Kenya: Urbanization, Health, and Human Rights

Educational Excursions

“One of my favorite things about SIT is its commitment to experiential learning. Rather than sit in a classroom all day, we visited organizations, spoke to Kenyans about current issues, lived with host families, engaged in fieldwork, and more.”

Catherine Matthews, University of Richmond

Excursions give students highly interactive, hands-on learning opportunities that complement coursework conducted in the classroom. Excursions range from multi-week to single-day study trips.

In past semesters, the program has visited the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) on the outskirts of Nairobi; the Mathare Youth Sports Association (one of the most celebrated success stories of urban African development); the Nyumbani AIDS Hospice for HIV-positive orphans; and Malindi, a historic fishing community and tourist destination on Kenya’s north coast grappling with a host of attendant social and health issues.

Excursions may also include Kisumu, on Lake Victoria; Nakuru, Kenya’s fourth-largest urban center and Rift Valley provincial capital; Lamu, a UNESCO World Heritage site and traditional Swahili coastal community poised for monumental change; and Konza Techno City, aka Kenya’s Silicon Savannah, a master-planned site near Nairobi.

Seminar excursions
Seminar excursions focus on particular themes developed in readings, lectures, and class discussions, allowing for firsthand exploration from among the many resources throughout Kenya. The location and theme of the seminar excursions may vary.

Excursions are subject to change; please note that not all of these segments may be possible in a given semester.