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 2019
Adicción como un hecho político económico: un análisis de servicios de atención de abuso de drogas y alcohol en Arica, Chile, Jack Steffy, Washington University in St. Louis
The Inclusion of Displaced Women in the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda, Ava Strasser, Western Michigan University
Spun Truths: Outcomes of Mongolia’s Cashmere Program in Domestic Processing Facilities and Supply Chain, Daniel Strodel, Bowdoin College
Radical Moves: Negotiating Community and Transformation with (some of) SIT/South Africa’s Students of Color, Kavita Sundaram, Brandeis University
La Preservación y Evolución de la música tradicional andina y una modernización de la identidad indígena, Evan Tannenbaum, Gettysburg College
¿Historia y Cultura al Viento? Los efectos de la construcción del aeropuerto internacional de Chinchero en el patrimonio arqueológico circundante, Becca Teachey, University of Colorado Boulder
Archiving Heterosexism: An Investigation of Gender and Sexuality Politics in Spain's Transitional Justice Movement, Taylor Thompson, Barnard College
Movement for a Gasfield Free Northern Rivers and its Applicability to Other Movements, Mariah Thomson, University of Puget Sound
Checking a Box or Creating Change? Examining the Overall State of Gender Mainstreaming in Humanitarian Action, Jenna Thoretz, Gettysburg College
Local Perceptions of Cannabis and Cannabis Laws in Morocco: Unpacking Past Laws, Moroccans' Perceptions, and Exploring Organizational Efforts, Shadae Tingman, Hamilton College
Law versus Action: How Five Cape Town Organizations Are Combating High Rates of Sexual Assault and the Failure of Progressive Sexual Offences Legislation, Anna Tinker, Hamilton College
A Secret in the Words Tales of Literature and Dissent in Communist Czechoslovakia, Thea Toocheck, Gettysburg College
Home and Healing in the In-Between: Migrant and Refugee Mental Health in Tunisia, Donia Torabian, Brown University
La Radio es Más Fuerte que la Espada : La percepción de la eficacia de la radio comunitaria de Familiares y Amigos de Luciano Arruga en la visibilización del problema de la violencia institucional. / The Radio is Mightier than the Sword: The perception of efficiency of the community radio of Familiares y Amigos de Luciano Arruga in making visible the problem of institutional violence., Isabel Torres, Washington University in St. Louis
La Pertinencia Cultural de los Proyectos Relacionados a la Planificación Familiar de las ONGs en el Distrito de Acomayo, Sadie Traylor, Elon University
Ethnobotany and Dai Medicine: Herbal Roots, Jasper Tsai, Pitzer College
Integrative Pharmacotherapeutic Approaches to Treating Depression, Charlotte Tse, Williams College
Sirva todos como un hermano: las filosofías de los médicos tradicionales mapuches hacia los pacientes Winka, Andrew Turner, Georgetown University
Privacidad digital en Ecuador: el papel de la vigilancia, la jurisprudencia y los derechos humanos, Giselle Valdez, Columbia University
Barriers Between Effective Transnational Changemaking: Relationships between INGOs and Moroccan NGOs, Julia Walters, Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Empleo regional y transporte público: Un estudio de caso comparado de accesibilidad al transporte de parques industriales en el gran Buenos Aires basado en la medida de sistema de información geográfica, Clara Wang, Haverford College
Herbal Medicine and Pediatric Massage: Interning at a TCM Pediatric Clinic, Yvette Way, The College of New Jersey
Leopards Are Good to Think With: Spotting the Zanzibar Leopard in Jozani Forest, Andrew Weier, University of Colorado Boulder
An Evaluation of Soils on Sólheimajökull Glacier Foreland: Using Invertebrates and Decomposition as Bio-indicators of Soil Quality, Carolyn Weisman, Claremont McKenna College
The psychological impacts of being environmentally active, Allie White, Middlebury College
Environmental Consciousness for the Politically Autonomous: The Basque Country, Miranda L. White, Texas Christian University
Juntar todos los recursos: Los obstáculos y las oportunidades del financiamiento de las OSCs en Argentina, Yanting (Jane) Yang, Washington University in St. Louis
Avian upsloping in the tropics: Myioborus miniatus and Myioborus torquatus abundance in different altitudinal ranges in Boquete, Chiriquí, Panama, Julie Yoon, University of Kentucky
Bridging the gap on schistosomiasis: A cross-sectional study examining the knowledge gap and common attitudes and practices regarding S. mansoni infections among varying education levels in Luanda K’Otieno, western Kenya, Kathy Zhang, Vanderbilt University
Youth Empowerment Programs in Jordan: Access and Equality, Mingyang (Linda) Zhang, Duke University
Escuchando y Enseñando: Un Proyecto de Investigación-Acción Participativa sobre el Tema de Radio con los Estudiantes del Centro Calpulli, Delaney Zuver, The College of Wooster
Submissions from 2018
Re-Imagining the Theatre: Existence and Change, Andres Aguilar, Hamilton College
Demography and behavior of critically endangered Alouatta coibensis trabeata troops in forest fragments in and around Mata Oscura, Veraguas on the Azuero Peninsula of Panamá, Billy Allen, Panama: Tropical Ecology, Marine Ecosystems, and Biodiversity Conservation
Keyhole Gardens as the Key to Environmental Sustainability and Access to Fresh Produce in Samoa: A Case Study of an Organic Keyhole Farm, Madeline Allen, Vanderbilt University
Restoring Eden: The Role of Christianity on Environmental Conservation: A Case of Karatu District, Arusha, Tanzania, Taylor Allen, Portland State University
Defining the issue: Social movements' Framing Strategies in Neocolonial Senegal, Ezra M. Alltucker, The George Washington University
Surveying Access to Healthcare in Kisumu and Siaya Counties, Kenya, Quinn Alsheimer, University of South Carolina
Una Perspectiva Socio-legal de La Ley 348: La Ley Para Garantizar a las Mujeres Una Vida Libre de la Violencia / A Socio-legal Perspective of Law 348: The Law to Guarantee Women a Life Free of Violence, Maya Anthony, University of Denver
The Root of Racism: How Slavery has led to the Condition of Discrimination Against Sub-Saharan Africans and Migrants in Morocco, James Artis III, University of Denver
LA COMERCIALIZACIÓN DEL MURAL PORTEÑO / THE MARKETING OF THE PORTEUR MURAL, Alexandria Ashley, Brandeis University
The Revolution Conundrum in Cameroon: A study of Relative Peace Under President Biya's Rule, Marianna Babboni, Occidental College
Livelihoods of the People of Mazumbai: A Collection of Stories and Portraits, Tanga Region, Tanzania, Joseph Baldus, Macalester College
Shaping our World for a Better Tomorrow: Sustainable Investing, ESG, and Industry Insight, Anna M. Ballate, Barnard College - Columbia University
The Islam of Europe: Challenges of Governance, Erin Baranko, Claremont Mckenna College
Uphill Struggle: Impediments and Facilitators to Porter Health in the Khumbu Region, Nate Barott, Cornell University
Constructing Social Environments: The Evolving Relationship between Uses and Management of Urban Greenspace in Stone Town, Zanzibar, Mara Basich-Pease, Cornell University
Coming in Hot: Motor Vehicles, Capitalism, and Modernization in Mongolia, Thea Bergen, University of Oregon
“I hope whiteness means nothing”: A Narrative Exploration of Whiteness as Identity in South Africa, Mackenzie Berry
The value of chemical defense: the effects of toxin milking on the physical, physiological, and behavioral performance of cane toads (Rhinella marina), Ryann Blennerhassett, Rollins College
Boys’ Sex Education in Rural Maharashtra: Context, Community, and Trust, Sierra Bradshaw-Kreimer, Bryn Mawr College
“We Are The Gap: Understanding the Inclusion of Immigrants in Moroccan Left-Wing Politics”, Sam Brown, Muhlenberg College
“Karm Hi Pooja Hai (Work is Worship)” The Determinants that Influence the Subjective Health and Well-Being of Cycle Rickshaw Wallahs in Varanasi, India, Benjamin Bryer, University Of Maryland
Causes and consequences of child marriage among Syrian refugee populations in Jordan: An investigation of perceptions., Alex Buckman, University of New Hampshire
Medicina tradicional y la transmisión de conocimiento ancestral en la comunidad afroboliviana de Tocaña / Traditional medicine and the transmission of ancestral knowledge in the Afro-Bolivian community of Tocaña, Marvin Bynoe, Claremont McKenna College
Sustainable Tourism Practices in Vietnam: The Influence of Institutions and Case Study of Sapa’s Growing Tourism Industry, Alexandria Cahill, George Washington University
Ethically Sourced Vanilla: Certifications in the production of vanilla in the SAVA Region of Madagascar, Maisie Campbell, Bowdoin College
Examinando la relación entre el ecoturismo y la migración en La Nevería, Pueblos Mancomunados, Oaxaca / Examining the relationship between ecotourism and migration in La Nevería, Pueblos Mancomunados, Oaxaca, Thomas Canny, University of Houston-Downtown
The effects of seawater temperature on photosynthesis in Crustose Coralline Algae, Alexander Carlson, Brown University
Comprehending Climate Change in the Himalayas: An exercise in digital storytelling, Emily Carlson, Gustavus Adolphus College
Conservation Coverage: An assessment of the protection of highly threatened species of birds and mammals in Tanzania, Adolfo Castro Domínguez, Yale-NUS College - Singapore
(Dis)locations: Dutch Disabled LGBTQ+ Subjects and Queer Social Space, Sarah Cavar, Mount Holyoke College
Vivencias de jóvenes con autismo de la ciudad de Temuco, desde la percepción de sus familiares y educadores / Experiences of young people with autism in the city of Temuco, from the perception of their relatives and educators, Sophia Cerreta, Hamilton College
Tibetan Perceptions of LGBTQ, Lauren Champagne, Lafayette College
IMAGINANDO LA INCLUSIÓN: El uso de la escritura creativa para imaginar una educación superior inclusiva para personas con discapacidades en Bolivia / IMAGINING INCLUSION: The use of creative writing to imagine an inclusive higher education for people with disabilities in Bolivia, Beatrice Chihak, Macalester College
EL IMPACTO DE LOS CENTROS DE INVESTIGACIÓN EN LA COMUNIDAD / THE IMPACT OF RESEARCH CENTERS IN THE COMMUNITY, Ciera Cockrell, Davidson College
How Environmental Lawyers Cope with Challenges in Nonprofit Legal Centers, Rachel R. Cohen, University of Delaware
Productivity, Competition, and Empowerment? The Experience of Pondicherry Fisherwomen in the Context of Neoliberal Development, Amelia Colliver, University of Puget Sound
Who and What is Amazigh? Self-Assertion, Erasure, and Standardization, Alexis Colon, Bucknell University
El Valor de Verde Neoliberalismo, Crisis Económica y Políticas Polarizadas: Cómo Afecta en la Vida Cotidiana de la Gente de Clase Media en Buenos Aires. / The Value of Green Neoliberalism, Economic Crisis and Polarized Politics: How They Affect the Everyday Life of the Citizens of the Middle Class in Buenos Aires., Sierra Conboy, Gettysburg College
Art in Tunisian LGBTQI++ NGOs, Emma Cooney, Boston University
An Exploratory Study on Mental Illness Perspectives in Hanoi, Margaret Cox, Vanderbilt University
Binding Ideologies: An Investigation of Language Attitudes and Ideologies in the Moroccan Publishing and Book Sector, Ashley Coyne, University of Puget Sound
MENTAL HEALTH CARE IN BALI: ON & OFF THE RECORD, Sara M. Crane, University of Rochester
“Gracias a Dios, Gracias al Comandante”: El uso de la religión como una herramienta política en Nicaragua desde 2006 / "Thank God, Thanks to the Commander": The use of religion as a political tool in Nicaragua since 2006, Azani Creeks, University of Southern California
The growing sustainable seaweed industry: A comparison of Australian state governance directing current and future seaweed cultivation, Meagan E. Currie, Swarthmore College
Preserving Identity Through Discourse in a Changing Ladakh, Emma Cyr, Brandeis University
PLANT POETICS AND POLITICS OF THE WEST USAMBARAS: Power and Memory of Narrative Botanical Science in Kizanda, Sagara, and the Mazumbai Forest Reserve, Cameron Daddis, Vassar College
The Influence of Habitat Preference on Longitudinal Population Composition and Distribution of Groupers (Serranidae) in Chumbe Island Coral Park, Zanzibar Tanzania, Caroline Daley, Middlebury College
Understanding the Mongolian Tourism Supply Chain: Advantages, Challenges and Improvements, Thomas D’Anieri, Claremont McKenna College
Consciente o Inconsciente: El Rol de la Educación en la Formación de una Conciencia Social y Colectiva en la Juventud Chilena / Conscious or unconscious: the role of Education in Forming a Social and Collective Awareness in Chilean Youth, Samsara Davalos Reyes, Trinity University
Women’s Divorce Rights in Jordan: Legal Rights and Cultural Challenges, Helen David, University of San Francisco
A World Beyond the Nation-State, Luca DeAngelis, Bowdoin College
Ontology of Personhood in Ayurveda from the Perspective of Patients and Physicians in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh: An Independent Study, Denise DeFelice, University of Pennsylvania
Sediment deposition within two Thalassia testudinum seagrass sites in Boca del Drago, Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panamá, Alexander De Jesus, Yale University
La relación de prácticas religiosas e la identidad: Los campesinos migrantes q’eros / The relationship of religious practices and identity: The migrant peasants q'eros, Autumn DeLong, Macalester College
Exploring the Space Between Healers: A Narrative Approach to Understanding the Relationship Between Traditional Healers and Biomedical Practitioners in Kwazulu-natal, Marisa DelSignore, Washington University in St. Louis
The Personal as the Political: The Everyday Resistance of LGBTQ+ WOC in the Netherlands, Sofia Del Valle, Mount Holyoke College
Balance and Imbalance: The Necessity of Natural Disasters in Balinese Hinduism, Lorin Foster DeMuth, Whitman College
Morocco: The Intersection Between Intercultural Mediation and Migration, Arianna Diaz, University of Connecticut
The War Against Sex Trafficking: Who Is Fighting?, Elizabeth Dicus, Wake Forest University
The Path to Mainstream Finance: Exploring Complementary Currencies and Interest-Free Lending, Ema Di Fruscia, Whitman College
Stories from a Place Called Walung, Jenny Ding, Cornell University
“Estamos aquí con nuestra propia fuerza” Las mujeres de AMUPAKIN y su lucha para preservar el parto ancestral en Napo, Ecuador. / "We are here with our own strength" The women of AMUPAKIN and their struggle to preserve the ancestral birth in Napo, Ecuador., Lilian Domenick, Haverford College
HOW THE BALINESE SEE THE SEA: INTERPRETATIONS OF OCEANIC POWER, Margaret Dougherty, Rollins College
Hablo Por Mi Disidengia / I Speak For My Dissidence, Lars Eddie, Gettysburg College