SIT Study Abroad: Panama: Tropical Ecology, Marine Ecosystems, and Biodiversity Conservation

This program is incredibly travel and outdoor-heavy. You are constantly traveling all over the country for different modules where you spend 90% of your time doing field work outside. You are never bored and always busy. The places you get to see are actual paradise and there is plenty of time to hike, explore, and swim in between class. There is also an incredible variety of subjects to learn about from birds, to coral reefs, to forest, to amphibians. The program teaches you how to use different research methods and conduct experiments, so that you can be successful in executing your own research project during the last month of the trip.

SIT Panama is an incredible abroad program for students who love the environment and traveling. You will learn how to do all kinds of field work, learn/improve your Spanish, and make incredible friends and memories for a semester. The program is very travel-heavy, and you'll likely only stay in one place for a maximum of one week. You and the other students will be learning in the field with professors who are at the top of their field. You will have plenty of time for exploring and relaxing in various towns and the City.

What I loved about this program is the extensive traveling and unique experiences that this program provides. We travelled all over Panama and even some of Costa Rica, seeing and doing just about everything you could imagine: hiking, swimming, kayaking, snorkeling, sight seeing, and of course, learning. This program takes you beyond the traditional classroom setting and teaches you way more than coursework. It got me out of my comfort zone in the best way and taught me the importance of living in the moment.

This was everything I could have hoped for and more in a study abroad experience. I was nervous about leaving everything behind and coming to Panama, but it turned out to be the absolute best decision of my life. The program staff were extremely laid back and allowed us to have an authentic, incredible experience. Every day we did something incredible, exciting, and new that left me wiser than I was before leaving the US. I have a greater confidence in myself and have made forever friendships. I cannot recommend this program enough.

This program, which focuses on traveling and in-the-field learning, provides students with an incredible opportunity to not only study a diverse set of habitats and ecosystems, but also to live among and alongside the people who interact with them on a daily basis, displaying multiple sides to the education provided by this program. Aly Dagang, the program's director, is a true hero, providing unbiased, eloquent education while supporting social and personal activities/development. You will gain great confidence in yourself and abilities while learning in some of the most beautiful environments, spending the first two months of your program exploring the country with your fellow students and professors and the final month researching anything you could desire or imagine, developing independence and allowing for incredible self-exploration; I could not have asked for a better experience.

This program was very travel-intensive, which I liked. We traveled around Panama (and briefly Costa Rica) to different locations to stay with homestay families, conduct interviews, and to learn about different ecological field research methods. My Spanish skills improved a lot, and the program allowed me to explore a wide range of fields. The program staff really encourages hands-on learning and experiences over stressing about grades. The independent study project was a very academically and personally challenging, but also very rewarding, experience. It was incredibly fun, rigorous, and unique! Looking at this program on the website can make it seems intimidating, but it is set up in a very manageable way that helped me learn and grow a lot.

SIT Panama was exactly what I was looking for in a study abroad program. I wanted a program that really immersed me in environmental/biological field work and Central American culture. Being able to get hands-on experience working in all kinds of ecosystems like mangroves, coral reefs, and tropical forests was something that I really could not have done anywhere else. One of the best parts of SIT Panama is the 7 weeks of travel to various parts of Panama and Costa Rica, which exposed us as students to all these different ecosystems. It was an awesome way to figure out what kind of work and research I liked doing. My Spanish also improved IMMENSELY thanks to homestays and interacting with local people. I always felt safe during my time in Panama, and the staff on this trip are incredible. Aly, the academic director, is AMAZING and she is so invested in the success and well-being of her students. If you are looking for a study abroad experience to get valuable hands-on research and field work experience, truly get to know a country intimately, learn about sustainability, and improve your Spanish, this is the program for you.

This is the perfect program for you if you like to travel, have new experiences, and make close friends! You get to constantly see new places around the country with a group of like-minded individuals. This is the recipe for great conversations and great memories. We stayed with five homestays that shared the culture of Panama with us and in hostels where we got to bond as a group. Not only do you learn about all types of ecosystems with hands on experience, you learn about yourself and skills for the future. The end of the program entails a research project where you can choose any location and topic. This may seem daunting at first, but it was one of the most rewarding parts of the program. Overall, I got to travel with an amazing group of students and create memories that I will carry with me forever.