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
Implementando la Educación Sexual Integral en el Conurbano: Interpretaciones, Practicas, y Dificultades de los Docentes de la ESI en la Escuela Secundaria / Implementing Integral Sexual Education in Grand Buenos Aires: Interpretations, Practices, and Difficulties of High School Sexual Education Teachers, Alexcia Chambers, College of William
Examining predation as a possible means of controlling Crown-of- Thorns Starfish (Acanthaster planci) outbreaks on reefs around Lizard Island, Australia, Amanda Chan, Swarthmore College
Politics of Health: the 2013 Integration Policy’s Effect on Immigrant Access to Care, Amy Chang, Yale University
The Conceptualization of “Environmentalism” in Sagara, Emma Chapman, George Washington University
Ecosystem Services in the Wet Tropics: A Literature Review and Economic Valuation, Alyson Cheney, Connecticut College
Investment Opportunities in Solar-Powered Lighting for Small Rural Shops in Zanzibar, Alexander Cheston, Bowdoin College
Livelihood Strategies of People in the Himalayan Region of Nepal: A Study in the Villages of Eastern Manang, Prashanta Chhetri, Lehigh University
La cesárea y el parto natural: las opiniones de profesionales de la salud en la provincia de Buenos Aires / Cesarean section and natural birth: the opinions of health provinces in the province of Buenos Aires, Jacqueline Chipkin, Duke University
Desigualdad en El Contexto Público: El Rol de Neoliberalismo en la Educación, Harper Cleves, Vassar College
Palm Reading: Predicting the Future of Four Threatened Palm Species at Pointe À Larrée, Eastern Madagascar, Eva Colberg, College of William and Mary
Seven Women Speak: Perceptions of Economic Empowerment Opportunities Among Diverse Women in Four Different Cape Town Communities Today, Shanna Cole, George Washington University
La atención de mujeres con complicaciones post-aborto en un hospital público del Partido de La Matanza: la perspectiva de los profesionales de la salud / The perspective of health professionals on the quality oftreatment for women with complications post-abortion ina public hospital in La Matanza, Hannah Collins, Tufts University
Barriers to Successful Cervical Cancer Screening in Rural Kwazulu-Natal, Cato Manor, and Cape Town, Amanda Comai, Colgate University
A Disjointed Effort: An Analysis of Government and Non-Governmental Actors’ Coordination of Reintegration Programs in Northern Uganda, Nicole Compton, George Washington University
Media For the Masses the Usage Patterns and Social Consequences of a Mobile-Phone Based Citizen Journalism Platform in Madhya-Pradesh , Sarah Corsa, Occidental College
Improving Social Resilience in Response to Climate Change in Far North Queensland and Torres Strait, Katie Costantini, Williams College
Men and Feminism: The Art of Negotiation, Emma Craig, Stonehill College
Traveling Through Space: A Look at the Evolution of Transportation in Vietnam and its Implications, Joe Crook, Brandeis University
Land Rights Among Subsistence Farmers: An Examination of Madagascar’s Land Reform and Prevailing Systems of Land Tenure in Betafo, Taylor Crowl, Vassar College
Hoping for Help: The Organizational Response to Street Children in Tangier, Stefanie Cruz, University of Houston
Comparative Analysis of Family Planning Use and Attitudes in Urban versus Rural Madagascar, Gwendolyn Cummings, University of Oregon
The Status of Coastal Birds on Uzi Island: A Coastal Survey of Birds and Their Interactions with Fishermen and Seaweed Farmers, Anna Curtis-Heald, Connecticut College
The Significance of Comunidade Sabiaguaba within the Developing City of Fortaleza, CE, Katherine Davis, University of Colorado
Social Media & Revolution: The Importance of the Internet in Tunisia’s Uprising, Aamna Dhillon, New College of Florida
The Complicated ‘Colours’ of Rhythm: A Study of Capetonian’s Battle for Identity through the Hip Hop Movement in Post-Apartheid South Africa, Joseph Thomas Dover, University of Colorado
El Significado Cultural del Parto: Perspectivas de Mujeres Mapuche, Erin Drake, Trinity University
El trabajo de enfermería: la percepción de las enfermeras y enfermeros de acerca de su profesión en Área Metropolitana de Buenos Aires, Amy Dushkin, Brandeis University
¿PÉRDIDA O PERSISTENCIA? La cultura andina y los efectos de la influencia evangélica en las dos comunidades indígenas peruanas de Patacancha y Rumira Sondormayo., Hannah Eby, Illinois Wesleyan University
¿Cómo amigos comparten la salud? Las redes sociales y factores de riesgo. / How do friends share health? Social networks and risk factors., Joanna Emerson, Tufts University
Population, Progeny and Power: Analyzing Population Growth, Family Planning and the Factors that Contribute to High Child Bearing Rates in Kizanda Village, Tanzania, Jade Enright, Colby College
A Crude Awakening: The Relationship Between Petroleum Exploration and Environmental Conservation in Western Uganda, Kristina Ericson, Global College of Long Island University
Tabasará Libre: A Case Study of Development and Indigenous Rights, Katharine Evans, Wesleyan College
To Assimilate or Integrate? The Narratives of Eight Black Students at Historically White Universities in the Western Cape: Can Education be Seen as Oppression or Privilege?, Mari Faines, Colgate University
Traditional, Transitional, and Contemporary Approaches to Textile Printing in Ghana, Le’Ecia Farmer, Evergreen State College
Memoirs of a Mother: Life between an Islamic fantasy, Cultural Patriarchy, and the Startling Reality., Nicole Fauster, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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