SIT Study Abroad Reviews

The Health and Community Development program (now renamed "Refugees, Health, and Humanitarian Action") at SIT offered everything I was looking for in a study abroad experience: a coursework focused on public health issues, a hands-on learning approach, complete cultural immersion, lifelong friendships, and the opportunity to learn a new language in its native environment. I was able to meet with and learn from some of the best professors and health professionals in Jordan, and see the realities of the Syrian and Palestinian refugee camps throughout the country. The ISP (Independent Student Project) was the most rewarding experience of the program in that it built my confidence in research and developed my analytical and communication skills. Because of my time abroad with SIT, I am ready to take on more international study and work opportunities in the near future. Thank you, SIT JOH, for the great program and memories I will never forget!

The place I was staying in was extremely small, and privacy was almost non-existent. There was one bathroom in the house, with a Turkish-style toilet. Basically, it was a small hole in the ground. These differences from my comfortable home in America were very surprising and overwhelming for me at first.
After a couple of weeks I was getting used to the unfamiliar lifestyle I was in thanks to the help of my host-family. My brother and I shared lots of laughter while he taught me the best techniques to use the new toilet. He would prepare me a meal or snack every night, and he even taught me how to cook some traditional Moroccan dishes. We would listen to rap music everyday, our favorite genre of music, and alternate between Moroccan and American rappers. Our love for music brought us together and I could always count on him to cheer me up.

India is full of contrasts, chaos and unbelievable beauty. I never learned more in four months than I did through this experience. It challenged me and tested my patience, but I learned a lot about a lot and I would go back and do it all over in a heartbeat. You have to be willing to let go of some creature comforts (going for a run outdoors, punctuality, privacy...), but if you surrender even a little bit, you'll never want to leave.

SIT has an extensive on-site network providing access to speakers, organizations, hospitals and communities you'd never be able to access on your own. The staff are incredibly dedicated and there for your every need. They all feel like family to me now. The opportunity to do independent research was also a major highlight.

There is simply too much to write about this program. I'll do my best to give you a sense of how impactful the experience was on my life.

First, let's start with the country. Ecuador is a unique country that has just about any sort of geographical/ecological environment you could want: gorgeous coastline, snow-capped mountains, and primary rain forests. Undoubtedly, the best part of the curriculum for this program is that it sees the whole country as the classroom. A series of "excursions" takes you across the entirety of Ecuador, from the cultural metropolis of Quito (sitting at 9000 ft), to sparsely populated kichwa-speaking communities in the Amazon river basin. You get to hike through the Intag cloud forest and call it a day of school!

Even in the ACTUAL classroom, though, this program is awesome. It centers on the concept of interculturalism, and how politics and development can flow outwards from the idea of respecting peoples' culture, identity, and self-sufficiency. It challenges many of our US- and Euro-centric concepts of development. The courses are not hard (grade-wise) but will challenge you to change your perspective on many issues. And it was successful in my case. I still find myself thinking in ways that I wouldn't have if I didn't go abroad and see/ process different styles of living and thinking.

All that is kind of secondary, though, to what is the true, lasting impact of this course: the PEOPLE you meet. This certainly starts with your academic director (AD). When I was on this trip, I had the great fortune to have two fantastic ADs: Fabian Espinosa and Leonore Cavallero. I really should start by saying how brilliant they are -- they know so much about the people and history of Ecuador, and tie it in craftily to our US-centric understanding of history -- but I can't. This is because they are some of the best and most caring PEOPLE I've ever met, plain and simple. Anything you need, they will help you. Any life advice you may seek, they provide. They truly do their best to understand your situation (abroad, alone, etc.) and provide insight that is so meaningful.

Beyond the ADs, Ecuadorians generally are just so kind and helpful. I had three different host families while in the country, and I still keep in touch with two of them. They cooked such delicious meals (ceviche, locro, empanadas de platanos -- ay, I miss it) and were so accommodating. I really owe so much of my experience to the people who welcomed me into their homes and really made me feel like part of the family. They facilitated the best kind of intercultural exchange, where we each tried to give insight into aspects of our own culture and share in the beauty of each (but they had the better food).

Lastly, the rest of my peers on the program were so dope! It was fun to share our worries and apprehensions as well as the hikes and fun nights out that we shared. I formed some really strong and meaningful friendships while in Ecuador -- with these kiddos, the host families, and the ADs. I can't overstate how impactful these people have been on my life.

Ecuador is an incredible country that is so ecologically and culturally diverse. It was so eye-opening to have the opportunity to interact with this diversity of communities and learn about different ways of life and different struggles facing the country- as well as AWESOME language practice. The trip integrates excursions at just the right times, and they offer a fun and rejuvenating break. While coursework isn't hard, per say-- as the emphasis of this program is self exploration and challenge and cultural learning, and the homework will never inhibit that-- it definitely gets you interacting with the community and learning from diverse locals firsthand. Faba is also simply incredible. Do this trip!

I could not have anticipated the amount of growth that would happen on this trip. I was challenged in ways that I didn't even know I had to be challenged and met the most inspiring people along the way. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone who is looking to push their limits academically and socially. A highlight was definitely getting to know my homestay mom in Langa Township in Cape Town, South Africa. I enjoyed all of my homestays, but this one in particular stuck with me. It seemed like we had to little in common at first, but she really took me in and became my grandma, reaching me her language, cooking amazing food, and just making sure I was doing alright. I have so many stories, but they all include so much learning and questioning of concepts I thought I knew so much about.

Without a doubt, my time in Bolivia was the most rewarding of my entire college career. I entered the program knowing that it would challenge me, but with this frame of mind I was able to experience new ways of living with an open mind.

My final independent study project, a short documentary about pollution of Lake Titicaca, has been used by a local NGO in their community outreach efforts. I am the more proud of the final result and impact of this project than any other work I did as a college student.

The program directors are fantastic; they will challenge you and engage in thought-provoking debates while still providing support whenever needed.

From our joint excursions to the Potosi mine that bankrolled the Spanish empire to visiting feminist cooperatives in La Paz, my experience with SIT in Bolivia was phenomenal. I recommend it to any passionately curious, sincere, and active global citizen out there.

SIT does a great job of focusing on student experience, and making classrooms as rigorous as US classes, with the added bonus of incorporating a huge range of outside-of-class learning trips and excursions, which are easily the highlight of the program. The staff are very well-connected in Bolivia, which provides you great access to amazing people and resources wherever you go-- you'll find yourself talking to famous Water War activists like it's no big deal. The ISP (Independent Study Project) is the most academically rewarding part of the program, and can lead to future research in your home institution. Cochabamba was the ideal city, in my opinion, for the type of experience I was looking for. It's not a tourist destination per se, so you have a really good chance of immersion, and you won't get caught up in a community of foreigners that speak your language. If you're looking for a challenge, and a once-in-a-lifetime experience, SIT Bolivia is a good fit for you.

My semester in Bolivia challenged me to grapple with important and complicated questions about identity and global crises while allowing me to explore an incredibly beautiful and unique part of the world. The academic program thoughtfully integrates many themes about Bolivia including political history, indigenous rights, social change, climate change, globalization through guest lecturers from the community and lots of hands-on learning experiences. The group excursions bring incredible diversity and adventure to the semester, including visiting and living with a community in the Amazon basin, engaging in the daily activities of Aymara families on the shores of Lago Titicaca, visiting the mines of Potosi which provided Spain with nearly half the silver they took during the conquest, and learning about sustainable living in the lowlands. I gained confidence in my ability to speak another language and navigate an unfamiliar place by myself. During all of the beautiful and challenging adventures, my host family was my grounding force, always taking care of me and teaching me. I truly became part of their family and my bond with them has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. This program provides an opportunity to dive deep into a really unique and complex country in a way that I would never have been able to do without the connections and support of SIT. The experience is a whirlwind of emotions and adventures. It is filled with beautiful places, people, and languages. There is no one way to describe it-- every week brings new and exciting experiences!

There were two things about this program that made me super nervous going in: the long-term homestay in Panama City, and the Independent Study Project (ISP). Looking back now, those same two things were hands down my favorite aspects of the program (which is saying a lot, because I loved practically every single aspect of the program). I ended up living with a wonderful and unexpected couple - my "Mom" was born in Italy and my "Dad" was of Chinese heritage. The cooking (both Italian and Panamanian) was incredible, and I couldn't have asked for a more welcoming family. Thanks to them, my Spanish improved by leaps and bounds and I felt very rooted in the local culture. Though it seems scary and might not always be quite as positive of an experience as mine, the homestay element of this program is so essential and contributes so much to the program's impact.
Similarly, the concept of the ISP can seem pretty horrifying at first. You set out completely on your own to design, execute, and write up a study in a foreign country - it seems crazy. But, with the support and guidance of the SIT team regarding everything from project ideas to making living arrangements, it is 100% doable. It challenged me in ways that my school in the U.S. never could, and it helped me grow academically and personally. I feel so much more capable and independent because of the ISP, and I can't emphasize enough how wonderful the experience turned out to be. In short, when it comes to study abroad, you have to through your caution to the wind - it will all be so much more than fine!