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 2018
In the Balance: Pathways to Economic Integration for Migrants in Morocco, Kyla Fanning, Bryn Mawr College
Tourism and Tensions: Shifting Dynamics of Tourism in Ubud and the Effects on Balinese Painting, Celia Feal-Staub
Macro implications of microplastics: a comparative study of microplastic distribution in Bahía Almirante, Bocas del Toro, Panama, Bonnie Feldberg
La tierra aquí es amable: Soil macrofauna density and producer perceptions of agricultural soil fertility in Cerro Punta, Chiriquí, Clara Fernandez Odell, Barnard College
Corruption Devolved: People’s Perceptions on Devolutions Impact on Transparency, Accountability and Service Delivery by the Government of Kisumu County, Kenya, Julia Fonshell, University of South Carolina
Large Mammals of the High Andes A Survey of Community Composition and Habitat Usage in the Highlands of Angochagua, Sage Fox, Oregon State University
Herpetofauna of Sumak Allpa: A Baseline Assessment of an Unstudied Island Herpetofaunal Community, Sara Freimuth, Claremont McKenna College
The Draw of Revolution: Returning to Tunisia, Stephen Garrett, Georgetown University
Correlations Between Reef Health and Vertical Zonation on Ushongo Village Reef and Fungu Zinga Reef, Daniel Gates, Brown University
Education: Developing Self Reliance for Female Syrian Refugees in Host Communities, Mathilde Geannopulos, University of Michigan
Participatory Development and Menstrual Health Management in South Africa: A Case Study of Project Dignity, Natalie Geismar, Washington University in St. Louis
“So What Are You?:” Nepali Third Gender Women’s Identities and Experiences Through the Lens of Human Rights Development Discourse, Amit Gerstein, George Washington University
El Negocio del Desarrollo Internacional: Las Dinámicas Asimétricas de Poder entre Voluntariados Internacionales y Comunidades Locales / The Business of International Development: The Asymmetric Power Dynamics between International Volunteers and Local Communities, Ivana Giang, University of Southern California
Woven Narratives from Tsum Valley: Reconfiguring Local, Erica Gibble, Williams College
The Plastic Problem: Plastic Pollution in Bali, Kate Giesler, University of Virginia
Violencia obstétrica: los derechos de autonomía reproductiva, tratamiento justo y accesibilidad en el ámbito de la salud maternal en San Carlos, Salta / Obstetric Violence: the Rights to Reproductive Autonomy, Fair Treatment, and Accessibility of Maternal Health Services in San Carlos, Salta, Emily Gleason, Argentina: Social Movements and Human Rights
Integrated Mental Health Care in Education for Syrian Refugees: An Exploratory Study, Emily Goldstein, Tufts University
"Les droits ne sont pas respectés": A Study of the Effectiveness of the Moroccan Law in Protecting the Human Rights of Sub-Saharan Female Migrants, Meghan Gragg, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Sueños del progreso: La migración juvenil desde Íntag / Dreams of progress: Youth migration from Íntag, Julia Gratton, Whitman College
La intersección del afecto y el empleo: Los impactos del género y migración en las relaciones laborales de empleadas domésticas paraguayas en Argentina / The intersection of affect and employment: A gender and migration perspective on the complexities of the labor relationships of Paraguayan domestic workers in Argentina, Emily Gray, George Washington University
Desde la Teoría a lo Cotidiano: Tensiones en Escuelas en Contextos de Encierro / From the Theory to the Daily: Tensions in Schools in Contexts of Encierro, Ethan Greenberg, Colorado College
Sufis in a 'Foreign' Zawiya: Moroccan Perceptions of the Tijani Pilgrimage to Fes, Joel Green, Elon University
A Disappearing Island: An Impact Assessment of Coastal Erosion on the Mnemba Island House Reef, Zanzibar, Kat Grellman
Getting Sick Where Karma is Gravity: Disease in the Tibetan Perspective, Moreau Hadley
Interacting with the Trail: A Comprehensive Approach to Developing an Environmental Education Program for Agnolakely Private Nature Reserve, Claire Hamilton, Luther College
FROM ORGAN TO GAMELAN: JAVANESE CATHOLIC MUSICAL TRADITIONS IN YOGYAKARTA, CENTRAL JAVA, Elizabeth Hamilton, University of Denver
The UN’s Political Engagement in the Occupied Palestinian Territories: Reconceptualized Strategies in Humanitarianism and Diplomacy in the Middle East Peace Process, Alara Hanci, Tufts University
El caso de Relmu Ñamku como observatorio para valorar potencialidades, riesgos y desafíos de juicios por jurados interculturales / The Case of Relmu Ñamku as an observatory to assess the potentials, risks, and challenges of intercultural jury trials, Carol Harding, Bates College
Poem as Space for Artistic Contestation: Finding Multiple Voices of Female Writers through Artistic Vocabularies, Edil Hassan, University of Vermont
Church and State in Rwanda: Catholic Missiology and the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi, Marcus Timothy Haworth, University of Notre Dame
Religion and Identity in a Globalized Morocco, Jennifer Morgan Hekking, Hobart & William Smith Colleges
“If you seek, you know you will find and if you find you have cancer, why do you seek?” KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES REGARDING CANCER SCREENING AND PREVENTION IN CATO MANOR, Lilly Hennessey, Davidson College
Three Land Use Proposals for Geldinganes Framed by the City of Reykjavik’s Municipal Plan and Climate Neutrality Goals, Emma Hokoda, Santa Clara University
Pemban Farmer Agency in Adapting to Climate Change, Rachael Hood, Oberlin College
“Archival of the Fittest: The Role of Archives in Constructing Public Memory of Queer History”, Brooks Hosfeld, Butler University
The Art of Peer Pressure: Social Desires as Incentives to Join Students Protests in Jordan, Jordan Hughes, Washington University in St. Louis
A Tale of Two Ṭuruq: An Exploration of Sufism in Morocco through the Qādiriyya Budshishiyya and Tijāniyya, May Hu, University of Virginia
Still Hungry: Modern Metal Arts in Kathmandu, Rebecca Humphreys, Yale University
Reaching Out: Navigating the Ethical, Legislative, and Physical Obstacles to Providing Assistance to Migrants in Morocco, Margaret Jackman, Colgate University
From Lahure Legacies to Moving Peoples: A Study of Opportunity and Mobility in the Annapurna Hills, Peter Jacobson, Bowdoin College
Remembering Forgotten Foods: A Collaborative Project, Azher Jaweed, Sophia Alhadeff, Claire Roberts, and Avery Perkins
The Lives of Smart Phones: People’s Relationships with Technology along the Tamor Valley, Candice Jiang, Brandeis University
Forest conservation and timber management A case study of Kyangwali Refugee Settlement, Hoima District, Uganda, Nick Jickling, Hamilton College
Takataka Talk: Waste Presence and Management in Ushongo, Kristen Jones, Brown University
he Effects of Climate Change on Native Icelandic Plants: A Morphometric Analysis, Maia Jones, Scripps College
“Yo Agradezco Por No Sentirme Solo”: La Iglesia Evangélica En El Espacio Transnacional / "I Thank You for Not Feeling Alone": The Evangelical Church in the Transnational Space, L. Elizabeth Jowers, Rice University
An Overview of Psychological Barriers to Climate Change Response and Their Implications for Improved Climate Change Communication, Ari Katz, Haverford College
Rebuilding Tunisia, One Artist at a Time, Caitlin Kelley, Oberlin College
“Sanarnos para sanar el mundo”: Un estudio de mujeres activistas contra el extractivismo y los poderes curativos de terapia social / "Heal us to heal the world": A study of women activists against extractivism and healing powers of social therapy, Alisha Kendrick-Pradhan, Davidson College
Renegado: Immigrant Identities and Aspirations of White Muslim Converts in Morocco, Paul Williamson Kiefer, Pomona College
Sans-Papiers, Sans-Santé: A Study of Undocumented Migrant Women’s Access to Reproductive and Obstetric Health Care in Switzerland, Sarah Kinch, Washington University in St. Louis
El género y la sexualidad como herramientas coloniales: lo que significa ser epupillan (dos-espíritu) en contextos mapuche / Gender and sexuality as colonial tools: what it means to be epupillan (two-spirit) in Mapuche contexts, Sophia Knowlton-Latkin, Scripps College
Somos todos juncos y Mapuches / We are all reeds and Mapuches, Jonah Kone, University of Puget Sound
Community in All Education, Sophia Vancer Kooy, Hope College
The Mountain Stands: An Autoethnographic Inquiry into Zulu Christians' Approaches to Spiritual Health, Makayla Lagerman, Bucknell University
SILENT KILLERS: DIABETES AND THE ACTIVE IGNORANCE OF NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASE IN BALI, Madeleine Lambert, Georgetown University
La Lengua de Señas: Potencial y Poder en la Transición de un Enfoque Médico a la Perspectiva Socio-Antropológica de Niños Sordos / Sign Language: Potency and Power in the Transition from a Medical Approach to the Socio-Anthropological Perspective of Deaf Children, Noah Lanckton, University of Vermont
“To Save Succeeding Generations from the Scourge of War”: An examination of United Nations Peace Keeping and Support Provided by External Actors, Jack Lashendock, Gettysburg College
The Contributing Factors to Adolescent Depression, Josie H. Lee, University of Michigan
Missing Youth: The Absence of the Young Moroccan Voice in the Nation, Reid Leiter, University of Denver
Partidarios de la vida: Resiliencia en los afectados directos de la dictadura en Arica, Chile / Supporters of life: Resilience in the direct victims of the dictatorship in Arica, Chile, Danielle Levinson, Wesleyan University
Fish diversity and distribution in the seagrass-coral reef continuum at two sites off the western coast of Isla Bastimentos, Bocas del Toro, Panama, Kathy Liu, Scripps College
Growing a Garden of Healthy Masculinities: Combating Homophobia in the Imagine Project Workshops, Mia Lloyd, Smith College
A Catalog of Orchid Species and Their Distribution in Mazumbai Forest Reserve, Tanga Region, Tanzania, Sierra Loomis, Williams College
The Ecology of the Usambara Double-collared Sunbird (Cinnyris usambaricus), Sarah Lueder, Tulane University
La influencia del quechua en el castellano de la isla de Taquile / The influence of Quechua in the Castilian of the island of Taquile, Gianna Macri, Rochester College
The Poetics of Power The role of women’s writing in the Moroccan Education System, Eli Makovetsky, Brown University
Patrones de depredación de orugas con colores crípticos y aposemáticos / Caterpillar depredation patterns with cryptic colors and aposematics, Jacqueline Maldonado, Brown University
Se necesita un pueblo para criar a un niño: El desplazamiento de los hijos de Cochabamba, Bolivia / A village is needed to raise a child: The displacement of the children of Cochabamba, Bolivia, Julia Mancini, George Washington University
PUBLIC SECRETS & PRIVATE IDENTITY: A Look into Lesbi Lives in Bali, Kara Marler, Lewis and Clark College
When Packaged Food Pollutes our Body and Earth: Plastic Packaged Food Consumption and Waste Disposal Practices in the Himalayas, Jared Marsh and Jessica Shalvey
Mental Maps, Occupation... Liberation? The Impact of the Israel-Palestine Conflict on the Security and Legitimacy of the State of Israel and the Struggle of Palestine, Malea Martin, Claremont McKenna College
“Religion is Religion; My Life is My Life”: Religious Influences on Family Planning Decisions in Kapchorwa District, Uganda, Sarah Mathys, Georgetown University
Blooming Mountains of Biodiversity: An Investigation of Angiosperms on Cerro Mayordomo, Tungurahua, Ecuador, Ella Matsuda, Rice University
SEARCHING FOR A BRIGHTER TOMORROW: AN INTERNSHIP WORKING TOWARD THE ALLEVIATION OF ENERGY POVERTY THROUGH SOLAR POWER AND SEARCH-ENGINE CROWDFUNDING, Meaghan McElroy, Ithaca College
La Calidad del Agua y el Impacto en la Salud Pública: Un examen a las fuentes del agua en la Amazonia cerca de Puyo, Ecuador y la salud de las comunidades indígenas / Water Quality and the Impact on Public Health: An examination of water sources in the Amazon near Puyo, Ecuador and the health of indigenous communities, Mary Kathryn McGregor, Wofford College
Articulación y apoyo del programa de los Agentes Sanitarios de Mendoza: de la teoría a la práctica / Coordination and support in Mendoza’s Community Health Worker program: from theory to practice, Kelly McHugh, Pomona College
Women’s Movement: Traveling Nepal, Shaelyn McHugh, University of California - Santa Barbara
Cuando la vida era tranquila: Land use and livelihood changes following the construction of the Chan 75 dam in Nance del Risco, Bocas del Toro, Patrick McKenzie, University of South Carolina
The Viability of Community Composting at the Melbourne Food Hub, Bailey McNeill, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
The Aftermath of War: Improving Psychosocial Measures to Address Trauma in Child Refugees in the Schengen Zone, Nivedha Meyyappan, Indiana University Bloomington
Schooling Silence: Sexual Harassment and its Presence and Perception at Uganda’s Universities and Secondary Schools, Elena Mieszczanski, The George Washington University
Espacios de poder: percepciones de la representación política de las mujeres en Tapacarí, Cochabamba y La Paz / Spaces of power: perceptions of the political representation of women in Tapacarí, Cochabamba and La Paz, Margaret Mischka, Macalester College
What to Expect When You’re Expecting: The Impacts China’s Maternal and Child Health Care Law has had on Tibetan Birthing Practices In the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Hannah Mishriky, Saint Michael’s College
Women in Parliament: A Study of Issue-Specific Female Coalition Building in Morocco, Lura Morton, University of Puget Sound
Black Gold in a Changing World: An examination of Saudi Arabia’s dependence on oil and the possibility of a solar energy transition, Sofia Mouritsen, Gettysburg College
Development of Health Rehabilitation in Mainland China: From Traditional Chinese Medicine to Modern Western Rehabilitation Methods, Michelle Moy, University of Illinois at Chicago
MONEY SPEAKS: EDUCATION, AWARENESS AND FACING DEVELOPMENT IN RASUWA, Ariel Murray, Smith College
"Prescribed to Fuck Off": Examining the Role of Heterosexual White Men in South Africa from the Perspective of Seven Students at the University of Cape Town, Meagan Murray, Villanova University
What Lies in the Gray: Creative Analytic Pieces on the Formation and Evolution of Beliefs in Masxha, Robin Mwai, University of Wisconsin-Madison
The Impact and Effectiveness of Life Orientation on Six Students at The University of Cape Town, Sydney Nathan, Skidmore College
Discutiendo desde el interior: La marginación de los hombres trans dentro del movimiento por el aborto legal en Argentina / Arguing from within: The Marginalization of Trans Men within the Movement for Legal Abortion in Argentina, Olivia Nichols, Brandeis University
“Siempre se pierde con la modernización”: Patrimonio histórico y economía cultural en el Mercado San Telmo / “One Always Loses with Modernization”: Historical Heritage and the Cultural Economy and the Mercado San Telmo, Madeline Ninno, Tulane University
Let’s Talk Takataka: Impacts of Plastic in the Stone Town Harbor Area, Zanzibar, CJ O’Brien, California Lutheran University