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SIT Study Abroad Reviews and Study Abroad Programs
Their Roots: SIT Study Abroad is a program of World Learning, a private, nonprofit international organization that has been in existence for more than 75 years. World Learning works globally to enhance the capacity and commitment of individuals, institutions, and communities to create a more peaceful and just world through international education, exchange, and development programs.
Their Quest: SIT students step beyond the boundaries of a traditional classroom to analyze critical issues shaping local communities around the globe. Students become deeply engaged in a topic and undertake their own research, case studies, in-depth practica, or community projects. SIT Study Abroad is deeply embedded in local communities around the world. Program components are designed to respect the strengths of local partners to foster enduring relationships.
World Learning prepares students to be interculturally effective leaders, professionals, and citizens. In so doing, World Learning fosters a worldwide network of individuals and organizations committed to responsible global citizenship.
They’ve been around for: over 50 years!
And can be found in: Brattleboro, Vermont
Students enjoy unparalleled access to local, national, and international networks and are encouraged to treat every experience as a learning opportunity. In doing so, students often discover a lifelong passion that can lead to successive academic and professional achievements.
Programs Abroad by SIT Study Abroad
Interview with Program Director
Nothing goes better with a cup of morning/afternoon/late night coffee than getting to know Eric Wirth, the director of admissions for SIT Study Abroad, and the culture of SIT Study Abroad a little bit better.
MEGAN: Tell me a little about yourself. What has been your career path so far?
ERIC: My passion for education abroad began after spending a year abroad in Elche, Spain during my junior year of high school. I landed my first job after college as an admissions counselor for a study abroad provider. After several years in the work force, I returned to graduate school at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where I had the opportunity to serve for a year as the resident director to one of the university’s programs in Spain. After finishing my MA, I reentered the world of international education with greater knowledge and an enhanced perspective on higher education and learning abroad.
MEGAN: Did you study abroad after high school?
ERIC: I’ve studied abroad a total of four times; once in high school, twice in college – one semester and one summer – and then for a year as a graduate student. Each time in Spain. Through each experience, I learned more and was able to take my level of cultural and linguistic understanding to a deeper level. I suspect one day I will work toward a doctorate, and I can guarantee I will study abroad again. My first instinct would be to return to Spain to delve back into the culture and languages I adore.
MEGAN: As for SIT, what are the core principles that you strive to achieve?
ERIC: At our core, SIT Study Abroad programs foster academic rigor, intensive cultural immersion, substantial community involvement, and an emphasis on field-based research.
MEGAN: What does the future hold for SIT? Any new exciting programs to share?
ERIC: This spring we are running two new programs in the Middle East: one in Egypt focusing on urban studies and the other in Morocco focused on journalism and new media. We have also launched a new summer program that explores traditional approaches to healthcare in India. We continually strive to provide our students with the most interesting and relevant coursework and locations.
MEGAN: And the future of the industry - how do you think study abroad and international education will change over the next 10 years?
ERIC: We’ll see the usual demographic shifts in mobility as a response to global politics, world events and markets. What will be interesting to watch is how governments and individual institutions address these shifts to meet demand and capitalize on market share. My hope is that more and more we will learn to become better citizens of the world and will travel abroad because we crave learning and connection with one another. Talking to people around the world is increasingly easier, but meaningful communication and understanding remains a challenge..
I'm continuously impressed with the depth and variety of programs offered by SIT Study Abroad. Their emphasis on field base learning is especially intriguing, as well as their commitment to cultivating relationships locally in host areas. I sincerely admire and hope to echo their attitude for turning every experience into a learning experience!
Featured Programs:
- Semester in Uganda - Examine current concepts, challenges, and debates in development studies in the dynamic context of Uganda.
- Semester in Cuba - Study artistic and cultural development in Havana, Cuba in the broader context of history.
- Semester in Nepal - Study the Tibetan and Himalayan history and culture, Buddhism, and the pressing contemporary issues facing communities in exile, particularly in the case of Tibet.
- Semester in Serbia, Bosnia, and Kosovo - Gain firsthand knowledge of peacebuilding, reconciliation, and the struggle for human rights in this unique corner of Eastern Europe.
- Semester in Tunisia - Examine the dynamics between modernity and tradition, technology and culture, history and social change at the site of Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution.
Over the last 10 years working in the field of international education, I’ve had the opportunity to travel to Cuba, Czech Republic, England, Greece and Serbia. There are many fascinating countries and continents with amazing things to teach us.
