Alice Rowan Swanson Fellowship applications due Oct. 1

Announcement Date: September 4, 2019

Applications are open through Tuesday, October 1, for the Alice Rowan Swanson Fellowship, which gives SIT Study Abroad and IHP alumni an opportunity to return to the country where they studied abroad to carry out a human rights-based project. Alumni are eligible to receive grants of up to $5,000 for their projects.

The Alice Rowan Swanson Fellowship 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 the role that SIT Study Abroad played in her life. An Amherst College ’07 graduate, Alice was killed while riding her bike to work in Washington, DC, in 2008. Alice’s family believes she would have spent her life advancing human rights abroad, particularly in developing countries.

Fellowship projects should originate in local, grassroots ideas from within the community, as opposed to theoretical ideas about development and education derived by the fellow. Some recent projects include: building a research and education center with an identity-endangered tribe in northeast India; educating young people in Rwanda about reproductive health; creating a disability awareness program in Indonesian schools; and creating a documentary film about the struggles of an indigenous community in Panama.

Fellowship applications are accepted twice a year, with application deadlines on October 1 and March 1 each year. All materials must be submitted by 5 p.m. EST on those dates. 

Find out more on our website.