“³§±õ°Õ’s programs are designed within a framework of the most critical global issues—challenges that transcend borders and affect us all,â€� says Carol Jenkins, CEO of 91¾«Æ·, ³§±õ°Õ’s parent organization. “Europe offers students the unique advantage of easily traveling to other countries, allowing them to study these issues from several cultural, political, and geographic perspectives. ³§±õ°Õ’s programs align with a wide range of academic majors and ensure students gain an expanded world perspective that distinguishes them academically and, most importantly, professionally.â€� Jenkins has served as CEO since 2017, a role encompassing both 91¾«Æ· and SIT, and will become ³§±õ°Õ’s acting president at the end of this year.

Historically, Europe has been one of the most sought-after destinations for study abroad. According to the latest 2024 Open Doors Report, a U.S. Department of State initiative that annually reports on data about international students and U.S. students studying abroad, more than 64% of American students who studied abroad in the academic year 2022 to 2023 did so in Europe.

SIT has designed and taught programs in Europe since 1978 and has an even longer history in the field of international education, dating back more than 60 years. Today, it boasts nearly 30 European programs across most major countries and cities, along with options to study the Arctic Circle in Iceland or the Azores off the coast of Portugal. Students can meet Dutch advocacy groups in Amsterdam to study how policy is shaped, learn about corporate social responsibility through an internship in Seville, or hear from experts at the United Nations and World Health Organization in Geneva.

SIT is also launching four new multi-country options exclusive to Europe. Its (IHP) offers comparative study options that allow students to spend a semester living in multiple countries while exploring a single field in depth. Traditionally, IHP programs have taken students across continents. With the new campaign, four IHP Europe programs will launch, delivering ³§±õ°Õ’s signature multi-country experience within one region. Students will live in three different European countries while focusing on topics such as biodiversity and conservation, public health, contemporary politics, or comparative cities.

SIT has also expanded its offerings in other ways, now providing minors at no additional cost and “Choose Your Trackâ€� options to tailor courses to specific interests or career goals. And while ³§±õ°Õ’s homestay component consistently ranks as students’ favorite part of a program, the school now offers residential housing options in several programs, in response to student feedback.

“At SIT, we prioritize offering the highest-quality programs that always meet the evolving needs of students,â€� says SIT Provost Dr. Said Graiouid. “We know there are several organizations that offer programs in Europe, but ³§±õ°Õ’s engagement with experiential programs in Europe goes back to the 1970s, and our faculty are often raised and live in the countries where our programs are based.

“They have a robust knowledge of their communities and have built the right academic structure to examine dominant epistemologies and provide a comparative approach to pressing issues. Our learning centers hold strong partnerships with local institutions and organizations to give students access to one-of-a-kind resources and opportunities.�

³§±õ°Õ’s programs are characterized by academic rigor, hands-on experience, guided research opportunities, internships, and immersive language learning that create deep cultural connections. They are also grounded in authentic experiential learning that prompts students to think critically about a subject through a cycle of classroom learning, field work, and reflection.

Through this campaign, SIT also plans to highlight its strong focus on ecological and environmental studies. One third of its European programs are centered around sustainability, biodiversity, ecosystems, or climate change. Wetlands, glaciers, geothermal fields, and active volcano sites are some of the areas where students can learn about a topic firsthand.

“We have a unique, personal relationship with Icelanders, linked to several research and educational institutions around the country. Students get an incredibly close-up interaction with the land, embarking on independent but guided research in close connection with Icelanders,� says Dr. C. Palmer, SIT academic director in Iceland. “Students get to be local on a global scale.�

“International education is a critical component in the development of global citizens and future leaders, whether they are in the public, private, or nonprofit sectors,â€� Jenkins says. â€œSIT ensures students receive that education in a dynamic, individualized way.â€�

³§±õ°Õ’s&²Ô²ú²õ±è; in Europe focus on a wide array of subjects and disciplines, from diplomacy and global health to communications and environmental justice. All programs are vetted through ongoing risk assessment and review, and SIT also provides 24/7 access to student support in the U.S.

###

91¾«Æ·, the higher education institution of , was established in 1964 as a training center for the first Peace Corps volunteers. Today, SIT is a U.S.-accredited global university offering undergraduate study abroad programs, including the International Honors Program, and globally focused graduate and doctoral degrees and certificates. SIT prepares students to be effective changemakers and global citizens through experiential education focused on the world’s most critical global issues.

The post “Step into the Map. Every Street Teachesâ€�: SIT unveils Europe-focused campaign for next generation of global leaders appeared first on 91¾«Æ·.

The ceremony took place on the front lawn of ³§±õ°Õ’s Brattleboro campus, where staff and faculty members from around the world gathered with more than 100 guests to celebrate students who completed their master’s degrees in climate change, international relations, humanitarian assistance, international education, sustainable development, and intercultural service and leadership.

Graduate Esmeralda Torres Martínez delivered the student address, in which she noted that she and her fellow graduates would undoubtedly face tough decisions and make mistakes as they began their careers. She beseeched her classmates to trust in what SIT had taught them and work with “love, empathy, and solidarity� to help others as they head into the future.

“After our period of growth at SIT, I hope that when we are confronted with dilemmas, our education, resilience, and listening ability guide our compass to what is best for the collective,� said Torres Martínez, who earned her master’s in climate change and global sustainability. “We, alongside our caring ancestors, have all been weaving a massive collective blanket to take care of our future grandchildren who will roam, laugh, and cry in this Universe.�

Keynote speaker Larry Cooley also spoke to foreseeable difficulties ahead, as he expressed concern about the “world we are handing to those coming after us.â€� But he added that, despite increasing hardship for many in the U.S. and around the world, the present situation might open a window of opportunity. Cooley is the founder and president emeritus of Management Systems International, an international development consulting firm, and the former board chair of 91¾«Æ· and ³§±õ°Õ’s Board of Trustees. He is an alum of the International Honors Program, ³§±õ°Õ’s comparative multi-country program.

“The rebuilding that’s going to be needed is not only at the highest levels. Rebuilding is also required at the community and interpersonal levels where we need to overcome today’s intense polarization and find new ways to listen to one another, to celebrate our common humanity, and to work collaboratively,� Cooley said. He stressed that the graduating class now has the distinct ability to “see things from perspectives other than your own� thanks to their SIT education.

“Radical empathy is your superpower. And that I believe will be needed to fashion solutions,� he said, further asking them to use this superpower to help others.

“As you take whatever your next step happens to be, I ask you to consider joining…a team committed to social justice, collective action, and post-partisan politics, fighting with a sense of community that includes the left out and the left behind.�

“SIT was born out of the desire to serve for the common good—and the common good writ large—for our community is the world,� said SIT President Dr. Sophia Howlett. “That was what we were asked to do by the Peace Corps when we were asked to train the first volunteers who stepped forward to serve when called. And I think I can speak for all the faculty and staff of SIT globally—that is what we believe, we hope, we are doing when we invite you to join us and work with us for your graduate studies.

“So, what then does service for the common good mean? It is an affirmation, a stepping forward, it is saying ‘yes’ when a situation, a group, or an individual asks for help. I would suggest to you that once you have stepped up, stepped forward, stepped in, what you do next is not what you want, but what is needed, what is necessary.�

Howlett noted that this was her last commencement speech to SIT graduates. She will be stepping down as president effective December 31, marking the end of her second term and nine years of service with the institution.

Darin Smith-Gaddis, ³§±õ°Õ’s senior director of university relations and strategic outreach, concluded the program’s remarks by welcoming the graduates into ³§±õ°Õ’s extensive global network of alumni. Nearly 75,000 students worldwide have graduated from or taken SIT graduate, undergraduate, certification, or non-degree programs since its founding in 1964.

Seventeen students made the trip to Vermont to attend the ceremony in person, while others joined online. Students in ³§±õ°Õ’s global master’s programs study and do their research at the institution’s international learning centers. Flags from around the world adorned the stage’s backdrop, representing the countries where students were from and the countries where ³§±õ°Õ’s learning centers are based. This year also marked the return of ³§±õ°Õ’s mascot, Walnut the Chipmunk.

91¾«Æ·, the higher education institution of , was established in 1964 as a training center for the first Peace Corps volunteers. Today, SIT is a U.S.-accredited global university offering undergraduate study abroad programs, including the International Honors Program, and globally focused graduate and doctoral degrees and certificates. SIT prepares students to be effective changemakers and global citizens through experiential education focused on the world’s most critical global issues. For more information, visit sit.edu.

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The announcement was shared with the 91¾«Æ· Board of Trustees earlier this summer. 91¾«Æ· CEO Carol Jenkins will assume the role of acting SIT president while continuing to lead , an international nongovernmental organization. Jenkins has served as CEO since 2017, a role that oversees both 91¾«Æ· and SIT.

“I speak on behalf of the entire board to express our sincere gratitude for Sophie’s contributions to SIT and 91¾«Æ·. We will miss her, but we know her future endeavors will be characterized by the energy and innovation she has given SIT during her years here,â€� said 91¾«Æ· Board Chair Allen Cutler. â€œIn the remaining months, the board and I plan to work closely with Carol, Sophie, SIT faculty, and staff to ensure we remain steadfast in ³§±õ°Õ’s mission to address the most critical global issues through international education. Carol has our full support during this transition.â€�

Howlett noted that the conclusion of two terms of service was an ideal and natural time for her to step down. She intends to take some time off to work on her research before taking on her next challenge.

“It has been my honor to serve as president of SIT. I am deeply proud of what we have accomplished,� said Howlett. “Together, we have built a new SIT that embraces all its modalities and communities worldwide: expanding our extraordinary study abroad programs to meet the needs of this generation of students and transforming our graduate portfolio with the introduction of global experiences, and of course, our new doctoral programs.

As ever, SIT offers exceptional, high-quality opportunities to learn experientially through cultural immersion and face-to-face interaction with peers, faculty, experts in the field, and community partners worldwide. I am proud to have served as its president for nearly a decade, and so very proud to have led an exceptional group of faculty and staff. Together, we have moved mountains. I look forward to seeing what comes next.�

Howlett’s tenure at SIT notably included the launch of SIT Graduate Institute’s new global master’s degree format in 2018. The new structure utilizes the institution’s education centers worldwide as the primary locations for programs, positioning SIT to become a leader in international graduate education. She has also spearheaded the development of multiple new master’s degrees and the launch of three new doctoral degrees in global education, sustainability, and international relations. The online doctorates incorporate both domestic and international residencies and have exceeded initial enrollment goals since their inception.

Howlett and the SIT team have also evolved the undergraduate portfolio to meet the needs of ³§±õ°Õ’s university partners and their students, including the addition of new programs and country locations and the expansion of multi-country and internship opportunities. In addition, SIT First Year, a program where undergraduate students study abroad in their first year, and the Custom and Faculty-led Programs unit were started.

Howlett’s time with SIT has not been without challenges, most notably the COVID-19 pandemic. In collaboration with Jenkins and the 91¾«Æ· leadership team, SIT safely returned more than 900 students studying abroad, extended online learning opportunities, pivoted staff to remote learning, and expanded student mental health and wellbeing resources.

“Our response to the pandemic highlighted ³§±õ°Õ’s agility, adaptability, and innovative approach to international education. The professional expertise of ³§±õ°Õ’s faculty and staff was unparalleled during this time,â€� Howlett said. ³§±õ°Õ’s full team will remain in place after Howlett’s departure, including Dr. Said Graiouid, ³§±õ°Õ’s provost and vice president of academic affairs.

“I look forward to working with Sophie and the SIT team to ensure a seamless, positive, and collaborative transition. Together, we will build upon the foundation they have established, advancing ³§±õ°Õ’s mission in global experiential education,â€� Jenkins said.

Jenkins has an extensive career in international education, business development, and nonprofit leadership. Her early career included serving in program and leadership roles at World Vision, including time in South Africa, and International Medical Corps. She first joined 91¾«Æ· in 2007 as senior director of international programs. Following a brief departure, she returned to 91¾«Æ· in 2014 as executive vice president before becoming CEO three years later. Over her career, Jenkins has served on the boards of InterAction and the Alliance for International Exchange, where she also served as the board chair.

91¾«Æ· was established in 1964 as a training center for the first Peace Corps volunteers. Today, SIT is a U.S.-accredited global university offering undergraduate study abroad programs, including the International Honors Program, and globally focused graduate and doctoral degrees and certificates. SIT prepares students to be effective changemakers and global citizens through experiential education focused on the world’s most critical global issues. For more information, visit .

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“These two new dynamic doctorates will be grounded in ³§±õ°Õ’s powerful experiential learning model and combine online coursework with residencies overseas,â€� says SIT President Dr. Sophia Howlett. “Students will gain, in real-time, a unique global perspective they can apply to their careers.â€�

³§±õ°Õ’s programs are developed around a framework of the world’s most critical global issues. The international relations doctorate has been created through the lens of ‘Geopolitics and Power,’ with courses that specialize in forced migration, peace and conflict studies, and global governance.

“This part-time four-year program is designed for working professionals in international affairs with an interest in peacebuilding, conflict and refugee response, and humanitarian affairs� says Dr. Bruce Dayton, who was instrumental in shaping the new program and will serve as its chair. “Students will critique traditional approaches to geopolitics and offer evidence-based approaches to improved human security.�

Dr. Joe Lanning is the chair of the new PhD in sustainability, a degree classified under both the ‘Climate and Environment’ and ‘Development and Inequality’ critical global issues. He helped design the curriculum, which focuses on ways to innovate sustainable practices for economic prosperity. 

“This part-time program is for professionals enthusiastic about producing evidence-based analysis for sustainable transformations, the relationship of science and society for sustainable futures, and approaches to community-based problem solving,� says Dr. Lanning. “Graduates of the program will be prepared to lead multi-stakeholder groups as they will be effective communicators in policy circles, academic and organizational contexts, and in popular science.�

Both programs, which will be accepting applications from June 1 to January 2025 for their first cohorts beginning June 2025, draw from ³§±õ°Õ’s unique brand of in-depth, reflective practice and intensive research training and will engage students where they are in their academic and professional careers. The programs will offer immersive doctoral seminars, and courses will focus on theory, research methods, applied practice, professional development, and dissertation preparation. Each degree will allow students to pursue their specializations in content areas at any level and subfield. Students can also request to transfer up to 15 credits of relevant previous graduate coursework during admission, thereby reducing the overall credit requirement from 64 to 49.

The online degrees include two 10-day international residencies. For the international relations program, students will examine changing geopolitical alliances in Serbia, as well as the landscape of conflict and the power of alliances in Jordan. Students in the sustainability program will travel to Portugal to study renewable energy innovation and marine conservation. Then, they will explore case studies in Tanzania’s Zanzibar Archipelago, which is at the forefront of blue economy initiatives.

³§±õ°Õ’s new doctorates expand on the institution’s diverse strengths in international programming. ³§±õ°Õ’s global campus comprises 77 programs, nearly 30 learning centers, and 549 faculty and staff across all seven continents. SIT Study Abroad delivers academically rigorous, accredited undergraduate summer and semester programs around the world. In 2018, SIT Graduate Institute introduced a one-year global master’s format delivered at ³§±õ°Õ’s learning centers around the world, and in 2021, SIT launched its first doctoral degree in global education. Its first cohort graduates this year.

“These one-of-a-kind global programs build on ³§±õ°Õ’s long history of training the next generation of intelligent, compassionate global citizens at a time when the world faces unprecedented challenges,â€� says Dr. Howlett. “Our dedicated faculty have carefully designed these programs to prepare students to tackle urgent issues of the day in a global context—all while reflecting on ³§±õ°Õ’s core values of community, intercultural understanding, social justice, and sustainability.â€�

Many of ³§±õ°Õ’s graduates go on to work in high-level positions with organizations such as the United Nations, colleges and universities, nongovernmental organizations, and significant international foundations. Graduates of ³§±õ°Õ’s PhD programs will similarly benefit from the institute’s broad professional and alumni networks throughout the world.

For prospective students interested in learning more about the new PhDs, SIT faculty will be available to answer questions during a summer . Students can also learn more about the application process or contact an admissions counselor .

91¾«Æ· (SIT), the academic arm of , was established in 1964 as a training center for the first Peace Corps volunteers. Today, SIT is a U.S.-accredited global university offering undergraduate study abroad programs, including the comparative , and globally focused graduate and doctoral degrees and certificates. SIT prepares students to be effective changemakers and global citizens through experiential education focused on the world’s most critical global issues. For more information, visit 

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The global university marks its beginnings back to the Peace Corps when President John F. Kennedy appointed Sargent Shriver as the Peace Corps’ inaugural director. Shriver turned to 91¾«Æ·â€™s foundational program, The Experiment in International Living, for help. As an alum of the youth exchange program, he tapped the team to help design Peace Corps programs and train early volunteers. These historical trainings led to the establishment of SIT in 1964. The event on Capitol Hill is part of a series of events SIT is hosting to honor its 60 years of educating global citizens through study abroad programs and graduate degrees.

Schatz, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as well as the subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, studied with SIT in Kenya over three decades ago. His program focused on Kenyan life, culture, and rural development—a program he cites helped shape his future career in public service.

“My time in Kenya as an SIT student changed my life and reaffirmed my commitment to public service,� says Schatz. “For 60 years, SIT has helped expand young people’s horizons, giving them invaluable perspectives and the knowledge to take on global challenges. I congratulate everyone at SIT, past and present, for making the program the incredible success it is, and wish them the very best for years to come.�

“Global education is a critical component in the development of future citizens and leaders, whether they are in the public, private, or nonprofit sectors,� says SIT President Dr. Sophia Howlett. With more than 500 faculty and staff around the world, SIT delivers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs in nearly 30 learning centers worldwide.

SIT recently launched a major initiative aimed at encouraging U.S. graduate and undergraduate students to study abroad in Africa, where it runs 21 undergraduate programs and four global master’s programs—more than any other study abroad provider in the U.S. “â€� asks students to challenge stereotypes and consider African locations for their study abroad. The latest U.S. Department of State annual  showed only 2.4% of all U.S. study-abroad students were in Sub-Saharan Africa in recent years.

“As Africa is becoming more vital geopolitically, the next generation of our workforce needs to have a relationship to the second most populous continent in the world,â€� Howlett says. “Countries and communities across Africa are confronting some of the world’s most pressing issues such as climate and sustainability, public health, and urban development. This aligns with ³§±õ°Õ’s approach to our programs, which are developed around a framework of the world’s most critical global issues.â€�

Thursday’s event takes place at the Capitol Hill office of law firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, who helped to sponsor the event. More than 150 guests are expected to attend, including Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vermont).

“Sixty years of SIT has meant 60 years of educating global leaders. I’m so proud to support the essential nonprofit work of the 91¾«Æ· team right here in my hometown of Brattleboro, Vermont,â€� Balint says. “The education provided by SIT is unparalleled, and I’m looking forward to celebrating these successes with the entire 91¾«Æ· family.â€�

During one of her first stops in office, Balint visited ³§±õ°Õ’s Vermont campus to meet with refugees who are temporarily housed there. SIT and 91¾«Æ· are part of a local coalition helping to develop a thriving regional refugee resettlement program that has brought more than 300 refugees to southern Vermont over the past two years. SIT and 91¾«Æ· faculty and staff provide English-language and cultural orientation classes for the new Vermonters.

“SIT and 91¾«Æ· are committed to the belief that addressing complex issues through a framework of human connections and education is an effective and powerful way to make lasting change in the world,â€� says 91¾«Æ· CEO Carol Jenkins. “Through cultural immersion and experiential learning, SIT students gain a new understanding and respect for those who are different from themselves and become agents of change, just like Sen. Schatz.â€�

 (SIT), the academic arm of , was established in 1964 as a training center for the first Peace Corps volunteers. Today, SIT is a U.S.-accredited global university offering undergraduate study abroad programs including the comparative , and globally focused graduate and doctoral degrees and certificates. SIT prepares students to be effective changemakers and global citizens through experiential education focused on the world’s most critical global issues. For more information, visit 

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91¾«Æ· has named Ana Gvozdic, a 2020 alumnus of ³§±õ°Õ’s * program, as the newest Alice Rowan Swanson Fellow. Gvozdic graduated from Macalester College in 2021 with a BA in peace and conflict studies.

For her fellowship, Gvozdic will implement the project “Inclusive Human Rights Education: the Mostar Summer Youth Program Expansion� in Mostar, a city in Bosnia and Herzegovina where she was born and lived for 15 years. The project aims to enhance the U�iMo Foundation’s Mostar Summer Youth Program by placing particular emphasis on human rights education for both the participants and volunteers.

Since 2014, the Mostar Summer Youth Program has been providing youth age 14-19 from the city and surrounding areas with the opportunity to engage in a three-week summer program filled with courses, workshops, day trips, and social events. A diverse team of local and international volunteers work to improve the participants’ confidence and skills in teamwork, cross-cultural understanding, and community engagement.

Mostar has been divided since the end of the Yugoslav wars in the 1990s. This has resulted in an ethnically segregated educational system, high rates of unemployment, and a brain drain, Gvozdic said.

“The Mostar Summer Youth Program has been one of the few community spaces that offers young people a space to socialize and learn in a positive environment regardless of their background.”

From May to August, Gvozdic will expand the program’s potential to advance human rights education through a human rights advocacy course and teacher training, including a module on understanding the local post-war context so volunteers can increase their sensitivity and capacity to develop a conducive learning environment. Through these courses, Gvozdic aims to contribute to meaningful local initiatives that help curb the potential for more conflict in the future.

The project is very personal for Gvozdic, who participated in the Mostar Summer Youth Project in 2015, was a teaching assistant in 2016, and a teacher in 2017.

“The Alice Rowan Swanson Fellowship is such a meaningful opportunity for me to reconnect with a unique youth education program in my hometown of Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina–a program that stands apart by its inclusive nature in a post-war ethnically divided context,â€� said Gvozdic. “By teaching a course on human rights advocacy and supporting an initiative that brings young people together in the aftermath of human rights violations, I hope to support and strengthen local capacities for sustainable peacebuilding and reconciliation.â€�

Gvozdic brings additional expertise as a former program officer for the Youth Initiative for Human Rights in Croatia. She also delivered human rights workshops in Germany at the age of 16. She is currently pursuing an MA in holocaust and genocide studies at Uppsala University in Sweden, where she plans to write her thesis on the impact of youth education programs in the field of peacebuilding and reconciliation.

“Ana Gvozdic is truly a unique person. She is one of the strongest SIT alumnus our program has had in recent years,â€� said Dr. Orli Fridman, ³§±õ°Õ’s academic director for the Peace and Conflict Studies in the Balkans program. “She herself was born and raised in Bosnia-Herzegovina and went away for her high school and undergraduate years. She attended SIT as an international student, and the uniqueness of her project is, among other things, her wish to contribute and give back to her community.â€�

 was established in 2009 by the family of SIT Study Abroad Nicaragua 2006 alumnus Alice Rowan Swanson as a living tribute to her life, her passion for bridging cultures and helping others, and the role that SIT Study Abroad played in her life. A 2007 Amherst College graduate, Alice was killed while riding her bike to work in 2008.

The fellowships are awarded twice annually to SIT Study Abroad and International Honors Program alumni to return to their program country and pursue further development projects benefiting human rights in that region.

*The Peace and Conflict in the Balkans program is now Belgrade, Budapest, and Vienna: Comparative European Perspectives on Conflict and Democracy.

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SIT was officially established in 1964, 32 years after the launch of 91¾«Æ·â€™s foundational youth exchange program, The Experiment in International Living. When President John F. Kennedy tapped program alumnus Sargent Shriver to become the inaugural director of the Peace Corps, Shriver turned to the Experiment to train some of the first Peace Corps volunteers. Out of that activity, SIT was born.

Today, SIT is the only accredited institution of higher education in the United States that is part of an international nongovernmental organization, 91¾«Æ·.

“Over six decades, we have achieved accreditation as a higher education institution, expanded into a Graduate Institute, and built an extraordinary study abroad program, including the International Honors Program,� said SIT President Dr. Sophia Howlett.

With more than 500 faculty and staff around the world, SIT delivers undergraduate and graduate programs in nearly 30 global learning centers. These include ³§±õ°Õ’s one-year, full-time Global Master’s degrees that each take place in two to three different countries. Students complete these programs with a practicum in a location of their choice.

“This global reach offers one-of-a-kind opportunities for in-person learning, cultural immersion, and face-to-face interaction with faculty, peers, and community partners whose perspectives are non-western and decolonial,� Howlett said. “This gives students the opportunity to form relationships and build networks that broaden their perspectives and foster invaluable cross-cultural understanding.�

SIT also offers part-time hybrid master’s and doctoral programs that give students the opportunity to earn an MA or a PhD without leaving their communities and careers. Some in-person courses for these programs take place on ³§±õ°Õ’s iconic Vermont campus during the summers.

During its 60^th year, SIT will open registration for its second and third doctoral programs, PhDs in Sustainability and International Relations. SIT launched an EdD in Global Education in 2021. The first cohort of new EdDs from that program will graduate this year.

SIT has also debuted a new open-access, peer-reviewed academic publication called the Journal of Critical Global Issues. The title refers to ³§±õ°Õ’s approach to its programs, which are developed around a framework of seven of the world’s most critical global issues.

In addition, as part of a local coalition of organizations, SIT and 91¾«Æ· are helping to develop a thriving regional refugee resettlement program that has brought more than 300 refugees to southern Vermont over the past two years. As part of that effort, the Brattleboro campus serves as temporary housing for refugees when they first arrive in the area and SIT and 91¾«Æ· faculty and staff provide English-language and cultural orientation classes for the new Vermonters.

“Refugee resettlement needs a whole-community approach,â€� said Carol Jenkins, 91¾«Æ· CEO. “As pillars within their communities, higher education institutions have incredible potential in this context, and 91¾«Æ·â€™s program in Vermont serves as a powerful model for others to follow.â€�

On April 5, SIT will hold a half-day 60th anniversary event on the Brattleboro campus featuring special guests, former Vermont Senator Patrick J. Leahy and his wife Marcelle Leahy. Before leaving the U.S. Senate in 2022, Leahy submitted a statement recognizing the global impact 91¾«Æ·, 91¾«Æ·, and The Experiment in International Living have had over nine decades.

*Editor’s Update: The April 5 event was postponed due to inclement weather and is rescheduled for August 9, 12:00 pm.

In it, Leahy said, “As the first stop in Vermont for newcomers from Afghanistan, Ukraine, and elsewhere, 91¾«Æ· and SIT bring together staff, faculty, alumni, and neighbors to offer language, cultural orientation, and friendship in a program that is a national model for effective refugee integration.â€�

The 60th celebration will be supported by the Windham Foundation. The event will highlight Vermont’s unique role on the global stage, discuss strategies for how to grow and expand Vermont’s global future through global education, rural development, and new technologies, and celebrate Senator Leahy’s global legacy.

“SIT students and faculty started making a difference for our world from the day this unique and game-changing institution was created here in Southern Vermont in 1964, and they haven’t stopped for the past 60 years. Training Peace Corp volunteers, educating Nobel Peace Prize winners, changing lives and perspectives, and leading the way with bold innovative programs,â€� said Senator Leahy. “They are the gold standard of global education, and Marcelle and I are honored to be part of the SIT 60th anniversary celebration.â€� 

“SIT and the Windham Foundation share a nearly 40-year history of bringing together leaders in education and Vermont rural economic development,” said Ellen McCulloch-Lovell. “We’re honored to support SIT once again to celebrate their 60 years of innovative leadership in global education. The impact of ³§±õ°Õ’s work both globally and also right here in our backyard is highly visible and effective. SIT students and staff have made our state stronger, more diverse, and more globally connected. We are richer for their 60 years of dedicated and groundbreaking work. SIT’s mission both parallels and reinforces Senator Leahy’s values and action over his long career. As his former Chief of Staff, I am especially pleased to celebrate SIT’s anniversary with him and Marcelle.”

From immersive undergraduate programs through terminal degrees, SIT provides exceptional experiential education at home and abroad. On every program, in every location, learners experience ³§±õ°Õ’s commitment to its values of community, intercultural understanding, social justice, and sustainability. For 60 years, these values have grounded and guided ³§±õ°Õ’s work to learn from and educate future global citizens to create a more sustainable, peaceful, and just world.

(SIT), the academic arm of , was established in 1964 as a training center for the first Peace Corps volunteers. Today, SIT is a U.S.-accredited global university offering undergraduate study abroad programs including the comparative , and globally focused graduate degrees and certificates. SIT prepares students to be effective changemakers and global citizens through experiential education focused on the world’s most critical global issues. For more information, visit

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BRATTLEBORO, Vermont – 91¾«Æ· has launched the first edition of an open-access, peer-reviewed digital publication, the .

The title of the journal reflects ³§±õ°Õ’s multidisciplinary approach to graduate and undergraduate programs, which are centered on a framework of seven critical global issues: climate and the environment; development and inequality; education and social change; geopolitics and power; global health and well-being; identity and human resilience; and peace and justice.

“The Journal of Critical Global Issues is committed to the open dissemination of knowledge and aims to serve as a forum of scholarship that engages with critical global issues from diverse and pluriversal perspectives,� said SIT President Dr. Sophie Howlett. During her tenure, Dr. Howlett has re-focused SIT as a global research university and expanded its international network of scholars and practitioners.

“The Journal centers respectful communities, intercultural understanding, social justice and inclusion, and sustainability,” said Dr. Melissa Whatley, editor-in-chief. “In particular, the Journal of Critical Global Issues aspires to carve a space for voices from the Global South.”

Articles in the first edition represent the journal’s range; subjects include campus internationalization and equity initiatives; Indigenous participation in research; integration of former Rwandan refugees in Cameroon; access to higher education for China’s minority population; assessment and impact of flood damage in a Himalayan village; social involvement in the revival of Einkorn wheat in Turkey; and an environmental assessment of codfish consumption in Portugal.

Authors in the first edition include International Honors Program alumna Amanda Sabin, SIT Nepal alumnus Ronan Wallace, and SIT Portugal alumna Ayla Frost. Frost’s article is the result of a collaborative effort that also included SIT Portugal Academic Director Dr. Catia Magro and SIT Program Coordinator Joana Dionisio, along with others.

The journal’s editorial board comprises SIT faculty from across global regions who represent a range of perspectives and disciplines. In addition, an advisory board ensures ethical processes and a diversity of peer reviewers for submissions. Advisory board members are associated with Seton Hall University and Stanford University in the United States, Universidad Mayor in Chile, Al Akhawayn University and Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, both in Morocco. JCGI is now accepting submissions for the second issue on a rolling basis.

The Journal of Critical Global Issues makes its debut as 91¾«Æ· celebrates its 60^th anniversary this year. Officially established in 1964, SIT began as a training center for the first cohorts of outbound U.S. Peace Corps volunteers. In the ensuing decades, SIT has developed an accredited Graduate Institute and built a respected study abroad organization with courses, learning centers, faculty, and staff across seven continents.

In addition to nearly 80 study abroad programs, SIT delivers accredited graduate programs at learning centers around the world and in a hybrid format. Two new PhD programs, in International Relations and Sustainability, are scheduled to open in 2025.

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For his fellowship project, he plans to return to Nepal to document flooding impacts through 3D modeling and ethnographic interviewing in two communities threatened by Himalayan flooding, which is growing more acute each year due to the climate crisis. A lack of documentation makes it difficult for the communities to get the assistance they need.

In March through July 2024, Wallace plans to live in Lubra and Kagbeni, Tibetan villages in the remote and once-arid region of Mustang, where he will create new digital 3D models of flood damages, conduct oral interviews with community members, and film flooding during the monsoon season. “At the core of my project, I ask: ‘How can digital 3D models contextualized by local perspectives be used for swift communication of Himalayan climate-induced impacts?’�

In Mustang, Nepal, marginalized communities face drastic shifts in livelihood as flash flooding increases, “resulting in communal displacement, water insecurity, and cultural disruption across communities,â€� Wallace wrote in his application. “We need succinct documentation that supports communities in communicating local flood damages and conveying its cultural implications.â€�

Three-dimensional modeling is a low-cost, high-impact way to document climate-induced impacts, Wallace noted. By prioritizing local perspectives in contextualizing these 3D visualizations, his project â€œencourages communal voices to take center stage, spotlighting marginalized Himalayan communities struggling to adapt to anthropogenic climate impacts.â€�

He said his project may serve as a model for other impacted communities, and “demonstrate how we can empathetically contextualize data-based storytelling in a way that not only places communal voices ahead of our own, but also results in an effective resource for communal use.â€�      

SIT Nepal Academic Director Isabelle Onians had high praise for Wallace’s proposal, based on the exemplary he produced while on her program. In her recommendation to the fellowship committee, Onians said his project “is an inspiring example of how a single young person can make an enormous difference.�

“Community leaders in the valley of Lubra and Kagbeni and in the broader society of Mustang are requesting him to come and document the climate change they are undergoing,� she wrote.

Winters are warming and monsoon months are intensifying in Nepal’s remote Mustang region, leading to increased flash flooding in Lubra, one of the few villages in Nepal still fully practicing Bön, the indigenous religion of the Tibetan Plateau. As flooding increases, residual sediment is raising the elevation of the riverbed, and community members fear their village will be submerged within 10 years, Wallace reports. “Over eight centuries of culturally significant land and homes are slowly disappearing, and families fear their ancestral heritage will go with it.�

In the nearby Tibetan village Kagbeni, recent flooding washed away 29 houses and displaced more than 150 people, causing more than USD$12 million in damages, crippling the village’s agricultural livelihood and economy.

As calls for protective policies come into question, Wallace says a lack of documentation of these impacts will result in inadequate adaptation strategies and perpetuate limited relief funding.      

Although there has been extensive photo documentation of glacial retreat in the Himalaya, Onians said the humanitarian aspect of Wallace’s project makes it unique because of his very personal commitment to both the content of the problem and to finding a solution, as well as to the means he is deploying.

During his semester abroad, Wallace formed deep professional and personal relationships with collaborators in his project site and in the wider region. His co-researcher, Yungdrung Tsewang Gurung, studies migration and climate change through collaborations with Yale University and the University of British Columbia, and the research team includes Sonam Lama, a research associate in sustainable urban planning and Hubert H. Humphrey Fellow at MIT, and Dane Carlson, a Fulbright Nepal alum and environmental design strategist at the United Nations Office for Project Services in Nepal.

“Given the robust connections I have formed during my prior fieldwork in Nepal, my training in both engineering and ethnography, and my experience conducting qualitative and quantitative research in multiple international contexts, I believe that I am fully equipped to carry out my proposed project,” Wallace wrote. “The Alice Rowan Swanson Fellowship will allow me the time, space, and funds to continue my dream in applying engineering for humanitarian efforts.â€�

Wallace’s collaboration with Yungdrung Tsewang Gurung was published in the . Since his semester abroad, he has presented at five conferences in the U.S. and Europe and founded a at UC San Diego’s Engineers for Exploration research group, where he leads undergraduate engineers. He also created a with more information about his project.

Last fall, SIT submitted Wallace’s ISP work to The Forum on Education Abroad in the Academic Achievement Abroad award category. Wallace also presented a paper at the inaugural SIT Journal of Critical Global Issues round table in May and was invited to submit his manuscript for consideration for the first issue of the journal.

After he returns to the U.S., Wallace plans to pursue a PhD in computer engineering with applied research in environmental conservation and cultural preservation.

was established in 2009 by the family of SIT Study Abroad Nicaragua ’06 alumna Alice Rowan Swanson as a living tribute to her life, her passion for bridging cultures and helping others, and the role that SIT Study Abroad played in her life. A 2007 Amherst College graduate, Alice was killed while riding her bike to work in 2008.

The fellowships are awarded twice annually to SIT Study Abroad and IHP alumni to return to their program country and pursue further development projects benefiting human rights in that region.

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91¾«Æ· is pleased to announce that five new members are joining its board of trustees: Elana Aquino, Brandolon Barnett, Spencer Boyer, Travis Feldler, and Sean Kirk. Coming from international development, technology, social impact, government, law, education, and finance sectors, the new trustees bring a wide range of experience and leadership that will help 91¾«Æ· further its mission.

“Our new trustees will bring invaluable connections and expertise to our global network,â€� said 91¾«Æ· CEO Carol Jenkins. “91¾«Æ· and 91¾«Æ· support individuals around the world to solve the most critical global issues of our time through a framework of human connections and education. With a breadth of skills, leadership, and relationships, our new board members will undoubtedly help us strengthen the important work we do.â€�

Elana Aquino has 20 years of experience as a practitioner and academic in international development, diplomacy, and global peacebuilding. She is the U.S. executive director at Peace Direct and a fellow for both the International Career Advancement Program and the International Peace and Security Institute and a board member of Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation. She has supported community-driven solutions for the return of internally displaced persons and locally driven women’s empowerment initiatives around the world.

Brandolon Barnett is an investor, author, and entrepreneur dedicated to merging technology and social impact to better move resources to those in need. He is the founder of The Regular App and is head of Innovation and Philanthropy at Giving Compass. He served as an elected advisory neighborhood commissioner in Washington, DC, and currently serves as a board member of Spur Local (formerly The Catalogue for Philanthropy). He actively mentors and invests in entrepreneurs of color.

Spencer Boyer is the deputy assistant secretary of defense for European and NATO policy. Under the Obama administration, he served a deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian Affairs and as national intelligence officer for Europe in the National Intelligence Council. Boyer has been an adjunct professor at Georgetown University, a senior fellow or visiting scholar with numerous think tanks, and the director of the Washington Office of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law.

Travis Feldler is a technology executive and the founder and CEO of TechRow. He co-authored The New York Times Virtual Reality Curriculum Guide and is an editorial contributor to the Learning Network section. He serves as an advisor to DREAMS at Teachers College, Columbia University, and the Harlem Renaissance Education Pipeline. As part of 91¾«Æ·â€™s student research program in Oman, Feldler conducted research on political and economic development in the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf.

Sean Kirk is a private investor and has worked on debt financing for Boeing, The World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, the government of Israel, and the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), among others. He worked as a proprietary trader specializing in distressed mortgage and asset-backed debt and started the structured trading department at Seaport Global Securities. Kirk is a board member for International Medical Response and previously was a board advisor to Women’s Emergency Network.

91¾«Æ· Inc. is a global organization that works to create a more sustainable, peaceful, and just world through international education, cultural exchange, and sustainable development programs. It is comprised of , a global development and exchange nonprofit organization; , a pioneer of abroad and virtual youth exchange programs since 1932; and 91¾«Æ·, a global university offering accredited undergraduate study abroad programs, including the comparative  and globally focused graduate degrees and certificates. For more information, visit

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91¾«Æ· today launches a broad campaign aimed at encouraging U.S. graduate and undergraduate students to study abroad on the African continent. “â€� asks students to challenge stereotypes and misconceptions, and to consider African locations that may be outside of their comfort zones.

“With this campaign, we are encouraging students to broaden their worldviews and consider decolonial perspectives—to experience the vibrant cultures and sustainable practices that make Africa a global hub for development, technology, research, and the arts,� said Dr. Sophia Howlett, president of SIT. “We are also restating our longstanding commitment to programming in Africa, where SIT has one of the largest program portfolios of any U.S. higher education institution or study abroad provider.�

We are encouraging students to broaden their worldviews and consider decolonial perspectives

SIT President Dr. Sophia Howlett

SIT offers 21 undergraduate programs in 10 countries in north Africa and south of the Sahara, including four comparative International Honors Programs that include African countries on a four-continent itinerary. Five of ³§±õ°Õ’s Global Master’s programs also spend a full semester in an African country.

“At SIT, we see it as an obligation to continue to offer high-quality programs for students to engage with Africa, African people, and the way countries and communities across the continent are confronting the world’s most critical global issues,� said SIT Provost Dr. Said Graiouid.

Although study abroad participation is rebuilding after a near shutdown during the pandemic, most U.S. students are now choosing westernized locations, such as Europe or Australia. The U.S. State Department’s annual Open Doors report showed a steady increase in U.S. students studying abroad in Africa starting in 2000. That trend began to reverse in 2018-19, even before the pandemic brought it to a standstill. Data for 2021-22 is expected to be released in November.

“We know, through our own program enrollment and from our institutional partners, that there is a sharp decrease in the number of U.S. students who are choosing to go to Africa, and in the number and location of programs available to them,� said Mory H. Pagel, SIT vice president for strategy. “This trend is of great concern.

“Global education is a critical component in the development of future citizens and leaders, whether they are in the public, private, or nonprofit sectors,� Pagel said. “Can you imagine the next generation of our workforce who have no relationship to Africa, the second most populous continent in the world where the median age is under 19 years old?�

“Africa: See for Yourself� encourages students to consider the continent’s rich array of cultural diversity, academic excellence, and transformative opportunities. Recognizing African countries’ significant contributions to history, sustainability, global health, education, politics, social justice, and advocacy, the campaign urges students to choose programs that provide a deeper understanding of the world.

³§±õ°Õ’s focus on a wide array of subjects, from hip-hop to global health to international relations. Many programs address climate change and sustainability through marine ecosystems, conservation, and social justice. Five of ³§±õ°Õ’s programs include a semester in Africa: climate change in Tanzania, diplomacy and international relations in South Africa, global health in Kenya, humanitarian assistance in Morocco, and sustainable development practice in South Africa and Malawi.

All SIT programs worldwide are developed around a framework of and are appropriate for students from a range of disciplines. of SIT programming include academic rigor, independent research or internship opportunities, homestays and language learning that create deep cultural immersion. The programs are grounded in authentic experiential learning that prompts students to think critically about a subject through a cycle of classroom learning, field visits, research, and reflection.

SIT programs are vetted through ongoing risk assessment and review. Programs are run by experienced local faculty and staff with deep community and regional partnerships. SIT also provides 24/7 access to student support in the U.S.

SIT is also collaborating with partner institutions and organizations to ensure continued student access to Africa programming and to explore additional opportunities. This year, SIT and Dickinson College announced an innovative new partnership for a program in Cameroon, which is open to all students.

In summer 2024, SIT and Dickinson College will also host a professional engagement program in Cameroon focused on decoloniality, sustainability, and epistemic justice for U.S.-based faculty and staff.

In addition, SIT is developing a five-week experiential seminar in Tanzania in summer 2024 with support from a U.S. Department of Education Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad grant. The program will introduce college and high school educators to the ways in which Tanzanian communities use local knowledge to address the impacts of climate change. The main goal of the program, said Project Director Dr. Jonathan Walz, chair of ³§±õ°Õ’s Global Master’s program Climate Change and Global Sustainability, is “to infuse African perspectives into U.S. classrooms and curricula when discussing climate change.â€�

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91¾«Æ·’s 57th commencement ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. (Eastern U.S.) on August 12, 2023, on the SIT campus, 1 Kipling Road, in Brattleboro, Vermont.

Thirty-nine students are slated to participate, either in person or online, to mark completion of their graduate-level programs in one certificate and 11 degree areas.

The keynote speaker at this year’s event is U.S. Ambassador (retired) and 91¾«Æ· Trustee Bisa Williams. Williams is a senior fellow at Yale University’s Jackson School of Global Affairs and a distinguished visiting professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Program in Peace, War, and Defense. She served with the U.S. Foreign Service in Africa, Central America, Europe, and the United States, and led the U.S. delegation to talks in Havana, Cuba. Appointed by President Barack Obama in 2010, she served for three years as ambassador to Niger.

Jana Scislowicz will deliver the student address. Scislowicz, who will receive her MA in Intercultural Service, Leadership and Management, has more than 19 years of experience in international development. As deputy chief of party for the USAID/Cambodia Inclusive Primary Education Activity for RTI International, she works to improve early-grade reading skills of children in primary schools in Cambodia. She has also served in the home office and as deputy chief of party for the USAID/Tanzania Tusome Pamoja Program. Scislowicz returned to SIT to complete her master’s degree after having studied abroad with SIT in Madagascar more than 20 years ago.

The faculty speaker is Dr. Azim Khan, co-chair of SIT’s MA in Global Health program. Khan also serves as program director and faculty for ³§±õ°Õ’s undergraduate International Honors Program in human rights. He has taught law, human rights, public health, and sustainable development at universities in the U.S. and India, and is a recipient of the Ford Foundation International Fellowship for Human Rights and a Scholar of Peace Fellowship by the Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Khan is also the founder of a K-12 school in his rural community, which was ranked as one of the most educationally and economically challenged areas in India.

Weather permitting, the commencement ceremony will take place on the lawn in front of the Boyce administration building on the SIT campus. In case of rain, it will be held in the Lowey International Center. The event will allso be live-streamed on SIT Graduate Institute’s .

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A 2018 SIT Ecuador alum will return to the Intag Valley, in one of just 25 “megabiodiverse� regions in the world, to monitor water quality in villages threatened by mining.

Patrick Robinson was named a 2023 , SIT announced this month. Robinson studied abroad on SIT in spring 2018. Then a student at the University of Virginia, he graduated in 2019 with a double major in global development studies and foreign affairs. Currently, he is a PhD candidate in sociocultural anthropology at University of Arizona.

“I am honored and delighted to have been named an ARS Fellow, and I look forward to supporting the ARS family’s mission of advancing human rights around the world,â€� Robinson said.

Alice Rowan Swanson Fellowships are awarded twice annually to SIT alumni seeking to pursue locally led human rights projects in the countries where they studied abroad. The fellowship was established in 2009 by the family of an SIT Nicaragua alumna as a tribute to her desire to bridge cultures and help others, and the role that SIT played in her life. A 2007 graduate of Amherst College, Alice Rowan Swanson was killed while riding her bicycle to work in 2008.

Ecuador’s Intag Valley is the site of a long-simmering dispute over mining and regional development. Government-granted mining concessions to foreign corporations now cover more than 90 percent of the valley. Robinson said local activists fear mining activity will damage the rare cloud forest ecology of their communities and annihilate traditional lifestyles that have characterized the valley for more than a century.

“There are few, if any, human rights more fundamental than the right to clean water, the right to a healthy natural environment, and the right to practice the traditional ways of life characteristic of one’s people and community,� Robinson wrote in his fellowship application. All these rights are threatened by the prospect of mining in Intag, he notes. “Large-scale open-pit copper and gold mining projects like those slated to begin in Intag are notorious for the extensive social and environmental damage they so often cause.�

In a recommendation for Robinson, Angel Flores and Graham Richards, members of a local parish council, said the mining conflict is causing “clear social and environmental consequences that are expected to worsen exponentially over the coming months, years, and decades.”

Robinson aims to collect water quality data to document environmental degradation resulting from exploratory mining operations in one community where local activists have already measured above-normal levels of arsenic, zinc, copper, and other metals. He will also collect samples to establish a baseline in several other communities where mining has not yet started.

“This documentation is essential,� Robinson wrote in his proposal. “Environmental damage must be recorded if communities are to successfully petition for a change.�

In addition to environmental impacts, Robinson notes that water quality degradation affects the local economy, including the region’s primary economic drivers: small-scale agriculture and livestock. “No community should be forced to renounce their traditional way of life because of decisions others make, over which they have no agency,� he states.

“By empowering local people to protect their lands, human rights, and traditional ways of life, I aim to bolster an alternative regional development strategy, espoused by many Inteños, that is based on the indigenous Andean cosmovision of Sumak Kawsay (good living) and that emphasizes environmental preservation and regeneration, participatory democracy, and respect for traditional lifeways.�

Alice Rowan Swanson Fellows are required to carry out projects that are locally led and in conjunction with local organizations. Robinson plans to work with two conservation organizations, �rea de Conservación y Uso Sostenible Municipal Intag Toisán (ACUSMIT) and Defensa y Conservación Ecológica de Intag (DECOIN), as well as members of one local parish council.

In 2018, Robinson conducted his SIT Independent Study Project in the village of Junín, where he lived with a homestay family and interviewed dozens of local stakeholders. He returned to the Intag region in 2019 with two UVA students where, over the next three months, they worked with local activists to choose test sites and collect samples for heavy metals analyses. They also coordinated and paid for wifi installation at a local ecotourism cooperative; worked with a small, U.S.-based alternative tourism agency on a marketing campaign; and collaborated with a local women’s plantain flour cooperative to help brand and support their products.

Citing his strong existing ties in the region, SIT Ecuador Academic Director Fabian Espinosa said Robinson “would be received as another member of the Intag community.”

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SIT and Dickinson College are pleased to announce a new partnership for study abroad in Cameroon that brings together programs that have operated independently in Cameroon over more than three decades for nearly 2,000 students.

This new partnership acknowledges the institutions’ shared values of fair-trade learning, ethical community engagement, reciprocity, diversity, equity, inclusion and access, and our long-term commitment to Cameroon and to high-quality study abroad opportunities on the African content.

“As the largest provider of study abroad programs on the African continent, SIT is thrilled to work more closely with Dickinson College, the 2022 recipient of The Forum on Education Abroad Award for Advancing the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals through Education Abroad, and a respected leader in infusing intercultural and global experiences and learning into all areas of their campus and curriculum,� said SIT Vice President of Innovation, Strategy, and Partnerships Mory Pagel.

The new partnership creates an interdisciplinary study abroad program that offers students the opportunity to study critical issues affecting local communities and people in Cameroon, West Africa, and the Global South. Taking a decolonial approach, the program focuses on learning from local sources and accessing local knowledge structures and epistemologies. Based in the Cameroonian capital of Yaoundé, students will examine development issues in Cameroon in the context of culture, politics, and the economy.

“Bringing together the expertise of Dickinson and SIT staff in Cameroon, who are now working collaboratively, expands our network of educators, program partners, and local experts,â€� said Dickinson’s Associate Provost and Executive Director Samantha Brandauer at the Center for Global Study and Engagement. “This gives students more opportunities in Cameroon, expands our course offerings, and further enhances programming that centers the student experience in Cameroon.â€�

Students on this undergraduate semester program will select courses from an intensive French-language track for advanced French learners, or an English track for students without a French background. In addition to language courses, students will take thematic seminars on Modernization and Social Change in Cameroon, Development Studies, Research Methods and Ethics, and have the option to choose between an Independent Study Project or an internship and seminar course.

For more information about the SIT and Dickinson College in Cameroon program, please contact Mory Pagel at SIT (mory.pagel@sit.) or Samantha Brandauer (brandaus@dickinson.edu) at Dickinson College.

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The U.S. Department of State has named SIT Graduate Institute as the Top English Language Fellow Producing Institution for 2022-23. Of the 192 English Language Fellows selected this year, nine are SIT alumni.

Through projects developed by U.S. embassies in more than 80 countries, fellows work directly with local teachers, students, and educational professionals to improve the quality of English language instruction offered at prestigious universities and other academic institutions.

The State Department will present SIT with an award during a ceremony on March 23 as part of the 2023 TESOL International Convention in Portland, Oregon. (TESOL is an acronym for teaching English to speakers of other languages.)

“On behalf of all the faculty and students who have worked together over the last 50-plus years to build this program, I want to extend my gratitude to the State Department for the English Language Fellow (ELF) program, which has allowed so many of our alumni opportunities to learn, grow, teach, and develop strong intercultural relationships across the world. In particular, I want to extend congratulations to this year’s fellows for their exceptional work and dedication to education that has led to this announcement,â€� said Dr. Leslie Turpin, chair of SIT’s MA in TESOL program.

SIT alumni selected as 2022-23 fellows are: Beth Barry, Loren Lee Chiesi, Bernadine Clark, Robert Emigh, Sharon Hannigan, Mary Burch Harmon, Geoffrey Moses, Mary Strabala, and Anita Tjan.

This marks the second time SIT’s MA in TESOL program has received an award from the ELF program. In 2019, SIT was cited as the top-producing institution since the program began keeping track in 2006. At that time, a total of 57 SIT alumni had served as fellows.

See: SIT ranked top institution for English Language Fellows program

“We are grateful to the U.S. Department of State for once again honoring SIT in this way,” said SIT President Dr. Sophia Howlett. “We see this award as a testament to the strength of our program and to the commitment of our extraordinary alumni, all those who serve as fellows as well as countless others engaged in English language teaching, training, and learning around the world.”

SIT’s MA in TESOL program was founded in 1969, when it evolved from the organization’s origins as a training center for early Peace Corps volunteers. Today, SIT has more than 3,000 MA in TESOL alumni. The program is presented in a two-year hybrid format that enables students to stay in their current jobs and communities as they complete coursework online, with brief summer residencies on the SIT campus in Vermont.

In 2019, Dr. Turpin and other professors added plurilingual pedagogy as a specialized track, making it the first TESOL program in the country to incorporate egalitarian approaches that celebrate diversity, mutual enrichment, and equity. At the time, Dr. Turpin said the changes were made to “more fully reflect new sociopolitical realities and invite a deeper exploration of the way linguistic and cultural diversity can enhance learning.”

See: Building peace through language

The English Language Fellow Program is an opportunity for experienced teachers of English to speakers of other languages to enact meaningful and sustainable changes in the way that English is taught abroad. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) with funding provided by the U.S. government.

“Fellows are able to achieve so much in their 10-month projects,” said Joseph Bookbinder, director of the Office of English Language Programs. “They advance English language learning, celebrate cultural diversity, encourage critical thought, and model professional and civic engagement. Every day in their classrooms and in their communities, they are citizen ambassadors for both the United States and for their alma maters.â€�

For more information about SIT’s MA in TESOL program, visit the website. For information about the ELF program, please visit the websites of the and the . For press inquiries about the ELF program, contact the Department of State by e-mail at ECA-Press@state.gov.

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BRATTLEBORO, Vermont—SIT Morocco and Scripps College alumna Nejra Kravic has been named the newest Alice Rowan Swanson Fellow, 91¾«Æ· announced today. Nejra participated in the spring 2020 program Morocco: Field Studies in Journalism and New Media, but her time in the country was cut short due to the outbreak of Covid-19. She graduated from Scripps College in 2021 with a major in media studies and a minor in Middle East and North Africa studies.

The was established in 2009 by the family of SIT Study Abroad alumna Alice Rowan Swanson as a living tribute to her desire to bridge cultures and help others, and the role that SIT Study Abroad played in her life. An alumna of SIT Nicaragua and a 2007 graduate of Amherst College, Alice was killed while riding her bicycle to work in 2008.

Media can be used to expose human rights violations, advocate for justice, raise awareness about critical issues, and empower marginalized communities to take action.

Nejra Kravic

“I am incredibly honored to have been selected for the Alice Rowan Swanson Fellowship,â€� said Nejra. “Beyond the immense privilege of being able to go back to Morocco after my experience abroad was cut short in 2020, it is an honor to continue Alice’s legacy of helping others and advancing human rights. I look forward to reconnecting with Moroccan culture in the coming months.â€�

For her fellowship project, Nejra plans to return to Morocco to partner with a nonprofit organization, Connect Institute, to conduct a series of media literacy workshops for young people. The goal of the workshops is to empower young Moroccans to think critically about the media, recognize its role in a democratic society, and see it as a tool for positive change and activism, she said.

Nejra said each workshop will have a different theme, such as misinformation, privacy, or social media activism, and would be “experiential and interactive, in true SIT fashion.�

Although the SIT journalism program in Morocco is no longer active, former Academic Director Daniel Bernard said Nejra’s project corresponds with one focus area of the SIT program: the evolution of the media sector in Morocco amid challenges such as competition for revenue in the digital era and government restrictions.

“Her proposal to partner with the Connect Institute is well-founded in that the institute was a firm partner in the study abroad program and has demonstrated its interest in working with international students to promote global values of pluralism,� he said.

Alice Rowan Swanson fellowships are awarded twice annually to SIT Study Abroad alumni seeking to pursue locally led human rights projects in the countries where they studied abroad.

“Even though largely forgotten and underrated in discussions about social justice, media rights are human rights,� Nejra wrote in her application. “In any of its forms, the media can be used to expose human rights violations, advocate for justice, raise awareness about critical issues, and empower marginalized communities to take action.�

Born and raised in Sarajevo, Nejra currently lives in Bosnia and Herzegovina and works as a freelance journalist. In addition to her study abroad experience, which included an internship at Morocco World News, in college she was editor of the Claremont Journal of International Relations. She has held numerous competitive internships and was a Peace and Security Fellow at ReThink Media in Washington D.C., focusing on diplomacy, security, and ending wars through strategic communications.

She won the prestigious Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics in 2021 for her essay on the modern challenges of Bosnian Muslimness. She is currently a fellow at the Witness Institute, a leadership program dedicated to continuing the work of Elie Wiesel. She is also a Humanity in Action Mapping Inequities 2022 Fellow and a UCLA Law 2022 Fellow. Her goal is to attend law school to focus on media law and press freedom.

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91¾«Æ· is pleased to announce the addition of three new board members to its board of trustees: Dr. Mahesh Daas, Nicole Isaac, and Virgil Miller. The cohort brings unique viewpoints and valued expertise in their respective fields of higher education leadership and management, law, communications, strategic planning, and public policy.

World Learning’s Board of Trustees represents The Experiment in International Living, 91¾«Æ·, and 91¾«Æ·â€™s global development and exchange programs.

“It is a privilege to welcome these accomplished individuals to our board,â€� said 91¾«Æ· CEO Carol Jenkins. “Each has a strong track record of leadership and an array of skills that will help strengthen the organization. We greatly appreciate their commitment to 91¾«Æ· and our mission to create a more sustainable, peaceful, and just world.â€�

Dr. Mahesh Daas serves as the eighth president of the Boston Architectural College. His career as an academic leader spans positions at diverse institutions including an Association of American Universities flagship university; two public, first-tier research universities; and an independent institution. In 2011, Daas became the youngest educator to be named an Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture Distinguished Professor and served as the 2021-22 chancellor of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture College of Distinguished Professors. He serves on the editorial board of the Construction Robotics Journal and has authored several books.

Daas earned a doctorate in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania; a master’s degree in urban design from Kansas State University; and a bachelor’s degree in architecture from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad, India. He also received executive certificates in business and nonprofit management from the University of Texas at Austin and Harvard University.

Nicole Isaac leads the content safety domain for the Strategic Response for Emerging Regulations in

Knowledge and Information at Google. Before Google, she managed the International Strategic Response team in the office of the CEO at Meta, focusing on global risk mitigation, and served as senior director of North America policy at LinkedIn. Isaac also served in the White House as special assistant to the president for Legislative Affairs and as deputy director of Legislative Affairs for then Vice President Biden. Isaac founded Code the Streets, a social impact accelerator, to increase technology in inner-city communities and serves on the United States Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad. 

She has a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University. She completed a master of studies degree in international human rights law at Oxford University and has a bachelor’s degree from Brown University.

Virgil Miller is senior policy advisor for Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP. He has managed a coalition of advocacy organizations for independent workers and provided pro bono counsel to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. He serves as the representative of his firm’s African American General Counsel program, which strengthens relationships between the firm, general counsels, and other corporate leaders from Fortune 500 companies. Previously, Miller served in several congressional positions, most recently as chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Cedric L. Richmond. There, he approved strategies and tactics on legislative issues and advised members on compliance requirements and applicable federal laws.

Miller is a 2020 recipient of the National Minority Quality Forum 40 Under 40 Leaders in Health Award and a recipient of the 2008 Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust Staff Leadership Award. He is a current member of the Corporate Advisory Council, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, and the Congressional Black Caucus Institute’s 21st Century Council. He received a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s of public health degree in epidemiology from Florida A&M University.

91¾«Æ· Inc. is a thriving global organization made up of , a global development and exchange nonprofit organization, , the nation’s most experienced provider of intercultural exchange programs abroad and virtual for high school students; and 91¾«Æ·, offering accredited undergraduate study abroad programs through , including the comparative , and internationally focused master’s degrees, certificate programs, and a doctorate through . For more than 90 years, the organization has delivered international education, cultural exchanges, and sustainable development. For more information, visit . 

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Dr. Colket has worked in international contexts in higher education, as well as in primary and secondary education. Prior to joining SIT, she was associate professor at St. George’s University in Grenada, where she designed and led a new Master of Education program and engaged in faculty development as associate director for Leadership & Excellence in Academic Development. She earned her master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, where she focused on international education, international development, practitioner inquiry, and educational leadership. Her edited volume, “,â€� models an inquiry process for educators’ engagement with teaching, learning, and professional transformation.

“The Graduate Institute’s cutting-edge experiential programs enable the next generation of leaders to confront critical global issues, such as climate change, global health, and social justice,� Dr. Colket said. “As associate dean, I am excited to draw upon my experience in designing and implementing higher education programs as I help lead our full-time and part-time global and hybrid doctoral and master’s degrees and certificate programs that tackle these important topics.�

Dr. Lumonya taught at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, for 14 years before serving as academic director with SIT on undergraduate Uganda and Rwanda semester and summer programs between 2001 and 2015, and as academic dean for ³§±õ°Õ’s Africa portfolio from 2015 to 2019. He has a deep passion for ³§±õ°Õ’s field-based experiential learning model and teaching effectiveness. He completed a bachelor’s degree in social work and social administration at Makerere University in Uganda in 1991, a master’s degree in social sector planning and management at the same university in 1999, and a PhD in development sociology at Cornell University in 2019.

“My long history with SIT and my passion for ³§±õ°Õ’s approach to experiential learning motivates me as associate dean for undergraduate studies,â€� Dr. Lumonya said. “I am excited to help lead our diverse portfolio of accredited summer and semester undergraduate programs in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, as well as comparative programs on multiple continents.â€�

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Lumonya and Dr. Colket as associate deans for undergraduate studies and the Graduate Institute, respectively,â€� said Dr. Said Graiouid, provost and dean of faculty. “Their accomplishments, leadership, and dedication to international education and student-centered programming make them excellent additions to ³§±õ°Õ’s leadership team. I am excited to work with them as we continue to offer programs that enable global leadership, learning, and scholarship for passionate students around the world.â€�

SIT offers accredited undergraduate study abroad programs through , including the comparative , and internationally focused master’s degrees, certificate programs, and a doctorate through .

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91¾«Æ· (SIT) and The Forum on Education Abroad today announced a new partnership to offer joint credentials and academic credit for The Forum’s Professional Certification in Education Abroad.

“Through this program, students and professionals who want to certify their knowledge and expertise in the practice of education abroad can now add two influential programs to their credentials and resumes,� said SIT Vice President for Innovation, Strategy, and Partnerships Mory Pagel.

The Forum on Education Abroad is a nonprofit, membership association that provides training and resources to education abroad professionals. SIT offers global undergraduate study abroad programs and accredited graduate degrees, including two MAs and an EdD in international and global education. SIT has been an organizational partner of The Forum since its founding in 2000.

“This partnership brings together SIT, a leader in the field of global higher education, and The Forum on Education Abroad, the Standards Development Organization for Education Abroad, to shape the next generation of professionals in the field. In addition to this must-have credential, everyone who enrolls in The Forum’s Professional Certification is now also eligible for SIT graduate credit,� said Dr. Marissa Lombardi, The Forum on Education Abroad’s Executive Director of Training, Programs and Services.

Starting this month, students enrolled in any of SIT Graduate Institute’s programs can earn the professional certification and two academic credits by completing the elective courses. Non-matriculated participants enrolled through The Forum can choose to earn graduate credit from SIT in addition to the certification.

Courses will be taught by adjunct faculty from The Forum’s pool of trained facilitators. Dr. Sora Friedman, chair of ³§±õ°Õ’s MA in International Education, will monitor faculty and course quality.

“This new partnership with The Forum will enable students to gain an additional professional credential in the design, delivery, and management of education abroad programs from a leading professional association,â€� said Friedman.

“SIT has long been training practitioners who are working and engaged in the field of education abroad, and I think The Forum looked to us as a major contributor to the field by producing outstanding professionals who are working in international education offices around the country and the world,� said Pagel. “At SIT, we see the value that The Forum brings to the field in setting standards of best practice—standards that, as a Forum member, we subscribe to fully.�

The courses are structured around an academic semester model with a revised curriculum grounded in the latest pedagogy. Designed to have a practical application, each course includes a series of modules based on The Forum’s “Standards of Good Practice� and a culminating project. Topics will cover education abroad program design and management; health, safety, and well-being as it pertains to study abroad; advising; orientation; student learning and development; and assessment.

Individuals who complete the certification will be recognized on The Forum’s website and can use The Forum’s “Certified Professional� mark on resumes, email signatures, business cards, letterhead, and websites. Special recognition is also given at The Forum’s Annual and European Conferences.

Matriculated students may find more information about the programs, and links to enroll, on the . Non-matriculated participants may enroll on The Forum’s .

SIT is a part of the 91¾«Æ· Inc. family. 91¾«Æ· Inc. is a global organization made up of , a global development and exchange nonprofit organization, , the nation’s most experienced provider of intercultural exchange programs abroad and virtual for high school students; and School for International Training, offering accredited undergraduate study abroad programs through , including the comparative , and internationally focused master’s degrees, certificate programs, and a doctorate through . For more than 90 years, the organization has delivered international education, cultural exchanges, and sustainable development. For more information, visit sit.edu. 

The Forum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, membership association recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission as the  for the field of education abroad. The Forum provides  and  to education abroad professionals and its  are recognized as the definitive means by which the quality of education abroad programs may be judged. The Forum’s mission is to cultivate educators who champion high quality education abroad experiences that ignite curiosity, impact lives, and contribute to a better world.

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BRATTLEBORO—SIT Professors Emeriti Beatriz and Alvino Fantini were honored on May 19 for their decades of service to 91¾«Æ· and 91¾«Æ· during a celebratory dinner on the SIT campus.

“Tonight, we honor individuals who have given so much to our organization over the years—Beatriz and Alvino Fantini—two people who personify the words ‘international education’ and ‘intercultural understanding’,� said SIT President Dr. Sophia Howlett.

Between them, the Fantinis have dedicated more than 100 years of service to the Experiment, SIT and 91¾«Æ·. Acknowledging the work Alvino Fantini has done to preserve and document the history of the organizations, 91¾«Æ· Board Chairman Lawrence Cooley announced that the institutional archives, which are housed on the SIT campus, will be named The Alvino E. Fantini Institutional Archives.

“Bea once said, ‘I am a product of education abroad. Its rewards are immeasurable,’� Cooley said. “Bea, yours and Alvino’s contributions over these many years have rewarded us in immeasurable ways.�

The event was one of several planned around the world this year to commemorate the 90^th anniversary of The Experiment in International Living, the program that led to the creation of SIT and 91¾«Æ·. It was attended by SIT alumni and the 91¾«Æ· board of directors, current and former SIT and 91¾«Æ· administrators, staff, and faculty, and family members of some of the organizations’ founders. State Rep. Michelle Bos-Lun, a SIT Graduate alumna, was among the guests.

Alvino Fantini began his association with SIT and World Learning as an Experiment program participant to Mexico in 1954. Nearly 70 years later, he said he remains in touch with his Mexican homestay family. “It changed my life,� he said of his study abroad experience. “It changes lives. We hear it over and over again.�

Today, he has a PhD in linguistics and language education, holds degrees in Latin American studies and anthropology, and has published widely on international education and intercultural and language learning. He also helped transform the Sandanona estate into the current SIT campus.

Alvino Fantini recounted how, when he helped start the archives in 2003, he and a team of volunteers scoured southern Vermont to retrieve photographs, documents, publications and other material from barns and closets, and even the trunk of a colleague’s car. She had been using the heavy file boxes as ballast during Vermont’s snowy winters. Today, the archives are comprised of 30 collections of material across three floors.

Beatriz Céspedes, the daughter of a Bolivian diplomat, was born in Italy, has lived in Peru, Venezuela, and Argentina, and speaks Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. She joined SIT as a Spanish teacher and Experiment co-leader in the 1960s. “I provided the first foreign accent to the institution,� she joked. “Now we have many.�

Beatriz and Alvino married in 1966. Over the years, both have served the organization in myriad roles including as staff, faculty, committee leads, advisors, and more.

Beatriz Fantini recalled how she taught Spanish to Experimenters, developed material for African language programs, and taught Spanish to members of the U.S. Coast Guard and the Red Cross. “These are some of the opportunities this organization has given to me,� she said.

Yet, some of her most rewarding moments as a teacher are connected to her return to the classroom just this year to help develop and deliver an English-language curriculum for Afghan refugees. “To teach and work with the Afghan refugees has been a highlight of my career,â€� she said. In ³§±õ°Õ’s true experiential learning fashion, she said the reward came not just from helping refugees learn a new language, but also being able to learn about the culture and the people of Afghanistan.

91¾«Æ· Inc. is a thriving global organization made up of , a global development and exchange nonprofit organization, , the nation’s most experienced provider of intercultural exchange programs abroad and virtual for high school students; and 91¾«Æ·, offering accredited undergraduate study abroad programs through , including the comparative , and internationally focused master’s degrees, certificate programs, and a doctorate through . The organization is now in its 90th year delivering international education, cultural exchanges, and sustainable development. For more information, visit worldlearning.org. 

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The anniversary’s theme, “One World, Learning,â€� highlights the interconnection between 91¾«Æ·â€™s three branches, which all aim to create a more sustainable, peaceful, and just world through education, development, and exchange.

“As we honor our 90th year, our work has never been more relevant. With this anniversary comes an opportunity to honor our past, acknowledge the challenges of the present, and look with hope toward the future,â€� said 91¾«Æ· CEO Carol Jenkins.

The Experiment in International Living began in 1932 with Watt’s innovative and modest vision – people should learn to live together by living together. He promoted peace through intercultural understanding by taking young Americans abroad to live with and learn from other cultures.

“Right from the first, the Watt trips were taken seriously, not as a form of ‘school,’ but as a different type of educational challenge – physically, mentally, and emotionally,� wrote Watt’s daughter, the late Phyllis Watt Ingersoll.

Ninety years later, that experiential learning approach remains the bedrock of The Experiment’s life-changing programs for high school students. It is also the foundational principle behind the organizations that grew from Watt’s original experiment: 91¾«Æ·, an accredited provider of undergraduate and graduate education on seven continents; and 91¾«Æ·, a global nonprofit organization with education, development, and exchange programs spanning more than 150 countries.

The anniversary will include a series of events throughout 2022 that highlight the importance of intercultural understanding and inspire support for the work ahead.

91¾«Æ· Board Chairman Lawrence Cooley said that work is crucial.

“Around the world, our students and program participants, faculty and staff build innovation and hope from challenges – whether that’s conflict, climate change, racism, or global health. Together, we are finding ways to learn and grow in our communities and countries. We are coming together to devise solutions and expand our understanding of one another. It’s clear to us that these solutions are essential, especially in today’s world,� Cooley said.

Still headquartered on a scenic campus above Brattleboro, Vermont, 91¾«Æ· today also has headquarters in Washington, D.C., and program centers across the globe.

With some 70,000 alumni, The Experiment still sends hundreds of U.S. teenagers abroad each summer for life-changing experiences. SIT Study Abroad offers more than 80 undergraduate programs, including multi-country comparative programs through the International Honors Program. SIT Graduate Institute provides internationally focused graduate-level degrees addressing the world’s most critical global issues. And 91¾«Æ· oversees programs with participants worldwide, including thousands of emerging leaders who come to the United States on international professional, academic, and youth exchanges.

“In the sweep of nine decades, we have grown and evolved, changed and innovated to address the critical needs and conversations of our times. We are one world, learning,� said Jenkins. “This year, we are inviting friends around the world to join us as we build on these accomplishments.�

In-person and virtual events, receptions, and programs will be held throughout 2022 and will be posted on website.

Moments in 91¾«Æ· history:

• Immediately following World War II, The Experiment begins sending groups to western Europe to help rebuild communities. These were some of the first-generation community service and volunteer programs to be built into intercultural education. 

• Seeking to attract the most dynamic students from across the U.S., in 1940, The Experiment offers scholarships to young people from different geographic and socioeconomic backgrounds – a practice that continues today. More than 50 percent of Experimenters receive some form of financial support.

• The Experiment is a founding member of Federation EIL, Inc., an independent nonprofit organization that brings together a global network of organizations in 17 countries. Federation EIL members promote intercultural immersive experiences through homestays, study abroad programs, language training, and work exchanges. 

• In 1961, President John F. Kennedy names former Experimenter Sargent Shriver as the first director of the new Peace Corps. Shriver turns to The Experiment President Gordon Boyce to help train the first Peace Corps volunteers at Experiment headquarters in southern Vermont.

• In 1964, Peace Corps training activities lead to the establishment of an academic institution, 91¾«Æ·. Later, The Experiment’s Cooperative Overseas Program, a program for university students, evolves into SIT Study Abroad, growing to enroll more than 2,000 participants annually.

• In the mid-1970s, the organization puts decades of experience into practice through a Projects and Grants unit that manages grant-funded assistance programs in developing countries. It also begins expanding its portfolio of international exchange programs. These two units eventually merge to become 91¾«Æ·, the nonprofit global education, development, and exchange arm.

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91¾«Æ· and 91¾«Æ· are pleased to announce the appointment of Sarah Ingersoll to its Board of Trustees. Ingersoll is the granddaughter of the organization’s founder, Donald Watt, and the daughter of Phyllis Watt Ingersoll, who was an active leader and trustee for decades.

“It is a privilege to welcome Sarah to our Board,â€� said 91¾«Æ· CEO Carol Jenkins. “Her involvement will continue her family’s legacy with the organization, advancing peace through understanding, communication, and cooperation. Sarah’s deep relationship with the organization as well as her expertise in social impact strategy will be an asset as we work towards a more sustainable, equitable, and just world for all living and future generations.â€�

Ingersoll is a social entrepreneur who leverages media, technology, money, and partnerships for good. She has been a leader of collaboratives with the White House, Fortune 500 companies, investors, foundations, artists, youth, and nonprofits, addressing issues from healthcare and juvenile justice to democracy and conservation. Her current projects include the Amazon Investor Coalition, a network of investors and philanthropies working to increase and improve sustainable investments in the Amazon rainforest, and ValuesAdvisor, a platform to connect high net worth investors to financial advisors with impact expertise. While at National Geographic, she managed initiatives for the new innovation lab and global partnerships team, including directing a partnership with Microsoft AI for Earth. Prior to that, Ingersoll was director of innovation strategy and marketing at MedStar Health. She also directed Text4baby, a partnership between Johnson & Johnson, the Wireless Association, and White House Office of Science & Technology Policy, which inspired 650,000 mothers to use the maternal health innovation. Ingersoll holds a BA from the University of California at Santa Cruz, and a MEd from Harvard University. Ingersoll also participated in The Experiment in International Living in France as a teenager.

The Experiment, which Donald Watt founded in 1932, was a model for the Peace Corps and is now the flagship program of 91¾«Æ·, a thriving global organization, which includes the higher education institution School for International Training, global development initiatives, and life-changing exchange programs with participants from over 150 countries annually. The Experiment is the nation’s most experienced provider of immersive summer programs abroad for high school students and a leader in international virtual exchange. With a strong focus on diversity, The Experiment works with an extensive partner network to recruit participants from a wide range of socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, and geographic backgrounds; provide scholarships; and support students before, during, and after their programs.

“My grandfather’s vision, with his wife Leslie’s support, was to cultivate intercultural understanding and respect. My mother Phyllis embodied this vision in everything she did,â€� said Ingersoll. “I am delighted that the new Phyllis Watt Ingersoll Experiment Fund at 91¾«Æ· is honoring her life-time commitment, and I’m excited to continue our family’s commitment to 91¾«Æ·â€™s lasting principles and its impact.â€�

91¾«Æ· Inc. is a thriving global organization made up of , the nation’s most experienced provider of immersive summer programs abroad for high school students and a leader in international virtual exchange; 91¾«Æ·, offering accredited undergraduate study abroad programs through , including the comparative , and internationally focused master’s degrees, certificate programs, and a doctorate through ; and , a global development and exchange nonprofit organization.

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These scholarships are part of ³§±õ°Õ’s longstanding efforts to provide financial support to as many students as possible, as scholarships are an essential tool to ensure that diverse identities and perspectives are represented within ³§±õ°Õ’s learning community and beyond.

“From the COVID-19 pandemic to climate pressures, racial justice movements, expanding crises—the potential for change is everywhere,� says SIT President Dr. Sophia Howlett. “We are so pleased to be able to offer these scholarships to support students during this pivotal moment.�

SIT Graduate Institute degrees provide the theory and practice needed to take on today’s most critical global issues—whether students want to stay in their job and learn or immerse themselves in one of ³§±õ°Õ’s . All three scholarships are merit based and can apply to both part-time hybrid and full-time global SIT master’s programs*. 

The first scholarship, the Alumni Advantage, is an $8,000 award for alumni of The Experiment in International Living or SIT Study Abroad programs, to enable alumni to continue their learning journey within the SIT and larger 91¾«Æ· community.  

The second, the Vermonter, is an $8,000 award for applicants living in Vermont, where ³§±õ°Õ’s campus has been based since the early 1960’s, when it was founded as a training center for Peace Corps. As a proud member of the Vermont community, SIT is dedicated to strengthening the Vermont workforce, advancing leadership skills within the state, and providing global opportunities for Vermonters.

The Northern Neighbors scholarships, seeks to extend ³§±õ°Õ’s global opportunities to its neighbors throughout the northeast of the United States. This $5,000 award is for applicants living elsewhere New England^† or in New York state, neighbors to ³§±õ°Õ’s historic campus in Vermont, and it is focused on supporting globally minded citizens in these states.

To learn more about these, and other available scholarships, please visit the . SIT is committed to ensuring all prospective students have the information needed to successfully access funding to for their graduate education.

“The world is waiting on the next generation of leaders,� adds Dr. Howlett. “Change starts with their unique voices and ideas.�

For all three scholarships, all applicants with demonstrated qualifications will be automatically considered for an eligible SIT scholarship. No additional application is required. However, qualified applicants may not receive more than one SIT scholarship.  

* These scholarships are not applicable for ³§±õ°Õ’s Doctorate in Global Education (EdD). 

^† The Northern Neighbors scholarship is available to students residing in New England outside of Vermont, which includes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island, as well as New York State.

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91¾«Æ· (SIT) is the accredited higher institution within the World Learning Inc. family, which also includes 91¾«Æ· and The Experiment in International Living. SIT is composed of SIT Graduate Institute, SIT Study Abroad, and the International Honors Program.

SIT Graduate Institute, a pioneer in experiential education for more than 50 years, offers part-time hybrid and global master’s degrees, certificate programs, and a doctorate focused on some of the most critical global issues. Fields of study include climate change and global sustainability, conflict transformation and peace and justice leadership, international and global education, sustainable development, and TESOL.

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