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Spotlight on
Study Abroad in Africa
A disproportionately low number of students choose to study in Africa.
With the goal of doubling the number of students who go abroad by 2020, attendees of a session at last month's IIE Generation Study Abroad (GSA) Summit looked at how to encourage more students to study in Africa.
Facilitators Daniel Lumonya and Laurie Black of SIT Study Abroad and Jeremy Coats of IIE’s Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship talked about ways to debunk stereotypes in popular, academic, and media cultures that present Africa in a negative light.
The first initiative of the session is a new listserv coordinated by SIT Study Abroad. This effort is aimed at growing social media presence and advocacy with positive news and stories, especially those that focus on technology and entrepreneurship, to encourage more students to study in Africa. Look for forthcoming information about joining the listserv or contact Ruth Venman-Clay.
SIT Study Abroad and George Washington University will co-host a one-day workshop focusing on advising for SIT programs in Africa. The workshop on Friday, Dec. 2, at George Washington University in Washington, DC, coincides with the annual meeting of the African Studies Association. This full-day session is the third in a series. It follows workshops at Occidental College in November 2015 and Smith College in March 2016.
SIT Study Abroad and The American University (AU) in Washington, DC, have teamed up to expand study abroad and community-based learning opportunities for U.S. students in Kenya. By combining the unique strengths of both institutions, this partnership will create broader, academically rigorous, community-based learning opportunities for AU students and for those on the SIT Study Abroad program Kenya: Urbanization, Health and Human Rights.
SIT and AU will continue to explore ways in which our partnership will lead to mutually beneficial student engagement and instruction. Effective immediately:
- AU students will tap into SIT’s extensive network of internship public health partner organizations in Kisumu, Kenya’s third largest city, as well as SIT’s homestay network there.
- SIT students will have access to the AU program center in Nairobi and AU students will have access to SIT’s program center in Kisumu.
- SIT students may return to AU Nairobi for their independent study or internship, through the AU Nairobi Center’s local resources and opportunities for internship placements.
- SIT and AU will continue to share health and safety policies and procedures in Kisumu and Nairobi to ensure that our student groups have the most productive academic and cultural experiences possible.
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Advising Corner
New Summer Program
Starting this summer, South Korea: Digital Futures will explore the open-source and open-data initiatives driving the next generation of digital and social innovation in South Korea. Students will experience the country's exciting sharing economy, which links public, private, and grassroots social entrepreneurship.
Students will be enrolled in two classes.
The digital innovation project is a hands-on, small group project that involves collaboration among SIT Study Abroad students and their South Korean peers as project team members. All projects will address digital data access needs in South Korea. Students will get hands-on experience in developing digital innovations and develop critical skills in intercultural team building, design development, implementation, testing, and presentation and evaluation of their work.
Students enrolling in this program are eligible for a New Horizons Grant of $1,500.
Program Expanding
Study Abroad is pleased to announce the expansion of our program New African Diasporas: Transnational Communities, Cultures, and Economies into the fall 2017 semester.
This expansion is a result of strong interest in the program, especially among students at minority-serving institutions and those in African studies programs. New African Diasporas is offered through a partnership between SIT Study Abroad and Morehouse College. The program provides important perspectives and insight into the contemporary African migrant experience and the economic vitality of African diaspora communities in Italy, China, and the United States.
New Program Pages
Visitors to our website will notice an engaging new format for our program pages featuring large photos, videos, and more easily accessible information. This format gives us the opportunity to better showcase program features and student work. Keep an eye on the site as we continue to roll out new content pages.
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World Learning Names Six Talented Fellows
World Learning, the parent organization of SIT Study Abroad, has awarded six talented alumni with the 2016 Advancing Leaders Fellowship, which funds social entrepreneurship projects around the globe. The winners represent a broad range of World Learning programs. Each receives financial support and a mentor to help them implement a project in their community.
Among this year's fellows is SIT Study Abroad International Honors Program alumna Nya Holder for her project By Empowering Awareness & Respect, I Transform (BE ART). The Yale University senior will coordinate a six-week after-school program in the Bronx, where she is from, that introduces mindfulness practices and creative self-expression to help young women better navigate the high-pressure environment of high school.
Click here to find out more about Nya and all of this year's inspiring Fellows.
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Happy Thanksgiving!
From our SIT family to yours,
we wish you all the best this Thanksgiving holiday.
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We are currently
accepting applications for
summer 2017
We welcome applications from students who are completing their first year, as well as those who will graduate in spring 2017!
The application cycle for fall 2017 opens on December 15th.
Faculty Seminars Abroad
Applications are now being accepted for the SIT Faculty Seminars Abroad.
These international professional development seminars offer faculty the opportunity to connect with an extensive network of academics and professionals through lectures and site visits. Some seminars will include hands-on fieldwork.
For questions, please contact facultyseminars@sit.edu. We encourage you to share this flyer widely.
Announcing 2017 Alice Rowan Swanson Fellow
Andrea Savage will return to Bhutan to teach water harvesting as the 2017 Alice Rowan Swanson Fellow. Andrea is a fall 2011 alumna of SIT Study Abroad’s Tibetan and Himalayan Peoples program in Nepal and Bhutan, and a 2012 graduate of Goddard College.
The Alice Rowan Swanson Fellowship returns alumni of SIT Study Abroad programs to their host countries to conduct human rights projects. Andrea was invited by the College of Natural Resources in Punakha, Bhutan, to conduct a water harvesting workshop that will contribute to a community watershed project. Water harvesting refers to managing water in tandem with nature. Read more about Andrea and the fellowship on the SIT Study Abroad website.
New STEM Publication
SIT Study Abroad is well known for our focus on human rights and social justice.
But did you know that we also have a strong lineup of STEM programs?
Take a look at the list, read quotes from students and academic directors, and peruse a sampling of some impressive Independent Study Projects in our new brochure, available to download here.
Did you miss last month's newsletter? Read it on our website.
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Connect with Mory Pagel,
Director of University Relations 
Mory.Pagel@sit.edu
802.258.3492
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Click here to share this newsletter with a friend or colleague!
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