SIT Study Abroad: Social Movements in Argentina

Studying abroad in Argentina with SIT was one of the best choices I've ever made! If you're someone looking for a study abroad experience take a couple classes for fun, have constant free time to country-hop, and only spend time with American friends - then this might not be for you. My experience with SIT was truly so different from the traditional study abroad model, but so right for me. Through intensive culture, language, and history seminars you will be pushed to explore subjects in a profound way with the help of local activists, scholars, and professors. You will be challenged to step out of your comfort zone and engage with social movements and human rights in a totally new way. But through all of this you are not alone. You have your small cohort of students from the U.S. for support and the incredible coordinators team who only want the best for you. It's a busy period of time, but my advice is just to enjoy the ride. You will grow in ways you never expected and will leave feeling so accomplished and proud of what you were able to achieve in your time there. The homestay experience really allowed for me to have a home-base in the busy city where I felt supported and heard. It's a massive city, and there's so much to see and do. I was never bored. Getting to engage in an independent research project or internship at the end of the program felt like such a capstone to our time there and I know I gained so many vital skills at my internship particularly in developing a greater cultural competency for work in an international setting. All of this is also done completely in Spanish, so I can say confidently that anyone's language skills will improve so quickly in that immersive environment. There are also two incredible trips included in the program experience which were absolute highlights for me! I don't have enough words to truly encapsulate how thankful I am for my time in BA. If you are wanting an adventure that's going to push you out of your comfort skill, introduce you to new things, challenge you academically, and give you a new insight on the world - look no further!

Perhaps the most intense part of the program is the Spanish. While it is intense and demanding, the coordinators do an excellent job of slowly integrating you into the language and culture. They are always readily available for whatever information or doubts you may have. Ana Laura, the head administrator, is an attentive and dedicated administrator. She is extremely sweet and has high expectations of the students.

My experience abroad gave a view into a different style of living as my host mom lives a minimalist, no-waste lifestyle. I also got to attend a lot of deeply stimulating conferences and talks that gave me a lot of academic contacts and information.

This was a great abroad experience! I gained a lot of confidence in my spanish ability and was able to meet a bunch of really cool people! The program had group trips worked into the semester which made traveling easy because everything was planned out. Living with a host family was really nice because you could practice your spanish and have a guide to the city. I grew a lot as a person throughout this experience- make sure you take advantage of everything Buenos Aires has to offer! I highly recommend this program!

Like anyone would be before going on a study abroad semester, I was nervous about what to expect, as everything would be very new to me. I was almost immediately reassured, because literally every aspect of this program was phenomenal. The professors and staff are literally the most wonderful, kind, smart people I've ever met. Furthermore, the education is outstanding, and you learn an incredible amount about Argentina, especially during the trips/excursions, which is very hands on, and you meet many very inspiring and kind people. Being able to see the country was incredible, it's very beautiful, and connecting it to the social organizations whose members you meet during the trips made the trips incredibly educational, and made the trips unforgettable. My homestay experience was incredible. My host mom was I think literally the kindest person I've ever met, and we became very close friends, and talked about everything together, and I love her so much haha. I also had the privilege of becoming close with her wonderful daughter, her daughter's partner, and their new baby! I miss them all every day a crazy amount. You'll also meet great friends, all of the students on the program were brilliant and kind, and we have kept in contact, and I am close friends with everyone. Lastly, Argentina is a BEAUTIFUL, incredible country, with so much history and wonderful people. People are incredibly warm. Buenos Aires is a beautiful city that functions very well with excellent transit, and it was amazing getting to explore it. If you're considering studying abroad in Argentina, you won't ever forget this program. And even if it sounds cliched, it'll change your life!

SIT gave me the best experience possible. While this is not the program for those who would like to move more independently, I found that highly structured time followed by a month free for research was actually very beneficial to my experience. I was very impressed with the academic aspects, and the visits that we did taught me so much more about Argentina than I would've known had I just been visiting. I was consistently impressed by our coordinators, who devoted themselves to ensuring that the program was good and genuinely cared about us. They were attentive and thoughtful and always available. My homestay was a better experience than I had even anticipated, and I found that my host family taught me just as much about the materials we were learning as the professors did.

Overall, I would rate SIT Argentina: Social Movements and Human Rights very strongly. If you are looking for an in-depth, impactful experience that will truly teach you about both the country you're studying in and your own culture, I would recommend this program.

The academics were amazing, we learned so much about so many different things and were able to be taught by some of the best professionals in the field/visited wonderful organizations. The people were fantastic, I met some of the coolest people and the directors of the program were also some very impressive ladies. The excursions and adventures were unforgettable--we were able to explore different parts of Argentina while also continuing to learn awesome things . I truly had an amazing 3 months participating in this program and I wouldn't change it for anything in the world. As cheesy as it sounds it was very life changing and eye opening! If you have specific questions or concerns I really recommend you reach out to the program specifically through their website!

I came back from this program a more passionate, educated, and confident individual. This program truly helps you grow academically, socially, and culturally. It is definitely a unique program that is unlike any others. The program excels at improving your language skills and encouraging experiential learning. The focus on human rights and social movements matches perfectly with the location of Buenos Aires. The city really becomes your classroom. I learned about Argentine history and the human rights issues of the dictatorship in a way that I would have never had the opportunity to learn about in the U.S. The subjects that the courses cover are incredibly interesting, but hard to learn about; however, the professors and guest lecturers do not shy away from anything. The visits to local organizations, museums, and historic sights really help to put what you learn in the classroom into context. There is no way you can come away from the semester without changing your perspective on the world.

The home stay aspect of the program is also fantastic. Almost everyone had a great experience with their host family. They are so welcoming and really make you feel like a part of the family. They act as a great way to immerse yourself in the culture and get comfortable in a new city and country. Outside of your host family, it is pretty hard to make local friends because you end up spending most of your time with the other students in the group. The size of the program tends to be small (my program only had 25 students) and the excursions to the north and south result in you spending a lot of time together. The program does have its weaknesses, but they are all outweighed by the overall experience. In the end, you get out of the program, is what you put into it. If you are looking for a unique study abroad experience and are a self-starter, I would highly recommend this program.

If you are looking to challenge yourself or are an Honors student, this is definitely the right program. You will get real, invaluable experience. Coming back from Argentina, I found that many of the things I personally experienced there were coming up in many of the courses I was taking at home. This allowed me to be able to relate to many more people and experiences and has since given me an edge that other students don't have.