Discover extraordinary study abroad options across Africa with SIT.
- How to Choose a Program
- View SIT Study Abroad Undergraduate Research / ISP Collection
- View the 2013 Overview Brochure (PDF, 1MB)
- View the 2013 Semester Catalog (PDF, 4MB)
- View the 2013 Summer Catalog (PDF, 1MB)
- View Our Photo Galleries on Flickr
- Academic Resources/Library
- Track Your Application Online
- US State Department "Students Abroad"
- SIT Study Abroad Gear
Phone:
888.272.7881 (toll-free in US)
802.258.3212
TTY:
802.258.3388
Fax:
802.258.3296
Mailing Address:
PO Box 676, 1 Kipling Road
Brattleboro, VT 05302 USA
Download the catalog: 2013 Programs in Africa, South of the Sahara (PDF)
Jessica Posner Odede
Wesleyan University
SIT Study Abroad student Jessica Posner Odede witnessed terrible poverty among Kenya's youth. Since then she has returned to Nairobi to build a free school and clinic for girls.
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Africa, South of the Sahara Programs
"SIT Kenya was the best experience I have had during college. I have never experienced the classroom 'come to life' like it did for me when I studied abroad in Kenya."
Deondra Jacobs, Albion College
EXPLORE THE CULTURAL AND ECOLOGICAL RICHNESS, CHALLENGES, AND DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES of the WORLD'S SECOND-LARGEST CONTINENT
Experience the impact of globalization from local perspectives. Witness the power asymmetries between Africa and other parts of the world. Rethink stereotyped images of poverty and disaster by experiencing rich cultures and cosmopolitan communities. Discover how Africa is redefining development through self-empowerment.
Areas of focus with possible program options include:
- Sustainable development, urbanization, and community empowerment. Study development and sustainability from an African perspective. Examine how current development theories and debates translate in the dynamic context of Uganda's economy. Study pluralism and its impact on development in Cameroon. Consider the challenges and changes of rapid urbanization in Madagascar and the relationships between health, human rights, and the city in Kenya’s extensive urban informal settlements.
- Environment, ecology, and biodiversity. Study biodiversity on the island nation Madagascar, wildlife conservation in Tanzania, or coastal ecology in Zanzibar. Learn about the rich and complex underpinnings of political ecology and resource management in the African context.
- Arts, music, and cultural studies. Study with Ghanaian scholars, writers, and artists. Learn to create or perform Senegalese art, music, and dance, and analyze public expressions of urban arts and cultures in Dakar.
- Public health. Witness the impact local health projects have on development, explore the issues at the intersection of health and human rights, and learn about traditional medicine in Madagascar, Kenya, or South Africa. See the inspiring work of local associations working with marginalized communities in Nairobi, the townships and informal settlements of Durban, and rural Madagascar.
- Conflict transformation, peacebuilding, and human rights. Discover Rwanda's ongoing efforts in fostering peace and sustainable reconciliation. Learn about the dynamics of post-conflict transformation, reconciliation, and nation building in South Africa or northern Uganda.
- Education, multiculturalism, and identity studies. Explore the intertwined relationship between education and social change in Durban or study multiculturalism in the post-apartheid context of Cape Town. Delve into social pluralism debates and research the everyday lives of minority communities in multi-ethnic, multi-lingual Cameroon.
"I loved the [Madagascar] program's emphasis on field research. We traveled everywhere and researched a variety of topics in completely different ecosystems. One week our group performed a botanical inventory of a section of spiny forest in the Andohahela National Park. Later we traveled to Ifotaka National Park and studied lemur behavior and habitat."
Katherine Wright, DePauw University
ACQUIRE NEW LANGUAGE SKILLS ON A CONTINENT WITH IMMENSE LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY
Advance your skills in French or Kiswahili. Learn languages not commonly taught on US university campuses, including Wolof, isiXhosa, Twi, Malagasy, Kinyarwanda, isiZulu, Luganda, Acholi, Fulfulde, Afrikaans, or Pidgin English.
CONDUCT INDEPENDENT RESEARCH OR AN IN-DEPTH PRACTICUM
Undertake independent research on an approved topic of interest to you, across a range of issues as diverse as community-based healthcare in South Africa or Kenya, the impact of tourism on the environment and local communities in Tanzania or Madagascar, the role of the state and civil society in post-genocide Rwanda or post-conflict northern Uganda, the effects of urbanization or resource extraction in Madagascar, or the expression of cosmopolitanism and African identity through the arts in Senegal or Ghana. Or develop entrepreneurial and consulting skills through a development practicum in Uganda.
FORGE RECIPROCAL PARTNERSHIPS WITH IN-COUNTRY CONTACTS
Through SIT's field-based, immersive model, students are able to form meaningful, lasting relationships with local academics, peers, mentors, and members of their homestay communities. Students learn from prominent faculty, NGO leaders, and individuals working to improve their daily lives and local communities.
"SIT provides a learning space through which students can directly interact with the local culture, feel empowered to serve the community, and learn dynamically from host institutions. I was astounded by how much more I was able to give through my independent research project after orienting myself through the class sessions."
Lindley Mease, Stanford University