Program Reviews

The study abroad experience provided by SIT changed my life for the better. When applying, SIT stood out because of their commitment to experiential learning. In this one semester, I felt I had learned more than in my entire academic career at college. Having the opportunity to critically engage with communities on the ground and actually see real world applications makes concepts and ideas more powerful, instead of a traditional classroom experience. Of course, there are a lot of ethical grey lines to consider for a program that takes students across the world extracting information. SIT does a wonderful job of critically engaging with the privilege of the students to be on a program like IHP, but also spends significant time discussing our role in these communities. My entire worldview has changed, especially when considering the United States role in the world and American imperialism. The nature of a program that focuses on Human Rights is not easy. I have never been so emotionally and physically challenged than in a semester with IHP, because these issues matter and effect real people's lives, and you will see this first hand. The site visits really did a good job of putting all the information we learned in class together. Your success on programs like this really does depend on a few variables, particularly your staff and classmates. Spending almost 24/7 with about 25 people can take a toll, but as you are going through this experience together, these people can be your greatest asset. Luckily, I would say the Human Rights program attracts good people, and I had the opportunity to learn from traveling Professor Umud Dalgic, who really cared about learning. The amount of discussions students would have involving material or just the world at large at random dinners or bus rides with each other and professors showed people’s commitment but also SIT’s commitment to finding the best people to be a part of SIT to really enhance your experience. I now have life long friends due to this program, and will most likely be doing another IHP program next fall.

My view on the world has completely changed since being back from studying abroad. Getting to experience things that I learned in a textbook firsthand in India, South Africa, and Brazil has taught me that going out and experiencing the world is so important and I encourage everyone I know to do the same, depending on financial resources. Traveling to each of these countries has opened my worldview even wider to the field of public health and my future career as an epidemiologist. I will forever cherish my memories I made on the program and definitely recommend the program to anyone looking for a hands-on learning-intensive study abroad experience.

The most valuable aspect of my three months in Chile was the plethora of opportunities, both spontaneous and built into the program, to engage with the community surrounding us and learn eperientially. Through this program, I was able to attend innumerable community events and get to know the heart of the city and its people as part of our curriculum. I found this focus on experiential learning to be incredibly informative and it rounded out what we were learning in the classroom. This community focused learning model was capped off by an internship with a major global nonprofit that allowed for experiential learning every day for a month.

Before studying abroad, I had no idea what to expect. I knew very little about Chile or what it would be like to live and study in a country I'd never been to before. That being said, I think this program was the best one I could have chosen for where I was. It gave me the knowledge I needed to be aware, the support system I needed to feel comfortable, and the uncertainty I needed to be more empathetic. Experiential learning is a big part of this program's academic approach, and it made the experience of learning that much more memorable and meaningful for me. I know that the friends, lessons, and memories that I took away from this program will stay with me long into the future.

This experience was honestly everything I would have wanted my study abroad experience to look like.
Even though it was not extremely academically challenging, I learned so much that I would not have been able to learn in the typical classroom setting. I am a Public health major at my home university and this experience really broadened my understanding of what a career in the Global Health field looks like. We attended briefings at various International organizations such as the WHO and the UN and we had the opportunity to hear from professionals working in the field which was very awesome. This also gave me the opportunity to develop my professional communication skills.

Apart from academics, I also had the opportunity to travel to neighboring countries. The train system in Switzerland is very efficient and easy to use, so I was able to really explore Switzerland as well.

My experience in SIT program Ecuador: Development, Politics, and Languages was profoundly moving and not simply because I was able to have once-in-a-lifetime experiences like snorkeling in the Galápagos and hiking through the Amazon rainforest, but also because of the incredibly strong connections I built with the people of Ecuador.

I was fortunate to have amazing host family that supported me throughout the entire program and significantly incorporated me into their family dynamic. The bonds that I made with them will continue for my whole life, I'm sure of it.

An absolutely outstanding element of this program is the ISP (Independent Study Project) at the very end of the program. I decided to stay in Quito and work with one of the foremost LGBTQIA organizations of Ecuador. I worked on a fundraising project for about four weeks and learned the ins and outs of non-profit work. Throughout this ISP experience, I was able to share my own personal experiences with my Ecuadorian coworkers which helped me to understand my own personal position and helped me to start asking questions about who I am and where I come from.

The SIT Ecuador: Development, Politics, and Languages program seems to have affected me in a way that I don't think any other program would. Every single moment of the experience was instructive and just so richly gratifying. I can honestly and truthfully say that this program changed the way I think and will continue to do so as I move on through my academic and professional career.

This program is an INCREDIBLE opportunity to study climate justice with people at the frontlines of the climate crisis. I think this program is essential to understanding environmental justice outside of the US. It not only explores the local forces that lead to environmental inequality but also the larger global forces I think many traditional programs glaze over. This program has heavily influenced my future career and activism interests. SIT/IHP does such a thorough job taking care of its students. I couldn't have asked for a better program.

This program is so unique compared to the other programs my friends have gone on. Unlike most semester programs, IHP Human Rights takes you to three different countries to study, analyze, and compare the human rights contexts and situations. Not only did I learn about the histories and cultures of the countries, I learned so much about the history of human rights, critiques, theories, and ways to practice. We met with local activists, academics, and people who are involved in the human rights scenes in each context, and each student wrote a research paper about a topic of their choosing. It was incredible. I learned so much and got to see incredible beauty and eat delicious food and stay with amazing homestay families. I 100 percent recommend!

I've written a lot elsewhere about my experience with this program, and this box is limited. I will say here that this semester is crafted and procured by well-connected, kind, intelligent, and deeply committed people. This is not a program to travel every weekend or party. It is rigorous, and at many times difficult, rewarding experience; and requires a sacrifice of yourself for a greater common learning experience. You will learn about wrote things about politics, urban planning, anthropology. But you will see what that means for people in the world. You will understand the impact a person can/cannot have--and why. You will be asked to examine every part of yourself, but you do so in the space and comfort of people who share a similar quest for learning.

This program is definitely more social-science focused than I anticipated, being a STEM student myself. However, the classes, excursions, and discussions with locals tied together to present a big-picture view of the ecological and human challenges relating to climate change in a very engaging way. Classes were taught in Spanish by a different professor for each lecture, offering an interesting variety of perspectives but also many different paces of language.
The scenery and location is definitely the highlight of the program. Ushuaia sits on the base and up the slopes of the Southern Andes and, of course, Antarctica's landscapes were unbelievable. That said, the busy class schedule and several weekend excursions don't leave a ton of time for exploring and hiking.