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.
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Submissions from 2023
Estudiantes Mapuche Universitarios: El Desarrollo de Conciencia Crítica Dentro La Sistema de Neoliberalismo Multicultural, Silvia Carias-Centeno, Kenyon College
Belonging and Identity in Mustang: Lived Experiences, Social Identities, and Mobility Patterns among Himalayan Peoples of Nepal, Lauren Carter, University of Richmond
Building a Society of Trust: Innovation and the Future of Youth Employment in Jordan, Pierre Cativiela, Williams College
Intergenerational Change in HIV/AIDS-Related Stigma in Cato Manor, MiJin Cho, Virginia Commonwealth University
Inside the Wave: How “The 100 Foot Wave” Changed the Lives of the Local community in Nazaré, Emilie Cohen, Lehigh University
Exploring the Role LO Plays in Preparing South African Learners for Life After Matric: A Case Study in Cato Manor, Peter Cohen, Washington University in St. Louis
Impact of wildlife provisioning on species diversity, relative frequency, and richness in New South Wales, Alanah Cohen-Tigör, Vassar College
Black Morocco On the Margins: A Societal Manifestation of Xenophobia, Anti-Blackness in Islam, and the Lasting Impact of Colonialism, Sydney Coleman, Vanderbilt University
Exploring Inclusive Education Policy Implementation in Langa, Cape Town Through the Perspectives of Educators at Just Grace, Caroline Connelly, Kenyon College
The Uses and Limitations of Citizen Science for Monitoring the Australian Grey Nurse Shark (Carcharias taurus) Population, Leah Corckran, Smith College
The State of Transgender and Kinnar Communities in Delhi: Case Studies Connecting Socioeconomic Factors to Health, Ray Craig, Swarthmore College
Soil succession: Short and long-term impacts of grazing on soil properties in a Tropical Montane Cloud Forest, June Curtis, Oberlin College
Perspectives on Psychosis from Dharmashala’s Tibetan Community in Exile, Teddy Daniel, Brown University
Lo Nuestro: Turismo y la Revalorización de la Cultura Kichwa Karanki en la Parroquia de Angochagua, Daltin Danser, The New School
The Global Anxiety Crisis in Teenagers and a Proposed School-Based Preventative Intervention Plan Focusing on Building Resilience in Children, Lia Darling, University of Vermont
Gentrifying while Black: Exploring the Concept of an African Homeland through Gentrification in Accra, Ghana, Amaya Davis, Kenyon College
Grabbing the Paycheck: A Glimpse into the Modern Economic Livelihoods of Xe Máy Grab Drivers in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Maddie Davis, University of Puget Sound
Friends in High Places: Establishing pollination networks for the Páramos of Central Ecuador, Emma Diaz, Washington University in St. Louis
Entre Punzones y Percutores Reconstrucción de tecnología ósea de los Selk'nam (Tierra del Fuego), Rachel Dietz, Knox College
“Without water, nothing”: Examining the water saving practices of women in Amman under periodic water supply, Rory Dixon, Georgetown University
Understory Epiphyte Hydrology: Analyzing water storage capacity of epiphytes along an elevational gradient in western Ecuadorian cloud forest, Angelina Dodge, Macalester College
“Mira cómo tejemos”: La construcción de una red comunitaria y la educación ambiental en la organización Frente Insular de la Reserva Marina de Galápagos, Katie Draeger, Bowdoin College
Bryophyta sensu stricto presence and function in the epiphytic ecosystems of the tropical montane cloud forests of El Valle de Anton, Teaghan Duff, Oberlin College
Surveillance Systems in Western Kenya: Methods, Perceptions, and Effectiveness, Marissa Duffy, Hamilton College
Tropical tree carbon storage at Drago Dos Forest in Boca Del Drago, Panama, Ben Dwyer, University of Richmond
Therapy Approaches Provided to Traumatized Refugee Children, Esther Ekeh, Gettysburg College
Investigating the detriment of development assistance: A geopolitical analysis of Sino-Djibouti relations through the lens of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, Elizabeth Elenwo-Roger, Spelman College
An Exploratory Study into Empowering Grade 10 and 11 Learners through Critical Engagement with South African Literature: A Case Study in Cato Manor, Sally Fales, Washington University in St. Louis
Ecological living in Nepali Food Systems: A Synthesis of Circular Nutrient and Knowledge Flows in the Kathmandu Valley, Kaitlyn Feely, Cornell University
Universal Health Coverage: A Basis for Pandemic Preparedness?, Merline Feero, Bowdoin College
Intelligence Versus Inferno: How Artificial Intelligence Can Be Used to Monitor and Manage Wildfires in Europe, Maxwell Feldman, Claremont McKenna College
On the Rocks, Below the Rocks: A study of intertidal life in the low, middle and high zones of the Puerto Cabuyal – Punta San Clemente Marine Reserve during an El Niño event, Juliana M. Ferrer, Rollins College
Analysis of the Effects of NAFTA on Rural Farmers in Mexico: Agriculture and Immigration, Kevin Xavier Garcia-Galindo, Davidson College
Assessing the performance of agricultural systems in the inland and coastal regions of Northern Portugal using indicators: establishing the foundation towards better agricultural practices, Genevieve Gehlken, San Diego State University
Anuran species diversity and abundance between three locations in El Valle de Antón, Coclé, Panamá, Xena Gehring, Colorado State University
Mycorrhizal Fungi and Reforestation in an Eastern Lowland Rainforest of Madagascar, Sophia Gibby, The University of Virginia
Observaciones de la medicina mapuche y el mito de la medicina interculturalidad en Chile con la machi Rosita Barboza, Anat Gilligan-Steinberg, Tulane University
Consumo Verde ¿Para Quién?: Las tierras, cosmovisiones, y personas escondidas detrás de la Fiebre del Oro Blanco / Green Consumption, For Who?: The lands, world views, and people hidden behind the White Gold Rush., Gabriel Gómez, The University of Vermont
Refugees living with dementia: assessing the barriers to healthcare access in crisis-affected populations in Lebanon and Switzerland, and the role humanitarian actors have on addressing them, Pedro Gomez, Washington University in St. Louis
El vínculo entre el arte, la política y el espacio público: Una investigación de Colectivo El Muro Cusco y su resistencia contra poder estatal y la censura del espacio, Stella Gould, Bates College
Bryophyte (SL) growth and environmental factors along an altitudinal gradient on Cerro Gaital, El Valle, Coclé, Panamá, Julian Grace-Martin, The College of Wooster
Environmental Loss, Displacement, and Anxiety in Portugal: Analyzing News Articles to Differentiate Manifestations of Environmental Distress, Robin Greene, Harvard University
Youth Perceptions and Constructions of Urban Space in Morocco, Hadwynne Gross, Clark University
Componiendo el núcleo: Una exploración de la bomba y la identidad afroecuatoriana en el valle de Chota, Ethan Guok, Oberlin College
Jordan Spring: An Analysis of the Regime Survival Tactics Adopted by the Hashemite Kingdom, Saumyaa Gupta, Beloit College
Views of Judaism and Jewish People in Jordan: Political, Social, Historical, and Religious Considerations, Thalia Gustina, Colorado State University
‘Unbelievable’: Perspectives on The Digital World in Manang, Alex Halaby, Middlebury College
Forging Flourishing Futures: An Ethnographic Analysis of the Construction of Dreams for Internally Displaced Cameroonian Youth, Alexandra Harakas, Georgetown University
La significancia de la instalación de oficinas de género para estudiantes universitarias LGBTQ+ en Chile, Lori Hashasian, Bowdoin College
Pesantren Waria Al-Fatah: Navigating the Intersection of Gender Nonconformity and Islam in Indonesia, Tali Hastings, Whitman College
Aït Khbach Nomads and A Thousand Plateaus: An Investigation into the Challenges of Nomadism using Concepts from Deleuze and Guattari, Ryder Hobbs, Gettysburg College
Extent of the 2023 coral bleaching event in the Nargana region of Guna Yala, Panama, Brydon Deanna Hollander, The College of Wooster
La CURP no Sirve Para Nada: How the CURP and other Temporary Documentation Fail to Protect the Human Rights of Migrants in Transit through Mexico, Harper Hoover, Washington University in St. Louis
The Archetype of the Ocean in Balinese Culture, Ava Hull, Swarthmore College
Troop composition and behavior of mantled howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata) in mangroves and forested islands south of David, Panama, Slate Hyacinthe, Swarthmore College
La práctica de interculturalidad crítica: Un caso de estudio de la ONG Corporación La Matriz y la comunidad migrante haitiana en Barrio Puerto, Valparaíso, Annessa Ihde, Bethel University
Reef fish wariness behavior: Fish flight initiation distance mediated by territoriality and body size in three reef sites off the Western coast of Isla Colón, Bocas del Toro, Panamá, Alina G. Irvine, Swarthmore College
The Australian News Media and Climate Change: How Frames Impact the Response of Individuals in an Anthropocentric Society, Laura Joelsson, Denison University
Arab Feminism and the Hijab: Exploring the Intersection of Feminism and Islam in Jordan, Melanie Kallah, Claremont McKenna College
Evaluating the On-Site Impacts of the Ambatovy Project through the Lens of Environmental Justice, Nick Karlik, Macalester College
Should I Stay or Should I Go: A Preliminary Case Study of Labor Migration Aspirations among Female Undergraduate Students at the University of Jordan, Simon Khairallah, Colgate University
Analyzing stress levels of volunteers hand-rearing juvenile spectacled flying foxes (Pteropus conspicillatus) at the Tolga Bat Hospital, North Queensland, Australia, Olivia Knight, University of Maine
Evaluating Food Waste Management in Melbourne Businesses & Effects on Food Insecurity Remediation, Elinor Kops, Vassar College
Status of Pangolins: A case study on "The most trafficked mammal in the world" in Central-South of Nepal, Tsogyal Wangmo Lama
Out of Exile: The Evolution of Moroccan Jewishness, Yana Levy, Oberlin College
People Power & Politics: Evaluating the impact of the Conselho de Cidadãos de Lisboa on climate policy and political efficacy in Lisbon, Marion Linde, Barnard College of Columbia University
Agroforestry for the future: motivations behind Tasmanian farmers planting trees, Josh Lipp, Williams College
Los Porteadores Del Camino Inca: Conversaciones y Perspectivas Sobre los Efectos del Turismo, Joshua Lipscomb, Wofford College
Community complexity of a pollination network: Analysis of plant-pollinator interactions in the eastern Ecuadorian cloud forest, Anisa López-Ruiz, Pomona College
Coming Out in South Africa: What’s Beyond the Closet?, Sophia Ludt, Davidson College
A Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Cork versus Traditional Shoe Insole Material, Alexandra Lum, The University of Virginia
Women in sustainable leadership: A case study on the perspectives, opportunities, and challenges of biologist and conservationist Estrela Matilde, Ella Lyons, University of San Diego
The Legacy of War: A Holistic Analysis of Socio-Economic and Healthcare Resources for People Affected by Agent Orange In Việt Nam, Ashley Malone, Tufts University
Considerations for Solar Development: Comprehensive Assessment of Solar Production Benefits and Consequences in Portugal, Jonathan Ramos Marcuse, Cornell University
Bridging the Education Gap: Series of Infographic Guides to Sustainable Living for Low-Income Communities, Brianna Mateo, Smith College
A case study of sustainable development at the Penonomé wind farms, a CDM registered project in Coclé, John Matuszewski, Georgetown University
Hydropower to the people: Implications of a comparative macroinvertebrate study on either side of the Central Hidroeléctrica Topo in Tungurahua, Ecuador, Grace Mazur, Johns Hopkins University
A Comparative Plague Study of Cacao Fungal Disease in Cacao Pods Within Monocultures and Indigenous Agroforests in Ecuador’s Napo Province, Seamus McCarthy, Macalester College
Unleash the Heat: Exploring Geothermal Energy Perspectives and Energy Literacy in São Miguel, Azores, Lena McDonough, University of Michigan
Unveiling the Impact: Mexico's Decree on Genetically Modified Corn and its Ramifications on Food Security, Lauren McShea, Washington University in St. Louis
Sunan Kalijaga: The Birth of a Self-Actualized Pilgrimage Culture, F. P. Meachem, Macalester College
Las facultades especiales de los parques públicos: Investigar los efectos reconstituyentes de la Plaza Almirante Brown en los visitantes, Aidan Michelow, Bowdoin College
Islamophobia in India and its Impact on India’s Foreign Relations, Dylan Morgan, University of Iowa
(Alte)rnative Realities in Ghana; An Africanfuturist Travelogue into the World Buildings of Contemporary Ghanaian Female Alte musicians, AgasaroKeza Natasha Naomi, Claremont McKenna College
Power and Impact: Examining the Role of Monarchy and Media in Shaping Attitudes Around Race and Human Rights for Sub-Saharan Migrant Populations in Morocco, Leila Narisetti, Northwestern University
Portugal to New Mexico: Investigating the Applicability of Syntropic Agriculture to a Semi-Arid Continental Climate, Arielle Nathan, Williams College
ABCDs of Triggerfish in Pemba and Misali Island: Abundance, Biodiversity, Behaviour, Cultural Significance and Distribution, Hannah Ng Shueh Yi, Yale-NUS College
El impacto del diagnóstico de cáncer de mama en los vínculos en mujeres de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (2023) / The impact of a breast cancer diagnosis on the relationships of women living in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (2023), Devin O’Loughlin, Bowdoin College
Hydrological patterns of the Chimborazo Reserve: Streamflow, climate, and glacier recession data show a loss of glacial influence on the southwestern aspect of the Chimborazo volcano, Ecuador., William F. M. Patrick, Pomona College
Dairy & Development: An Investigation into the Economic and Sociopolitical Dynamics of Yak Cheesemaking in Nepal, Audrey Peiker, Middlebury College
Migrants sans Papiers: the Impact of Cantonal Program and Policy Discrepancies on Undocumented Migrant Healthcare Utilization in Switzerland, Denise Peng, Yale University
El Empoderamiento de Personas Embarazadas y Posparto en Arica, Chile: Perspectivas Indígenas y Biomédicas, Abby Perce, Smith College
Centros de inclusión social bajo gestión asociada y la salud mental de las personas en situación de calle, Kien Phan, Trinity College
Poland and the Ukraine War: A Geopolitical Analysis, Thomas Pitney, The College of Wooster
Flujos de servicios ecosistémicos en un área marina protegida del Atlántico Sur: Perspectivas desde el análisis de la teoría de redes, Mitch Porter, Carleton College
The Effects of Stigma Against HIV and Tuberculosis on Patient Mental Health and Healthcare-Seeking Behavior in Dharamshala, Isabel Powell, Georgetown University