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
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
Mitigating climate-induced migration in rural Morocco: Improving sustainable development to address socio-economic and environmental causes of migration, Jesse Meisenhelter, Macalester College
School Kitchen Gardens: Cultivating a Child’s Nutritional Habits, Environmental Knowledge, and Sustainability Practices, Jeffrey Meltzer, Colby College
“Education Should Be Number One”: Life Stories of Migrant Crèche Teachers and Their Impact on the Early Childhood Education of Vulnerable Youth, Romi Messer, Barnard College
Who Are You Wearing? A study of Moroccan fashion discourse, identity performance, and social change, Leah Michalove, Emory University
Premature births and maternal health: An analysis of risk factors that affect the rate of prematurity / Los nacimientos prematuros y la salud materna: Un análisis de los factores de riesgo que afecta la tasa de prematuridad, Alexandria Mickler, Rollins College
Stories of Tufuga ta Tatau, Drea Miesnieks, University of Colorado At Boulder
Educar para liberar Una investigación del sistema de educación en Ex. Penitenciario y Colina 2 y sus efectos / Educating for Liberty An investigation of the education system in Ex. Prison and Hill 2 and its effects, Patrick Miller, University of Oregon
The Ecology of Infancy and Early Childhood in Rural Senegal; A Five Year Old Can Boot but not Foot, an Exploration of Where Biology Meets Culture, Heather Mills, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
La eficiencia en los manejos orgánicos de plagas en la Parroquia San Pedro de Vilcabamba., Lauren Miranda, St. Michael's College
Human Rights Infringements in Brazil’s Penitentiary System Understood through Access to Healthcare, Sara Morris, Stonehill College
Lighting Young Lights: The Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program in Samoa, Nicholas Muccio, Bates College
Quality of Emergency Departments in Amman Evaluated by the Availability of Essential Emergency Equipment, Seif Laeth Sari Nasir, Creighton University
SHARKS AREN’T THE ONLY FISH TO BE AFRAID OF… A Survey of Serranidae Species of Genus Aethaloperca, Anyperodon, Cephalopholis, Epinephelus, and Plectropomus on Chumbe Island, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Kimberly D. Nesbitt, University of Denver
The Mechanical and Social Feasibility of Using Biogas to Fuel an Essential Oil Distillation Unit in the Rural Commune of Ankarimbelo, Madagascar, Hannah Nesser, Yale University
Curbing Corporate Inversions: A Study of National and International Efforts to Establish Corporate Tax Equity, Scott Novak, Rollins College
La psiquiatría comunitaria en la Corporación Bresky / Community psychiatry in the Bresky Corporation, Connery O’Brien, Davidson College
Los efectos de la violencia familiar y las percepciones de las mujeres afectadas: Un estudio de las mujeres victimas de la violencia familiar a Ahmauta / The effects of family violence and perceptions of women affected :A study of women victims of domestic violence to Ahmauta, Catherine Oidtman, University of Maryland
Exploring Barriers: An Analysis of Access to Effective Tuberculosis Care in Cape Town, Yvonne Okaka, Villanova University
Parte de Nosotros: la Tierra, el Estado, y la Identidad Avá Guaraní dentro del Modelo de Desarrollo paraguayo, Shayna Orens, Columbia University
Grappling with Gatekeepers: Addressing Gender Hindrances to mHealth, Jack O’Rourke, Fordham University
Evaluating the Progress of a Mangrove Reforestation Project on Isla Galeta, Colon, Abigail Hope Outterson, Skidmore College
Resisting For the River: Local Struggle Against the Proposed Saptakoshi River Dam, Janika Oza, Wesleyan College
The End of an Era: The Cancer Stem Cell Hypothesis and Its Therapeutic Implications, Emily Paton, Santa Clara University
Eradicating Slavery in Maranhão: Impunity and Capitalism, Zachary Patton, University of Pittsburgh
Managing Devil Facial Tumour Disease in Tasmanian Devils (Sarcophilus harrisii): An investigation of heat shock proteins as potential vaccine adjuvants, Monika Payerhin, University of Richmond
Adorative Worship, Respectively. Does The Concept Of Peacebuilding Adequately Address Gender In Africa ? An Accord Practicum, Sylvia Percovich, Harvard University
Powering Rural Transformation: Solar PV in Rural Uganda., Matt Piggins, DePauw University
Trouble in Paradise: State of Coastal Erosion of Unguja Tourist Destinations Shoreline Analysis and Community Responses of Nungwi and Paje Beaches, Emily Pitman, Hamilton College
From Holy to Holistic: Working Towards Integrated Management of the Bagmati River Corridor, Lauren Platman, Whitman College
The Security of South Sudanese Refugees in Uganda: Assessing the Physical Security Implications of Ethnic Conflict-Induced Displacement, Alex Pommier, Georgetown University
“KALLAWAYA SIEMPRE SOY” La descolonización de ajayu en la cosmovisión kallawaya, Rizky Rahadianto, Wesleyan University
We Are Not the Future, We Are the Present: CANTERA, Young People, and Community Development, Emily Rapport, Davidson College
Informal Transportation in Uganda: A Case Study of the Boda Boda, Bradley Raynor, Kenyon College
A New Generation of Buddhist: The Views and Practice of Tibetan Youth , Carey Reich, Colorado State University
Ayllu,Migracion Politica Desde Abajo en Bolivia: Perspectivas Desde el Ayllu Bombo, Oruro, Lucas Rénique, Amherst College
Narrative Practices in Malagasy Healing, Gabrielle Robbins, Barnard College
Writing for A Future Audience Contemporary Children's Literature in Wolof, Mariana Robertson, Barnard College
Oreaster reticulatus: A Study of 3 Aggregations in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Rae Robinson
Cosaan to Tostan: The Evolution of Wolof Women’s Verbal Art As a Means for Social Empowerment, Iana Robitaille, Muhlenberg College
Analyzing the Dynamics of the Artisan Fishing Industry and LAPSSET Port in Lamu, Kenya, Valerie Rodden, George Washington University
Things that go 'Munch' in the Night: Behavior, Range, and Feeding Ecology of a Mother and Offspring Daubentonia Madagascariensis, Inga Roen, Macalester College
La diversidad y la densidad de las epífitas vasculares en la Reserva Cerro Candelaria: La diferencia entre las alturas y dos tipos de bosque nublado en Ecuador, Reilly Rosbotham, University of Puget Sound
River Health in Puyo, Ecuador The Use of Macroinvertebrates as Bioindicators of Water Quality and Alternatives to Chlorine for Whitening Clothes in the Puyo River Watershed, Allison Rowe, Williams College
El Embarazo Adolescente y La Educación Municipal Una investigación de las experiencias educativas y las perspectivas personales de las estudiantes embarazadas o que son madres o padres en Valparaíso, Chile, Katharine Rowe, Occidental College
Window to The Unbanked: The Potential of Mobile Money as a Means of Saving in Uganda, Allison Ryder, Loyola University Chicago
La coexistencia de dos agriculturas en Argentina Una mirada a la vida de una granja familiar: ¿Cómo sobrevivir al lado de las grandes empresas?, Camille Sanchez de la Vega, University of Southern California
From Desire to Development? How Advertising Affects Sociocultural Evolution in Kampala, Uganda, Emily Saxe, Kenyon College
Agency of the South Sudanese: Compensating for Health Care in Mungula Refugee Settlement, Lauren Schmidt, Colorado College
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of Aymara women in the intercultural health system in Chile / Salud y derechos sexuales y reproductivos de las mujeres Aymara en el sistema de salud intercultural de Chile, Ariela Schnyer, Mount Holyoke College
Slachtofferhulp: An Analysis of the Amsterdam Police Department’s Response to Lesbian Domestic Violence, Taylor Sczymecki, Skidmore College
A Case Study at Prime Human Performance Institute: Noting Barriers to Access, Ian Seddon, Rollins College
Economic equity in the Annapurna Conservation Area: Effects of government and community-based organizations, Hanna Seltz, Bard College
From Monuments to Ruins: An Analysis of Historical Preservation in Jordan, Mason Seymore, University of Denver
An Assessment of Public Awareness Regarding E-Waste Hazards and Management Strategies, Anuj Shah, Williams College
LA EDUCACIÓN Y EL LUCRO NO SE MEZCLAN: Un examen de las políticas y las consecuencias de los colegios particulares subvencionados en Chile / EDUCATION AND PROFITS DON'T MIX : A review of policies and the consequences of subsidized private schools in Chile, Sophie Sharps, Connecticut College
Promoción de la salud en la Ciudad de Buenos Aires: un estudio sobre el trabajo de los promotores de salud y las percepciones de su rol en la comunidad. / Health promotion in the city of Buenos Aires: a study of the work of community health workers and perceptions of their role in the community, Elizabeth Sherwin, Santa Clara University
Rimanchis Runasimita: La enseñanza en Quechua como una herramienta del mantenimiento de la identidad cultural de los jóvenes Quechua hablantes / Rimanchis Runasimita:Teaching in Quechua as a tool to maintaincultural identity of young Quechua speakers, Willow Shram, College of Wooster
he Creators A Look at the Changing Work of Potters and the Future of Their Craft in Thimi, Nepal, Natalie Silver, Bates College
Injection, Ingestion, & Misconception: Drug Use & Rehabilitation in Indonesia, Elena Silvestrini, University of Colorado At Boulder
Rhetoric Or Results?: Tourism, The Aquarium, and The People of Fortaleza, Molly Silvia, University of Richmond
Neglected or Non-compliant? Assessing the difficulties of tuberculosis patients in Salvador-BA, Brazil, Erin Slatery, Harvard University
Limits to Literacy: The Perceived Relationship Between Functional Literacy and Political Empowerment Amongst the Forest-Dwelling Van Gujjars, Nicola Soekoe, Yale University
Give and Take: The Struggle of Being a Part of the System you Want to Change- Childline: Solving and Perpetuating Child Vulnerability in Bikaner, Rajasthan, India, Angela Soley, Occidental College
High-Impact Women Entrepreneurs in Argentina: A study analysed through the Endeavor model, Stephanie Soussloff, Middlebury College
Education in Ladakh: An Overview of the Interactions Between an Indigenous Community and Their Government., Emma Stahl, University of Oregon