SIT Study Abroad Argentina: Social Movements and Human Rights

I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to attend the SIT Social Movements and Human Rights program in Buenos Aires, Argentina! This program facilitated invaluable educational experiences, helping each student immerse themselves in the culture and material in countless ways. The program coordinators were some of the most wonderful people I've ever met. They were welcoming, compassionate, knowledgeable, and always went above and beyond to support me and my classmates throughout the semester. The same can be said for all of our host families. I know my parents were relieved when they learned I was in such good hands! Also, the program coordinators believed deeply in the material, and genuinely cared about helping us develop a similar passion for social movements and human rights. Perhaps my favorite part of the program was the Independent Study Project that each student got to complete at the end. We were each encouraged to take our project in a direction that was unique to our particular interests, and we received as much support as we needed while the projects developed. During my project, I had the chance to live with an indigenous community, where I met and interviewed community members, shared meals and laughs, sat in on some classes at the elementary school, all to learn about their spiritual identity. This semester was one of the most formative times in my life. I returned home more curious, compassionate, connected to the world around me, motivated, and inspired to use my life to help others. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything!

I absolutely loved my experience, from the program's staff, to my host family to our planned; trips, classes, and activities, all were fantastic! I entered the program with; a fair amount of exposure to Spanish immersion environments, a questionable but consistent background in Spanish from high school, 2 semesters of college Spanish, and a year break between when I took Spanish and when I went abroad. I also am dyslexic, so learning a language in a classroom is more difficult for me. I was unique in my SIT student cohort, because almost everyone had more Spanish credits than I did. At first the full immersion aspect of the program was overwhelming because it used so much energy to translate everything, while adjusting to learning my new day-to-day schedule. But it was definitely worth it to stick it out and probably my favorite aspect of the program. By the end of the semester, I left feeling confident navigating and communicating in a full immersion environment, a skill I’d abandoned mastering in a classroom due to my dyslexia. I would recommend this program to any and all!

I can't overhype this program. It was such an amazing experience and if you are are someone who wants to study these subjects in this part of the word consider these 5 points:

1) You will not be able to find better staff and professors anywhere because SIT's program staff are so amazing

2) Buenos Aires is an amazing wonderful city that is both surprisingly safe given its size and filled with amazing cultural opportunities to explore.

3) You will learn so much: both through the classes and the ISP/Internship period

4) More on ISP: this was an amazing opportunity to conduct research and do what I wanted while still receiving plenty of support.

5) You will absolutely improve your Spanish, and it's not scary like it can sometimes be because the vast majority of Argentineans are so kind and patient

The SIT Argentina program was an incredibly formative academic and personal experience. With a strong foundation in Spanish, I found the coursework to be intellectually engaging and well-paced, though even students with less language experience were able to succeed thanks to the supportive and accessible teaching environment. The small cohort size allowed for deep discussions and consistent interaction with professors, and the classroom component was enriched by two weeks of fieldwork, which brought our studies to life in a powerful way. The local staff were one of the program’s greatest assets—deeply caring, present, and helpful long after the program ended. While my individual housing situation was not ideal and my host family did not provide great meals, I believe that was an exception rather than the norm. Outside of that, Argentina offered fantastic and affordable food options, though being vegetarian was a bit limiting. Socially, I enjoyed exploring the city through daily swims, café hopping, and public transportation, even if I didn’t prioritize making local friends. Health services, including therapy and acupuncture, were easy to access and well-coordinated by SIT. I felt safe throughout my time there by using common sense and being aware of my surroundings. Financially, the favorable exchange rate made it easy to live on a student budget. Ultimately, this program launched two thesis projects and laid the groundwork for my Fulbright application and master’s degree. I would absolutely choose it again.

Oh where do I start? This program is densely packed with content. You go from exploring museums, to city tours of old history, to chatting with various underground, above ground, and indigenous leaders! There is a vast amount of cultural enrichment within this program, many, many visits to differing places with the goal of teaching you about various social movements and history of human rights. You are given the opportunity to do an internship, or qualitative research project which both set you up for success following your time in the program. Additionally, the various places you'll visit in this program are beyond beautiful and the cities and towns have a lot to offer! I very much recommend this program for so many reasons. It helped me gain in-person experience in my field, enrich my Spanish speaking skills, meet amazing friends and collaborators that I wouldn't have otherwise got the chance to meet. Many of my peers in my program have also gone on to get accepted to Fulbright programs due in part to their time in this program. Don't regret it! Choose Social Movements and Human Rights!

I had such a wonderful time -- the people, the academics, and the city changed my perspective completely. Go in with an open mind and I can't recommend it enough.

This is such an amazing program!! The directors are so dedicated to no only the academics but also the social and personal lives of the students. Every week you go on at least one visit to a non-profit or local organization to learn from locals about the social movements and human rights you are learning about, which creates an incredible hands-on experience. There are also group social events planned every few weeks to create bonds and community within the program. I have nothing bad to say about any part of SIT Argentina: Social Movements and Human Rights and could not have asked for a better program!!

They say nothing worthwhile is easy and this is definitely true of this program. I watched my Spanish fluency go from intermediate (Spanish score of 45 on Duolingo) to an advanced level (score of 101 on Duolingo)! Living with a host family while taking classes and/or interning left an immeasurable effect on my Spanish fluency. I loved learning about human rights and social movements in the context of Argentina and Latin America as a whole. Through classroom discussions, visits to different NGOs and grassroots, and trips where we shared meals and laughs with indigenous families, I gained a deeper understanding of my host country and of the world. Plus I got to see Patagonia, yes the region (not the clothing brand)!

Prior to arriving in Argentina, I highly recommend making Duolingo, Babble, and/or Rosetta Stone your new addiction. Also challenge yourself to practice speaking, writing, and listening to things in Spanish. Additionally, you must be up front or honest about your medical needs. Get accommodations even if you think you'll be fine. For example, I got accommodations for extended time on tests and assignments. Many of my peers who needed accommodations, regretted not talking to the SIT Student Health & Wellbeing Center prior to starting the program. My host family was very wonderful and supportive of my needs as well. I loved my neighborhood and I felt completely safe in the country the whole time I was there. When I had a medical issue, the SIT program staff helped me immediately with scheduling an appointment through GeoBlue. One staff member even accompanied me to the hospital. GeoBlue is super understanding and will pay for the cost of seeing a doctor (just follow the directions of your program staff, the GeoBlue app, and call GeoBlue).

It's truly difficult to understand how impactful study abroad is until you've done it. So I urge you to apply for this program AHORA! You won't regret it.