SIT Study Abroad: Argentina: Social Mvmts. & Human Rights

This program was truly unforgettable. I learned more than I could ever imagine both inside and outside of the classroom. I made invaluable connections and lifelong friendships and I was supported by incredible administrative staff. I highly recommend this program for anyone who is adventurous, serious about academics, and wanting to learn more about themselves and the world.

This program provided me with an experience that was truly life-changing in every way I am incredibly thankful for. As cliché as it may sound, I can genuinely say that I view the world differently now. The program changed the way I interact with people, animals, nature, and the world around me. I learned so much academically, but what made the experience especially meaningful was how reciprocal and personal the teaching felt. The curriculum and teaching styles were adapted to what worked best for each individual student. You could tell that the people who managed the program put their hearts, souls, and so much of their lives into making it a meaningful experience for us. The Independent Study Project was also extremely fulfilling. We were given the tools to conduct field-based research and learned through both guidance and trial and error. That is a skill that will be useful for anything we decide to pursue in academia, whether that is future research, a senior thesis, or graduate school. Every community we visited was memorable, and every person we met left a piece of themselves with me. I still think about the conversations we had, the stories people shared, and the generosity with which they welcomed us into their communities. The homestay and cultural immersion aspects of the program were equally important for me as I learned so much about Argentine culture through the shared meals with my wonderful host family. By the end of the program, and even now as i write this, I truly feel like I found a third home in Argentina.

The program directors, host families, and every person we met made this experience incredible. I learned so much and felt very supported at every step. I feel like I have a leg up in life having done this program.

The experience of field-based learning and cultural immersion has left a remarkable impact on me that I will undoubtedly never forget. As a Black and queer student, I have developed so much as a person, as a student, a creative, a friend, a community member, etc. I have learned more about myself through exposure to things both familiar and unfamiliar. I am more confident sure of who I am because of this program. Additionally I've developed knowledge of human rights histories and current issues and fostered the skills to articulate effective action items accordingly.

No words can ever fully express my love and gratitude for this program and what it has provided me. The cultural experience alone was nothing like I ever could have imagined. I was matched with the best host family and everything else fell into place. The people I met, and the memories I made are priceless. I was able to conduct research that helped me learn so much about the community at hand but also myself as a student and person. I would chose this program again in a heartbeat and am forever grateful for the friends and memories I can hold in my heart forever.

My time in Argentina truly changed my life. It might sound corny and repetitive, but I don’t have any other words to perfectly sum up my experience with the SIT: Social Movements and Human Rights program. Living as a local for four months in Buenos Aires and being able to explore different parts of Argentina in ways out of the ordinary was the most fulfilling experience I could have asked for.

Passionate, committed students looking for an immersive and meaningful study abroad experience look no further! I can confidently say that this experience changed my life. From living in a homestay to traveling the entire country on field trips, from learning from leading professors in social movements, law, and history to completing an incredible internship, I can't think of a better way to deeply engage with this wonderful country. Plus, the local staff is so supportive – I truly felt at home here...so much so that I changed my summer plans to continue working at my SIT-assigned internship, and am planning to return next year!

I had an amazing time living in Buenos Aires and I felt very immersed in Argentinian life! I also greatly appreciated the opportunities we had to visit various indigenous communities— I learned valuable lessons that I will apply throughout the rest of my life!

SIT Social Movements and Human Rights is an immersive and educational program that helps you build incredible relationships with new people and places. I loved living with my homestay and learning the city of Buenos Aires.

I loved my study abroad experience! The program leaders did an excellent job orchestrating immersive learning experiences through visiting indigenous communities, grassroots advocacy initiatives, and international rights organizations. Between our excursions to Patagonia, Salta, and Jujuy, I gained a comprehensive understanding of Argentina as a vast, diverse country. Living with my host family was a wonderful and enriching experience that I will always be grateful for. This program attracts the most interesting, passionate students with whom I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to form connections.

This program was a really unique and immersive experience, and very different from most study abroad options. What first drew me in was the chance to live with a host family, which made everything feel more real and personal. It helped me connect with the culture in a way that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. The program team is super supportive and genuinely cares about you. They’re around the whole time and make sure you’re getting the most out of your time abroad. Academically, the classes were really interesting. We dove deep into topics about Argentina with professors who are experts in their fields and clearly passionate about what they teach. There’s also a lot of time to explore Buenos Aires, which is such a fun and exciting city. One of the coolest parts of the program is the group trips. We traveled to different regions, including places where we met and learned from indigenous communities, which was something I hadn’t experienced before. At the end of the program, you choose between doing an internship or a research project. I chose research, and the program connected me with great resources and mentors to help guide my work. Overall, it was a super meaningful experience, both academically and personally.

This is a great program for both the people who have never been to America Latina and the people who have traveled to the region before. The program directors do such a great job of introducing new people to the culture while helping those already familiar with it grow in their knowledge of South America’s political, social, cultural, economic, and religious landscape. Please consider this for your study abroad option; you won’t regret it <3

I had a wonderful time in abroad with SIT Argentina: Social Movements and Human Rights. This program is truly unique, in its ability to not only immerse you culturally and linguistically in Argentina, but also to expose you to all of the incredible organizing, resilience, and friendliness of Argentinian people from across the country. If you are looking to know Argentina as a country (not just Buenos Aires) this program is for you. The program directors ensure that you have enriching experience filled with field-based learning exposing students to different grassroots organizations, introducing them to notable Argentinian scholars and activists, and allowing students to culturally immerse and challenge themselves through living with a host family. This program was incredible to me because it allowed me to immerse myself in the social and political of Argentinian people across the country and connect and build my own community away from home. My experience with my host family was unforgettable and I built a bond that I will treasure for the rest of my life. It gave me the opportunity to connect, to accompany, and to be in community with others. If you're looking for a country and a program that knows community and how to be in community with each other this is the program for you.

I loved SIT: Social Movements and Human Rights in Argentina. They are wonderful at matching students with host families and great at building a community within the study abroad program. The trips to Salta, Jujuy, Rosario, and Patagonia were a wonderful way to see the mountains and other parts of Argentina while still spending the majority of the time in a big city. I highly recommend studying abroad in Buenos Aires!

No regrets! I wouldn't have been able to have the experiences I had without the facilitation of the program. It was a great semester especially because of the homestay and thoughtful, meaningful travel and visits.

I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to attend the SIT Social Movements and Human Rights program in Buenos Aires, Argentina! This program facilitated invaluable educational experiences, helping each student immerse themselves in the culture and the material in countless ways. The program coordinators were some of the most wonderful people I've ever met. They were welcoming, compassionate, knowledgeable, and always went above and beyond to support me and my classmates throughout the semester. The same can be said for the host families we all lived with. I know my parents were relieved when they learned I was in such good hands! Also, the program coordinators believed deeply in the material, and genuinely cared about helping us develop a similar passion for social movements and human rights. Perhaps my favorite part of the program was the Independent Study Project that each student got to complete at the end. We were each encouraged to take our project in a direction that was unique to our particular interests, and we received as much support as we needed while the projects developed. During my project, I had the chance to live with an indigenous community, where I met and interviewed community members, shared meals and laughs, sat in on some classes at the elementary school, and learned about their spiritual identity. This semester was one of the most formative times in my life. I returned home more curious, compassionate, connected to the world around me, motivated, and inspired to use my life to help others. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything!

I absolutely loved my experience, from the programs staff, to my host family to our planned; trips, classes and activities, all were fantastic! I entered the program with; a fair amount of exposure to spanish emersion environments, questionable but consistent background in spanish from high school, 2 semesters of college spanish and a year break between when I took spanish and when I went abroad. I also am dyslexic, so learning language in a classroom is more difficult for me. I was unique in my SIT student cohort, because almost everyone had more spanish credits then I did. At first the full emersion aspect of the program was overwhelming because it used so much energy to translate everything, while adjusting to learning my new day to day schedule. But it was definitely worth it to stick it out and probably my favorite aspect of the program. By the end of the semester I left feeling confident navigating and communicating in full emersion environment, a skill I’d abandoned mastering in a classroom due to my dyslexia. I would recommend this program to any and all!

Dear reader, do yourself a favor and apply! This study abroad opportunity was so phenomenal. I had previously studied abroad and this experience was by far the better experience due to the incredibly wonderful professors and staff in Buenos Aires, my wonderful host mom (and the wonderful host parents of my friends too), the fabulous city and wonderful friends I met. I had the opportunity to do the ISP option which was so rewarding -- I am so proud of what I came up with and grateful for all the support I received along the way. You will learn so much and have so much fun. DO IT.

The SIT Argentina program was an incredibly formative academic and personal experience. With a strong foundation in Spanish, I found the coursework to be intellectually engaging and well-paced, though even students with less language experience were able to succeed thanks to the supportive and accessible teaching environment. The small cohort size allowed for deep discussions and consistent interaction with professors, and the classroom component was enriched by two weeks of fieldwork, which brought our studies to life in a powerful way. The local staff were one of the program’s greatest assets—deeply caring, present, and helpful long after the program ended. While my individual housing situation was not ideal and my host family did not provide great meals, I believe that was an exception rather than the norm. Outside of that, Argentina offered fantastic and affordable food options, though being vegetarian was a bit limiting. Socially, I enjoyed exploring the city through daily swims, café hopping, and public transportation, even if I didn’t prioritize making local friends. Health services, including therapy and acupuncture, were easy to access and well-coordinated by SIT. I felt safe throughout my time there by using common sense and being aware of my surroundings. Financially, the favorable exchange rate made it easy to live on a student budget. Ultimately, this program launched two thesis projects and laid the groundwork for my Fulbright application and master’s degree. I would absolutely choose it again.

SIT's Social Movements and Human Rights program in Buenos Aires far exceeded my expectations. The second I arrived at the airport in Argentina, I was greeted by incredibly kind, thoughtful, and organized staff that completely set the tone for the rest of the semester. All the program coordinators are amazing, willing to help with anything and everything and completely dedicated to ensuring that all students are happy and comfortable. The orientation is incredibly helpful to orient yourself in the city, learn how things work, and tips for safety in a big city. My home-stay situation was also better than I could have imagined. My host parents were wonderful and welcoming and understood that I needed to balance creating relationships with them, exploring the city, classwork, and friends. I was able to visit my host family after I left and imagine that I will do so in the future too! The academic side of the program was thoughtful and organized. The directors really help clarify the differences between expectations of students in the US and Argentina—schoolwork during this program felt rigorous, but not competitive, with flexibility from professors. The trips to the north and south of the country complement the coursework and break up time in the city. The pace of the courses can feel very quick and the trips can be tiring, but it is entirely worth it to be able to take advantage of all that the program has to offer. My favorite part of the program and the city of Buenos Aires was the people. Everyone is incredible kind, inclusive, and patient with language-learners. There are tons of opportunities to get involved with different communities or explore the city. You have to take initiative to engage social events outside the program, but it is incredibly easy to find things to do! I feel so grateful that I ended up in Buenos Aires and with SIT specifically—I felt welcomed, engaged, and comfortable during my semester in Argentina. I did not personally have medical needs, but I know program staff was incredibly attentive when issues popped up. Local healthcare is easily accessible. The program does not require any specific vaccines, although I got a few for purposes of travelling after my program ended.