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 2012
Women in Post Revolutionary Tunisia: Political Inclusion and Prospects for the Future, Courtney Joline, George Washington University
Measles Vaccinaiton in Developing Nations: A Statistical Analysis Looking at Factors That Affect Measles Vaccination Percentages, Jeffrey Judkins, University of Puget Sound
A Comparison Study of a Bird Population in Lake Alaotra: The Effects of a Protected Area, Sonya R. Kaufman, Oberlin College
Investigating the Fight Against the Crime of Human Trafficking in Argentina: the RATT and its Capacities as an NGO Network - Indagando en la lucha contra el delito de la trata de personas en la Argentina: la RATT y sus capacidades como una red de ONGs, Avery Corinne Kelly, University of the South
Responsible Tourism in Samoa: An Exploration of Attitudes in Samoa Towards Responsibility in Tourism, Teresa Kline, Franklin & Marshall College
Sectarianism In Northern Ireland: Youth Work and the Art of Having the Difficult Conversation, Dan Knishkowy, Hamilton College
Evaluating a Primate Sanctuary: Population assessment of the Common Squirrel Monkey (Saimiri sciureus) on Sumak Allpa, Ecuador, Claire Leichter, Carleton College
Vietnam to Việt Kiều and Back: An In‐depth Look at the Relationship Between Overseas Vietnamese and Vietnamese in Ho Chi Minh City, Minh Le, Emory University
Chile, Menos la Solidaridad: El Presente y Futuro de Desigualdad Económica en Chile, Carolyn Lenderts, Claremont Mckenna College
Storytelling and Healing: the Influence of Narrative on Identity Construction Among HIV Positive Individuals in Kisumu, Kenya, Kimberly Leon, Stanford University
Effects of Globalization and Tourism on the Commercialization of Hue Royal Cuisine, Helenka Lepkowski Ostrum, Barnard College
The Constructs of Coexistence: Visualizing Contemporary Saint-Louisien Identity Among the Architectures of a Colonial Past, Isaac Lindy, Vassar College
Curative Care as the Access Point to Rural Social Transformation a Case Study of the Comprehensive Rural Health Project, Nancy Liu, Swarthmore College
Simple, Sustainable Living: An Illustrated Journal, Jenn Livermore, Scripps College
The 2002 Bali Bomb: Models of Sustainable Philanthropy, Lauren Livingston, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Effect of Light Level on Feeding Behavior in a Lemur Species (Eulemur Rubriventer) With a Color Vision Polymorphism., Ainsley Lockhart, Kenyon College
Reacciones al Turismo en los Tejidos de Huilloc y Chinchero: Una Comparación entre dos Pueblos, Sarah Lyon, Williams College
“Nos Trabalhamos em Rede:” How the Instituto Povo do Mar Utilizes Local Networks and Knowledge to Foster Empowerment., Cléa Major, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Discourses around Social Welfare Grants as Antipoverty Policy: Effectiveness and the Potential for Reform, Sarah Maniates, Kenyon College
Manifestations of Tibetan Buddhism in Pudacuo National Park and its Effectiveness as an Environmental Education Tool, Ellen Martin, College of William and Mary
Opening Space: The Relationship of Contestation Between Women and the State in Nicaragua, Hana Masri, Macalester College
Jugando con Bola Ensalivada: Una Historia Política del Béisbol Nicaragüense desde Somoza hasta Ortega, Braeden (Diego) Mayer, University of Texas at Dallas
Filling the Gap: An Examination of HIV/AIDS Treatment and Prevention at Uganda Cares Masaka, Andrew Robert McAsey, University of Notre Dame
The Impact of Income Generating Programs at Tarangire National Park, Tanzania, Dylan McDowell, Oregon State University
Conflict Situation for Health Care Workers: A Case Study of the Occupational Challenges in Kasangati Health Centre IV and Their Implications for Patient Care., Shannon McDowell, University of Notre Dame
Assessment of Genetic Connectivity and Potential Management Plans for the Coral Reef Ecosystems of Guna Yala, Panama, Molly McEntee, Williams College
Lost in Translation Teaching, Translation, and Transliteration Of Amchi Medicine in Nepal, Hannah McGehee, Dartmouth University
Treating the Spirit: An Ethnographic Portrait of Senegalese Animist Mental Health Practices and Practitioners in Dakar and the Surrounding Area, Caitlin McKinley, DePauw University
Estamos Aquí: Una Historia de Afro Descendientes Bolivianos, Katie Meola, Washington University in St. Louis
La Falta de Desarrollo Debido a la Carencia de Igualdad: La Ineficacia del Programa de Educación Intercultural Bilingüe Como Factor de Continuación de la Dominación del Estado de Chile Contra el Pueblo Mapuche, Amanda Miller, Tufts University
The Perceptions, Problems, and Possibilities of Cameroonians with Mental Disabilities: A Case study of Le Centre National de Réhabilitation des Personnes Handicapées de Yaoundé, Lauren Miller, Hope College
El dengue en Puerto López La Incidencia y el Nivel de Conocimiento de la Gente Sobre las Enfermedades Transmitidas por los Mosquitos, McKenzie Momany, Whitman College
Accessing Justice, Evaluating Agency: How 12 Women in Cape Town Perceive Their Local Police Services With Respect to Their Race, Class, Gender, and Geographic Location, Ellen Moore, Syracuse University
Yande kuñas, yande gwarayas: Una historia de las mujeres de San Pablo, Julia Moskowitz, Smith College
Living with Autism in Vietnam, Libie Motchan, Macalester College
La Cosmovisión Andina en la Comunidad de Amaru: Una Investigación Sobre la Condición de la Filosofía Andina a Partir de la Presencia de Sectas Religiosas y el Turismo., Renzo F. Moyano Condía, Colby College
Control Biologico de la Broca del Cafe (Hypothenemus Hampei) en la Valle de Vilcabamba, Loja, Ecuador. Una Comparacion de Huertas Usando el Hongo Beauveria Bassiana, María Mugnani, Mount Holyoke College
Assessment of Migrant Health and Health Disparities between Immigrants and Swiss Nationals Living in Switzerland, Gabriela Mujica-Martorell, Johns Hopkins University
Student Voice in Integrated Schools: Advising Leaders in a Transitional Society, Nora Murphy, DePauw University
Symbols of Religious Identity in Jordanian Society, Piotr Narel, Loyola University Chicago
Dao De Qin: A Case Study of the Guqin, Dashiell H. Nathanson, University of Colorado at Boulder
Death Squads and Diplomacy: An Investigation of British Attitudes Towards Sectarian Assassinations in the 1970’s, Hannah Nelson, Carleton College
Too Much Weed: Invasive Species in Chitwan National Park, Laura Nelson, University of Minnesota
Is It Really Just All About Sex and Money? A Case Study of Teenage Motherhood in the Village of KwaXimba in the Valley of a 1,000 Hills, Margaret Nelson, Occidental College
Preparing for the Worst: Disaster Preparedness Education in Samoa, Zoe Nemerever, Lafayette College
Sharing Earth’s Most Valuable Resource: Cooperation in Transboundary Water Management, Olivia Nesbit, George Washington University
Trafačka: Young Artists in an Alternative Space (Life of D.I.Y.), Dora Novey-Buttfield, Smith College
Lo Personal Es Político: La lucha por La Legalización del Aborto en Chile, a través de La Organización Feminista, Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir, Gavin Odabashian, Scripps College
Los Factores Sociales que Influyen en el Embarazo y en el uso de Anticonceptivos de Adolescentes en el Barrio 25 de Mayo, Maipú, Mendoza., Isabel Odean, Sarah Lawrence College
Mongolian Women's Voices: A Case Study on Maternal Healthcare, Pregnancy, and Birth in Ulaanbaatar's Public Hospitals, Amelia Olmsted, George Washington University
Developing a Space for Children: An Internship with the Mullumbimby Community Garden, Eden Olsen, Scripps College
Local Perceptions of Population Growth: The Causes and Effects of Local and National Population Changes on the People of Kenya, Taylor Osborne, Gettysburg College
The Expansion of Early Buddhism in Yunnan: The Grottoes of Shibaoshan, Audrey Pazmino, University of Colorado At Boulder
East versus West: Chinese and American Development Efforts and Perceptions in Cameroon, Grace Perkins, The College of William & Mary
Programas del ALBA-TCP en Bolivia / ALBA-TCP Programs in Bolivia, Camille Petersen, University of South Florida
Novelty Interactions Between Herbivorous Fish and Sargassum: Insight into Macroalgal Phase Shifts, Christopher Pickens, Oberlin College
Art as a Cure: Analyzing Healthcare Treatment for the Mentally Ill through the Lens of Art Therapy Programs in Dakar, Senegal, Sofia Porter-Castro, Northwestern University
Creating Transformation Through Art The Role Of Community Arts in a Transitioning Society Ballymun, Dublin and Belfast Northern Ireland, Katherine Power, Gettysburg College
Seeds of Change The Development of Apple Farming in Mustang A Documentary Film, Gretchen Powers, University of Vermont
Hydro Power, People Power: Hydroelectricity’s Potential for Community Development, with a Focus on the Khimti 1 Project, Amelia Prior, George Washington University
La Enseñanza Informal y Los Impactos por la Influencia de la Educación Formal en la Comunidad de Santa Rosa de Huacaria, Veronica Puente, Washington State University
Connecting Cultures: MSMCBJ’s Alternative Methods to Mental Health Therapy Within the Aldeia Indigenous Reserve and the Bom Jardim Favela, Emily Rasowsky, George Washington University
Fourteen Years of Sustainable Charcoal: The Case of Ankitsakalaninaomby, Dan Raudonis, Skidmore College
Coarse Woody Debris in a Tropical Rainforest in North Queensland, Australia: Relationships with Stand Structure and Disturbance, Nadine Rea, Hampshire College
Inferno in the Land of Snows: A Holistic Investigation of Tibetan Self-Immolation Through a Tibetan Perspective, Eric Regalbuto, DePaul University
How Does Climate Change Affect Agricultural Stability in Southeast Unguja? An Assessment of the Threats to Agriculture and Food Security From Rising Temperature and Changes in Predictability and Intensity of Rainy Seasons., Eloise Reid, Oberlin College
Who Are You to Tell Me What I Need and Don’t Need: An Investigation of the Medicalization of Transsexuality in the Netherlands, Brian Richter, Washington University in St. Louis
Traditional Wild Protein Collection Techniques of the Naso People: On The Verge of Change, Caldwell Rohrbach, Gettysburg College
Managing the Family and the Market: A Case Study of Subsistence Farmers’ Local Economic Activities, Erika Roos, Northwestern University
La Opinión Pública de la Leche del Programa Nacional de Alimentación Complementaria en Chile, Jennifer Rosenthal, Tulane University
The Implications of Privileged Gay Politics on Queer Aberrations: Interrogating South Africa’s Nongovernmental Industrial Complex, Vijay Sachdev, University of Redlands
The Interaction of Wolof and French in Dakarois Families: A Specific Look at Ouakam Households, Ashlee Sang, Washington University in St. Louis
“Podemos Vivir sin oro, Pero no sin Agua”: Un Estudio de la Minería, sus Efectos y el Movimiento de Resistencia en Azuay, Ecuador, Kyle Schneider, Pomona College
Person, Place, and Pronoun: an Examination of the Idiosyncratic Pronoun use and Language Ideologies in Dabhung Thanti, Nepal, Martha Schwarz, Brandeis University
The Israeli Defense Forces in the 21st Century: Humanitarian Complier or Human Rights Violators? An assessment of IHL compliance in the Second Lebanon War and Operation Cast Lead, Skyler Scoggan, Lynn University
Do No Harm: Perceptions of Short-term Health Camps in Nepal, Dena Seabrook, University of Washington
El Ícaro Cambiante: Lenguaje y Curación en Santa Rosa de Huacaria, Alison Sever, University of Vermont
Genetically Modified Organisms as a Potential Solution for Decreasing Hunger in Developing Nations: An Ethical Paradox, Rachel Sherman, University of Texas at Austin
Transcending Boundaries: Moroccan Political Thought as a Transnational Platform, and Communities in the Realm of Activism, Leah Siegel, Whitman College
Artistas al cruce: Lo que Hemos Hecho en la Intersección de Adentro y Afuera, Andreja Siliunas, College of Wooster
“Diversity is Our Daily Bread”: An Exploratory Study of the Dutch ‘Sexual Diversity in Education’ Policy, Alex Sirotzki, University of Washington-Seattle
“It’s Bigger Than Hip Hop” : A Case Study of Africulturban Association as a Site of Social (Ex)change, Renee Slajda, Barnard College
Empowered Minds and Sterilized Bodies: The Decisions and Lived Experiences of Surgically Sterilized Women in Santo Antonio de Jesus, Leah Smith, Brandeis University
Himalayan Metal of Death: Heavy Metal and Middle Class Social Identity in Kathmandu, Kyle Smucker, The College of Wooster
Engendering the Classroom: A Look at Constructions of ‘Gender’ and Empowerment within Teachers’ Trainings in Northern India, Martha Snow, Skidmore College
The “Marikana Massacre” and the Reactions of South Africans, Isabelle Soifer, Rice University
Christianitea: The Evolution of a Religious Identity on Tea Plantations in Darjeeling, Traci Spacek, Beloit College
Shareholder Activism and its Impact on Corporate Behavior; with Special Reference to Australian Ethical's Climate Advocacy Fund, Elias Springer, Vassar College
Taking Action Against Gender-Based Violence: Bringing Men and Women Together in Wentworth Through the Prevention in Action Movement, Silpa Srinivasulu, George Washington University
Le Communautarisme au Cameroun : Analyse Comparative Entre les Associations Ethniques et les Associations Non-Ethniques et Leurs Effets à Yaoundé, Lauren R. Stocks-Smith, Bucknell University
Effects of a Cymothoid Ectoparasite on the Turning Behavior (Lateralization) of The Bridled Monocle Bream Scolopsis Bilineata, Laura Strong, University of Puget Sound
“Yo apoyo al TIPNIS ¡y QUÉ!”: El surgimiento de apoyo urbano para la VIII Marcha Indígena en defensa del TIPNIS, Jeanne Stuart, Macalester College
Housing and Urbanization: A Socio-Spatial Analysis of Resettlement Projects in Hồ Chí Minh City, Michael J. Stumpf, Brown University
The Power of Dara Puspita: How Four Girls From Indonesia Brought Rock ‘n’ Roll to the World, Eliza Summerlin, Macalester College
Drug Sentencing Policy Discourse of Fortaleza, Nick Sundback, Pomona College
The Management of Residential Solid Waste in Mombasa, Kenya, Yen Joe Tan
El Neoliberalismo y Bienestar Docente: Un Estudio Comparado de las Condiciones Laborales Docentes en el Sistema Escolar Municipal y Particular Subvencionado., Ami Terachi, Mount Holyoke College
La Brecha Salarial Entre Hombres y Mujeres: La Situación y los Factores que Influyen en la Brecha en los Altos Cargos de Trabajo en Chile, Kaitlin E. Thompson, Villanova University
Chogyal's Sikkim: Tax, Land & Clan Politics, Hong Tran, Yale University