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 2014
ནང་པ Inside Self & Other : An interdisciplinary discussion on “Enemy” in the Tibetan Exiled Community, Mallory Feldman, Tufts University
Obama Suka Nasi Goreng! American Foreign Policy and Cultural Affinity with Indonesia, Mario Feola, Tufts University
"Wiser and Wider": An Analysis of DSD Treatment Protocol in the Netherlands and Practitioner and Patient Attitudes Towards Medical Care, Mel Ferrara, Muhlenberg College
Distribution of Ticks (Ixodida) of Canis lupus familiaris L. (Carnivora: Canidae) from Seven Towns in Chiriquí Province, Panamá, Michelle Ferrell, University of Richmond
Educated Identities: An examination of the effects schooling has on the individual, Conor Floyd, St. Michael's College
Syrian Refugee Families’ Awareness of the Health Risks of Child Marriage and What Organizations Offer or Plan in order to Raise Awareness, Rachel Fowler, Carnegie Mellon University
Voting Across the Sea: The Politics of French Nationals in Morocco, Sydney France, Skidmore College
Eating Disorders: Prevalence, Perceptions, and Treatments in Jordan, Brenda Gable, Ohio Wesleyan University
Nunca se olvide del frío del mármol de las escaleras: Una mirada a la recuperación del ex Centro Clandestino de Detención y Tortura de Virrey Cevallos / One never forgets the cold of the marble stairs: A look at the recuperation of ex Clandestine Center for Detention and Torture of Virrey Cevallos, Jamie Gagliano, Colgate University
Culture & Schizophrenia: How the Manifestation of Schizophrenia Symptoms in Hue Reflects Vietnamese Culture, Rebecca Gaines, Hamilton College
Alternative Histories: Observing Theosophical ‘Truths’ in Hindu Nationalism, Celia Garrity, Vassar College
Human Trafficking in Morocco: A focus on Sub-Saharan Migrant Women, LaDarrien Gillette, Spelman College
Identidades Sociales en Situación de Pobreza: La Construcción de Identidad y Comunidad en la Villa 31, Sam Gips, University of Virginia
Women’s Involvement in UNRWA Family Planning Services: A Study of Palestinian Refugees in Jordan, Madelyn B. Goodman, Johns Hopkins University
Sin trata no hay Asistencia: los Proveedores de Servicios y la Asistencia de salud a las Víctimas de la trata de Personas, Miranda Gottlieb, University of Tennessee-Knoxville
The Sacred Practice of Patra, Rob Granfelt, Macalester College
Sustainable Kangaroo Harvesting: Perceptions and Consumption of Kangaroo Meat Among University Students in New South Wales, Elisabeth Grant, Smith College
Alhamdoulillah: The Use of the Car Rapide as a Living Symbol of Senegal, Alicia Graziano, Skidmore College
Environmental Education in Amman, Sara Lyrnn Green, George Washington University
Cracks in the Pavement: The Street Boys Of Kathmandu !, Mike Greenwald, Wesleyan University
The Self-Supporting Women Of Wanita Hindu Dharma Indonesia (WHDI) Province Bali and Their Modern way of Thinking, Olivia Gregorius, Bates College
The Art of Vaisnava Vegetarian Cooking: The Manifestation of Cultural Identity Through the Culinary Craft, Selena Greising, Illinois Wesleyan University
An Investigation the Extractivist Agribusiness Model in Argentina and the Conflict in Malvinas Argentina Against Monsanto, Nicholas James Guarnaccia, Tufts University
The Vicious Circle of Data Gaps, Lack of Prioritization and Low Capacity: A Study on Post-Conflict Education in Sierra Leone, Meixi Guo, Vanderbilt University
Cabelo Crespo: A Struggle for Inclusion in Brazilian Society, Ashley Hamilton, Spelman College
Disabled: Watching Stories of the Malagasy Deaf, Nadeen Hamza, Swarthmore College
Normaal is gek genoeg: Homonormativity & Inclusivity in Amsterdam’s LGBTQ Community, Devin Hanley, Knox College
Microfinance et Développement au Cameroun : L’Efficacité de la MC2 dans la Communauté Agricole de Batoufam, Elisabeth Hansen, Pomona College
Impacts of land-cover change and high rainfall on soil erosion among three farms in Cerro Punta, Chiriquí, Panamá., Madeline Happ, College of Wooster
Autism Spectrum Disorder in an Indian Context: Impact of Socioeconomic Factors on the Experiences of Individuals with ASD and Their Families, Kendall Harman, University of Puget
“I Pray You Enough”: Exploring Rural Early Childhood Development Through the Narratives of Caregivers., Bethany G. Hart, University of Texas at Austin
Teaching Equality: An Analysis of the Treatment of Gender in a Popular High School, Hana Hartman, Washington University in St. Louis
“All Women Talk”- A Study of Beauty and Female Identity in Senegalese Culture, Arden Haselmann, Wheaton College
The Optimal Foraging of Equus burchelli at Enashiva Nature Refuge, Edward Haubenreiser, Humboldt State University
The Sociology of the Home An Autoethnography that Explores House Building in Rural Sandanezwe, Oliver Hayward, University of Southern California
HIV Drug Resistance Among Infants and Children in South Africa: How Efficient is Genotypic Testing?, Ellen Hendrix, Franklin & Marshall College
Where is my home, where is my homeland: Ethiopian Identity in the Czech Republic, Wanda Hernandez, Virginia Commonwealth University
“He venido a servir a mi gente” El Liceo Guacolda y la educación intercultural en Chile / "I have come to serve my people " The Liceo Guacolda and intercultural education in Chile, Jake Highleyman, Carleton College
Comparing Disease Prevalence in Hard Corals at Four Different Reefs near the Island of Narganá in the Guna Yala Comarca of Panamá, Connor Hinton, Gettysburg College
Gamba la Kasa: Using the Sea Turtle as a Flagship for Conservation through Storytelling and Children's Literature, Eliza Hollister, Skidmore College
Cultivating Rice in Import Dependent Cameroon: A Case Study of the Successes and Challenges Facing Rice Farmers in Santchou, Cameroon, Kim Horwitz, George Washington University
Percepciones de la salud mental en Cochabamba / Femicide in Bolivia After Perceptions of mental health in Cochabamba, Phoebe House, Williams College
Queering Health Education: Health Education Initiatives within Sexual and Gender Minority Communities in the Kathmandu Valley, Zoe Huston, Colgate University
Physicians' Perspectives on the Current Handling of Medical Malpractice in Jordan, Jason Yohan Hwang, Emory University
Individualized Health Care: The Utilization of Individual Design in Traditional Medicine in Madagascar, Simone R. Jacobs, Stanford University
The Art of Survival: Bengali Pats, Patuas and the Evolution of Folk Art in India, Pilar Jefferson, Vassar College
Immaterial Traditions: Evolving Values in the Practice & Preservation of Bhutanese Calligraphy, Madeline Johnson, Bennington College
Los Voces Literarias en la Preservación de la memoria La representación artística de los triunfos, los fracasos y los contrasentidosde la sociedad chilena desde 1973, Katharine Johnstone, Occidental College
Avian diversity across three distinct agricultural landscapes in Guadalupe, Chiriquí Highlands, Panama, Jarred Jones, Gettysburg College
EL CASO DE MADYGRAF (EX-DONNELLEY): UNA EXPLORACIÓN DE LA TENSIÓN ENTRE LA LEGALIDAD Y LA LEGITIMIDAD DE LAS EMPRESAS RECUPERADAS EN ARGENTINA / The Case of MadyGraf (ex-Donnelley): An Exploration of the Tension Between the Legality and the Legitimacy of Recovered Businesses in Argentina, Maggie Joyce, Hamilton College
Rough Hands: Family Conceptions of Rural Morocco’s Agricultural Labor, a Case Study, Leah Kahler, Bryn Mawr College
Once Upon Our Time: The Ancient Art of Storytelling in a Contemporary West Africa, Harlee Keller, Humboldt State University
An Examination of Governmental and Nongovernmental Organizations in Nepal: A Partnership in Managing and Eliminating Waste in the Solukhumbu, Kristen Kelliher, Bates College
Water as a Necessity for Life: The Responsibility of the Government and Perspectives of the People Regarding Access to Water in Claypole, Part of the Metropolitan Region of Buenos Aires, Emily Kennedy, Providence College
“We’ve Lost Sight of The Blue and White, and We Need To Find It Again.” Youth, Divergence of Memory, and Political Polarization in Post- Conflict Nicaragua, Cameron Kesinger, Macalester College
La Reinserción familiar como Cumplimiento de los derechos humanos del niño: Un estudio en el Hogar de niños Antonio Valdivieso en Cuenca, Ecuador, Rachel Keyser, Pomona College
The Quota for Women’s Representation in Parliament: an Empty Gesture or a Vehicle for Change? Analyzing the Effectiveness of Women Members of Parliament in Jordan, Mackenzie Kieborz, Texas A&M University
Dating in Dharamsala The Tibetan Exile Dating experience, Ben Kingstone, College of Wooster
“Decentralization Dilemma in Indonesia: Does Decentralization breed Corruption?”, Glenys Kirana, Claremont Mckenna College
The Use Of The Term "Paco" by Street Youth In The City of Buenos Aires And The Strategies Used By The Center For Integral Attention On Childhood and Adolescence To Help In Treating The Problematic Consumption of Drugs, Sophie Kligler, Middlebury College
Nepali Corporate Culture of Giving: Investigating Practices of Corporate Social Responsibility, Taylor Knoop, College of Wooster
La Gloire ou la Croix: The Fiangonana Loterana Malagasy, Independent Churches, and Nouvelles Fois in Antsirabe, Alexander Koch, Kenyon College
Integrating Community Service into Scholarship: Youth Engagement by Active Participation Case Study of Ruwwad, Eunjee Anna Koh, Emory University
A Case Study of Rhincodon typus Scarring in Ningaloo Reef: An Assessment of the Current Scarring Classification System, Laura Korman, University of Colorado-Boulder
Environmental Impacts of the Battery Cage Industry Depicted Through Sculpture, Amber Kraus, Kenyon College
Learning how to fly The intersectionality of religion, culture and gender of the Samoan Baha’i Community, Detmer Yens Kremer, Bates College
Daily Bread and the Normative Ascription of Cultural Value in Ahistorical Morocco, Patrick Kurth, Fordham University
Evaluating Current Management of Drug-ResistantTuberculosis in Mumbai, India, Meryl Kus, Brown University
Development and Mental Health Care Services: A Case Study at RTCCD, Hanoi, Michelle LaFortune, Tufts University
Adolescent Perceptions of Health through Photovoice in Cato Manor, South Africa, Renee Lamoreau, Tufts University
Mixed Fabric: Ghanaian Identity in Contemporary Ghanaian Fashion and Design, Dakota Lancour, Luther College
Evaluating the Effectivesness of Information Sources regarding HIV Among Gold Miners in Quảng Nam, Noah Landesberg, Johns Hopkins University
An Appraisal of Quality Basic Education in Ashanti Farming Communities of Ghana, Sophia Larsen, Whitman College
Index-based Insurance and Risk Management Among Nomadic Mongolian Herders , Kelsey Larson, Yale University
Young Women’s Perceptions and Narratives of Intergenerational and Transactional Sexual Relationships in Durban, Kwazulu-Natal, McKenzie Leier, Drake University
H.E.A.P.S. in Advances Towards a Healthier Samoa The Health Education and Promotions Section’s Role in Combating Non-communicable Diseases, Kara Le, Bates College
Smoking Behaviors Among Pregnant Women: A Romanian Case Study, Katherine LeMasters, Washington and Lee University
Methods for the Effective Care and Rehabilitation of Captive Lumholtz’s Tree-kangaroos, Aden Lessiak, Gettysburg College
Financial Literacy and Financial Inclusion of Women in Rural Rajasthan, Emily Levi-D'Ancona, Kenyon College
Feasibility of a Mangrove-Based Carbon Business in Makoba Bay, Unguja, Zanzibar, Janice Liang, Colby College
The Post-Industrial and the Urban Village: A Study of Land and Space in Beijing’s Caochangdi Art District, Ke Li, Columbia University
Not Just A Formality: How Inefficient Bureaucracy and Government Distrust Fuel Nepal’s Informal Economy, Anders Karl Lindgren, Amherst College
Nông Thôn Mới and Rural Development in the Mekong Delta: A Comparative Study of Bàu Môn and Hòa Phụng C Hamlets, Alex Lintz, George Washington University
My Forays into the World of the Tablā, Madeline Longacre, Wesleyan College
Pollution in Stone Town’s Coastal Waters: An Assessment of Environmental Influences on Fecal Contamination, Socorro Lopez, George Washington University
Pollution in Stone Town’s Coastal Waters: An Assessment of Environmental Influences on Fecal Contamination, Socorro Lopez, George Washington University
Demographic Survey of the Sohisika (Schizolaena tampoketsana) at Ankafobe, Madagascar, James Lucas, Colby College
Value-based Land Management Conflict: Alpine Cattle Grazing in Victoria , Matthew Luciani, Connecticut College
Formulating effective and accessible population-based colorectal cancer screening programs, Danielle Luffman, University of North Carolina
Emergency State Cultural Imagination and Expression among Afro-descendant Youth in Pearl Lagoon, Jennifer Lunceford, Yale University
Modern Practices of Traditional Dance in Cameroon: The Influences of Colonization and Globalization, Khalilah Lushiku, Wesleyan College
Communicating a Healthier Tomorrow An Analysis of the Integrative Healthcare System in Bhutan and Patient Healthcare Seeking Patterns, Drew Maakestad, College of Wooster
Femicide in Bolivia After Law 348, Adán Martínez, Macalester College
Challenges to Women in Political Leadership in Samoa, Kiki Martire, Washington and Lee University
Surgeon Practices and Attitudes toward the Control of Surgical-Site Infections in Jordan, Sara Ali Mater, Gettysburg College
FOOD AND IDENTITY FORMATION AMONG JAIN LAYWOMEN, Kristin McConnell, Bryn Mawr College
Organic Agriculture in Bhutan: Barriers Going to 100%, Mark McCrae-Hokenson, Macalester College
“Bëggel sa réew :” Negotiating Contestation and Citizenship Through Hip Hop Production in Guédiawaye, Dakar, Dylan McDonnell, Oberlin College
Francophones in the Anglophone Educational Sub-System; Trends and Futures, Kelsey McFadden, George Washington University