
Medina: The Alternative and Hidden Sides of Fez el Bali, Jie Li, Skidmore College
From Laws to Last Names: Examining Popular Opinions of Adoption in Morocco, Margaret Liston, Elon University
Deconstructing Counselling: The Complexity of Psychosocial Support Services in Nakivale Refugee Settlement, Emily Luba, Colgate University
Non-compliance in marine reserves: measuring the drivers of behavior among recreational fishermen within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Nick Manning, Colby College
Los Guardianes de Yaoska de Rancho Grande: Ocho pasos para detener una empresa minera transnacional, Joshua Marcus, Macalester College
Tracing the Human Healthcare Roots of Antibiotic Resistance in India: Causes, Challenges, and Promising Solutions, Kelsey Matteson, Rollins College
Branches Above and Roots Below: Mothers’ Hopes for their Children in Batoufam, Cameroon, Taylor Maxfield, Calvin College
Exploring the Passage to Adulthood in Masxha: A Narrative Inquiry, Sonia Max, Wesleyan University
The Impact of Jordanian Health Care Policy on the Maternal and Reproductive Health Care Seeking Behavior of Syrian Refugee Women, Momina Mazhar, University of Maryland
The History of US-Iran Relations and its Effect on the JCPOA Negotiations, Chase McCain, Occidental College
EXISTENTIAL AVALANCHE THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN DOLPO AND MUSTANG, NEPAL, Keegan McChesney, Occidental College
Peace Building through Education Reforms Case study: Objectives and Philosophy of Jordanian Educational System, Megan McKeown, Chapman University
Characteristics of Geoffroy’s tamarin (Saguinus geoffroyi) population, demographics, and territory sizes in urban park habitat (Parque Natural Metropolitano, Panama City, Panama), Caitlin McNaughton, Ohio Wesleyan University
Furendei Wama Garifuna Aprendemos En Garifuna, Emmanuel Melgoza-Alfaro, University of Colorado at Boulder
Huellas en la Historia: Educación y Derechos Humanos, Kimberly Méndez, DePauw University
Las tomas en Liceos Emblemáticos: Herramientas para Cambio Social, Daniel Mendoza, Connecticut College
Comparing Avian Diversity and Anthropogenic Disturbance at Sendero Los Quetzales Cerro Punta, Panamá, Sloane Merdinger, University of Illinois at Chicago
Tracing the Human Right from Law to Policy to Reproductive Healthcare: Exploring the Strengths and Shortcomings of Undocumented Migrant Women’s Access to Reproductive Healthcare in Switzerland, Sabrina S. Merold, Swarthmore College
El impacto de los lazos familiares en la salud física, emocional y espiritual en cuidados paliativos: Un estudio de la Clínica Familia, Max Meyerhoff, Macalester College
Driving Away: A Macro and Micro View of the Prague Car Transit System, Danny Meyers, Skidmore College
Facilitators of Empowerment Lead in Sustainable Rural Development: A Case Study of Thanda, Emma Milford, Washington University in St. Louis
Afrochilenos en rumbo al reconocimiento como pueblo tribal Una investigación sobre los factores históricos y culturales de los Afrodecendientes en Arica, Sandy Milien, Sewanee University of the South
TEORÍA Y PRÁCTICA: La educación liberadora y la disputa contrahegemónica en los Bachilleratos Populares Germán Abdala y Sergio Karakachoff / THEORY AND PRACTICE: Problem-Posing Education and Counterhegemonic Struggle in the Germán Abdala and Sergio Karakachoff Popular High Schools, Rebecca Millberg, Scripps College
An Expanding Financial Sector: Continuity and Change Among Dhikur Groups in Lower Mustang, Anna Misenti, Occidental College
The Cognitive Effects of Chronic Malnutrition and Environment on Working Memory and Executive Function in Children, Kristiana E. Morgan, Emory University
Permanence and Picnic Tables Perceptions of Maji Safi Group’s Disease Prevention Center at Shirati KMT District Designated Hospital, Sarah Muskin, Vassar College
This Is Not About Cows: Historic and Contemporary Challenges to South-Central Madagascar’s Cattle Systems, Dan Myers, University of Denver
Assessing the Sustainability of Selective Logging in Ankarabolava-Agnakatrika New Protected Area, Eileen Nakahata, College of William and Mary
The Beast Inside Your Head: A Look at Mental Health Issues in Samoa, Brandon Nelson, University of North Dakota
Poner Fin a la Violencia Hacia la Mujer: Estrategias y Opiniones de Tres Organizaciones Feministas en Valparaíso, Chile, Hannah Neukrug, University of Virginia
La santé maternelle à Antsiranana selon la médicine occidentale et la médicine traditionnelle : Une étude des traitements opposés pour les femmes enceintes, Lauren Nguyen, Bowdoin College
El futuro ES la historia: El pasado doloroso y las generaciones futuros en los espacios de memoria en Buenos Aires / The future IS history: The painful past and future generations in memory sites in Buenos Aires, Leslie Niiro, Duke University
Ficus sp. y la frugivoría: Una investigación sobre un recurso importante para las aves en el bosque nublado occidental del Ecuador, Hilary Niles, Middlebury College
Not All Those That Are Buried Are Dead: An Analysis of Memorialization at the Prestwich Memorial, Anna Sumner Noonan, Sewanee University of the South
La radio comunitaria: hacia un futuro más democrático para Bolivia, Katharine Norris, Smith College
Lasrealidades y los desafíosde los padres adolescentes. Valparaíso, Chile, Kenechukwu Nwosu, Vassar College
Exercising Agency in Medical Decision-Making Processes Conventional and Traditional Medicine -A Case Study of 67ha, Antananarivo-, Sakura Oyama, Washington University in St. Louis
Killing to Save: Trophy Hunting and Conservation in Mongolia, Lucy Page, Williams College
Percepciones Sobre Las Aguas De La Cuenca Hidrográfica Del Valle De Lluta Y La Situación De Arsénico, Alec P. Pankow, University of Puget Sound
The Power of Peace: A Reflection on the Shifting Methods, Strategies, and Philosophies of Peaceful Protest Within Dharamsala’s Community of Activists Post-2008, Christian Bormann Paris, Muhlenberg College
Fish use of largely unexplored sub-tidal habitats in the Hinchinbrook Channel Estuary, Queensland, Alexandra Parisien, Duke University
Exploring Community Health through the lens of the Community Unit in Kariobangi North and the Surrounding Areas, Maya Paris-Saper, Sarah Lawrence College
Sports and Exercise Medicine for Athletes and Footballers: The Case of Kenya, Monil Patel, Tufts University
Las percepciones de los profesionales de la salud sobre los cuidados paliativos en diferentes sectores de salud en la Ciudad de Buenos Aires / Perceptions of health professionals about palliative care in different health sectors in the City of Buenos Aires, Kate Paulsen, Bowdoin College
A “UNIVERSAL VALUE”? PERCEPTIONS OF DEMOCRACY ACROSS RACE AMONG YOUNG VOTERS IN DURBAN, SA, Svati Pazhyanur, Cornell University
Child Marriage: Addressing the Challenges and Obstacles in the Post-2015 Agenda, Valeria Pelayo, Williams College
An Interactive Research Study on For-Profit Microfinance and its Continued Social Impact, Rachael Peroutky, Carleton College
Nutrition and Education in an Urbanizing Nation, Molly Pritz, Bates College
The impact of the Queensland Shark Control Program on local populations of threatened shark species, 1962-2014, Carolyn Pushaw, Harvard University
The Struggle Overseas: Risk Factors for Suicide among Female Migrant Workers in Nepal, Dhara Puvar, Loyola University Chicago
La vida es un conflicto, pero hay que llevar soluciones: La resolución de conflicto en comunidades rurales de San Ramón Nicaragua a través de facilitadores judiciales rurales y mediación, Marlee Raible, Whitman College
Cus M! Let’s Go!: The Flourishing of Bali’s Komunitas Gay in the HIV/AIDS Crisis, Ikaika Ramonès, Harvard University
Review or Rhetoric? An Analysis of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review, Sameer Rana, Pomona College
The Price on Our Practices: Motivation and Cultural Commodification in the Mongolian Tourism Industry, Joseph Recupero, Gettysburg College
Eating Out in Kathmandu: Restaurant Business and Nepal’s Urban Middle Class, Jessica Reid, Saint Michael’s College
NGOS, Community Associations, and Corporations in Partnership: CrossSectoral Collaboration in Serviluz, FortalezaCE, Leila Reynolds, Univeristy of Washington
“No todo se brilla” Tiempos de Espera: Reflejos de Estructuras Dominantes, Flora Richey, Carleton College
An Investigation of the Integration of Education and Mental Health Treatment into the Care of Diabetes in Syrian Refugee Women, Miller Richmond, University of Mississippi
Llama a tu abuela: mujeres cochabambinas en su tercera edad, Alexandra Ricks, Wesleyan University
Jordanian Special Needs Children’s Access to Services: Parental Perspective, Selena Rincon, Harvard University
Transnational Education Systems In Morocco: How Language Of Instruction Shapes Identity, Sarah Robertson, Scripps College
Hurdles to Health: An Exploration of the Social Determinants that Affect Attitudes toward HPV Vaccination in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, Megan Rogers, Seattle University
Too Many Rented Rooms: Creative Expression in the Tibetan Community and the Foreign Artist, Imogen Rosenbluth, Brandeis University
The Industrial Impact on Wetlands in Jinja and the Nexus of Industry, Wetlands, and Community (A Rights-Based Sustainable Development Approach), Ranger Ruffins, University of North Carolina
Jóvenes en movimiento: los papeles de la danza folklórica y contemporánea en las vidas de los jóvenes Cochabambinos, Maya Salas, Scripps College
Environmental Law in Madagascar: The Nagoya Protocol on Genetic Resource Use, Access and Benefit Sharing, Sarah Sanbar, Claremont Mckenna College
“Seguimos Siendo Indígenas” Una investigación sobre el discurso de los derechos y necesidades de la Comunidad Shipiba de Cantagallo como pueblo indígena en el contexto urbano de Lima., Janet Sanchez, Occidental College
Western Farmers’ Markets in Kathmandu: Vendor Perspectives, Caroline Saunders, Vanderbilt University
The Lucrative Business of Children: A Study of Child Trafficking in Nepalese Orphanages, Mira Saxe-Smith, Muhlenberg College
Women in Transition: Fighting Mentalities And Ensuring Political Participation in Post-revolutionary Tunisia, Hayley Schultz, Hope College
Soil total organic carbon and farmers’ perceptions associated with bokashi application in Cerro Punta, Panama, Emma Searson, Washington University
Social Responsibility and Enterprise: A Case Study of Les EauxMinéralesd’Oulmes Water Company in the Oulmes Region of Morocco, Kathryn Seibold, Colby College
Child Nutrition and Fitness in Switzerland and the United Kingdom: Analyzing Preventative Solutions for the Developing Obesity and Diabetes Crises, Nicolas Selemon, Bowdoin College
Inspiring Public Trust in the Domestic Legal System: The Impact of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), Jung Min Shin, Vanderbilt University
The Role of Productive Uses of Electricity in Rural Development: A Case Study of Xẻo Trâm and Hòa Đức Hamlets of Hòa An village, Vietnam, Gabrielle Short, University of Vermont
Conservation For Whom?: The Struggle for Indigenous Rights in Sagarmatha National Park, Jake Sivinski, Lewis and Clark College
Internal Migration: The Women Behind Bali’s Tourism Industry, Stephanie Skinner, James Cook University
Genocide in Northeast Brazil: Dismantling Colonial Legacies of Contemporary State Violence in Salvador, Kelsi Sleet, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Human impacts on water systems: Biological assessment of water quality in the Bosque Protector Río Guajalito (BPRG) using aquatic macroinvertebrates, Harrison Smith, University of Arkansas