SIT Study Abroad Argentina: Social Movements and Human Rights

My experience abroad was truly unique and incredibly enriching, standing out significantly from other study abroad programs. Its immersive nature was the primary reason I chose this program, particularly the opportunity to live with a host family.

The program team genuinely cares about your well-being and success. They were consistently present and supportive throughout the entire duration, making me feel comfortable and looked after in a foreign country.

Academically, the program offers an in-depth exploration of Argentina. The lecturers are not only experts in their fields but also incredibly insightful, providing a comprehensive understanding of the country's history, culture, and society. Beyond the classroom, there are abundant opportunities to explore Buenos Aires.

One of the most distinctive aspects of this program is the two group travel excursions that allowed us to meet with indigenous communities. This was a profound and eye-opening experience, offering a perspective rarely found in other study abroad programs.

For the one-month period, you have the choice between an internship or individual research. I opted for the research path, and the program's extensive network was very helpful. They connect you with experts who provide guidance and support throughout your research project.

Overall, this program is an excellent opportunity for anyone seeking an immersive and academically rigorous experience abroad. It goes far beyond typical study abroad programs because of its cultural engagement and unique learning opportunities.

I had a wonderful time in abroad with SIT Argentina: Social Movements and Human Rights. This program is truly unique, in its ability to not only immerse you culturally and linguistically in Argentina, but also to expose you to all of the incredible organizing, resilience, and friendliness of Argentinian people from across the country. If you are looking to know Argentina as a country (not just Buenos Aires) this program is for you. The program directors ensure that you have enriching experience filled with field-based learning exposing students to different grassroots organizations, introducing them to notable Argentinian scholars and activists, and allowing students to culturally immerse and challenge themselves through living with a host family. This program was incredible to me because it allowed me to immerse myself in the social and political of Argentinian people across the country and connect and build my own community away from home. My experience with my host family was unforgettable and I built a bond that I will treasure for the rest of my life. I will forever miss having ice cream with Graciela over the dinner table at 10pm! It gave me the opportunity to connect, to accompany, and to be in community with others. If you're looking for a country and a program that will make you feel at home and supported while you're off discovering Argentina and yourself, this is the program for you!

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.