I
t’s one thing to study about countries like India from a classroom thousands of kilometers away and it’s another thing entirely to experience their cultures firsthand. That’s why, every year, thousands of American students participate in hands-on study abroad programs organized by the School for International Training (SIT).
Experiential education
Go Online School for International Training www.sit.edu
SIT Study Abroad
https://studyabroad.sit.edu
10 JULY/AUGUST 2018
Courtesy School for International Training
Established in 1964, the international organization is located in Brattleboro,
health to sustainable development. The School for International Training describes its programs as “experiential education,” wherein students spend considerable time interacting with local experts, leaders and institutions related to the themes of their programs, like those on natural resources and refugee issues. “SIT programs are known for their support of independent field study,” says Brian Hammer, academic dean for Asia and the Pacific at SIT Study Abroad. “One of the key
Vermont, and has a branch campus in Washington, D.C. It offers field-based academic study abroad programs to undergraduates and accredited master’s degree and certificate programs to graduates and professionals. SIT students come from across the globe, and include recent college graduates as well as experienced and mid-career professionals who want to sharpen their skills. The institute’s close to 80 study abroad initiatives for undergraduate students in more than 30 countries include specially-themed programs focused on India. Each of these is crafted to provide students with unique perspectives on issues ranging from public
outcomes of participating in our programs is in-depth knowledge of a topic of interest to each individual student.” Such personalized areas of focus are always related to the larger themes of each study abroad program, but the specific topic of study is chosen by the students. They complete their semesters overseas by going deep into their chosen topics via a final, four-week Independent Study Project which, Hammer says, strengthens their connections with the people and places of their host countries.
Student stories Denise DeFelice is a Philadelphia native in