SIT capstones set for May 3-5
Announcement Date: April 26, 2022
Students completing their master's degree programs at SIT Graduate Institute will present their final capstone projects May 3-5, 2022. Times listed below are EDT. Members of the public are invited to attend these virtual presentations. Please email [email protected] to RSVP and receive a link.
Tuesday, May 3, 10-11:30 a.m.
An Assessment of Economic Empowerment Projects for Vulnerable Women in Jordan
Megan Nugent, MA in Humanitarian Assistance and Crisis Management
This analysis assesses the impact of economic empowerment projects implemented for vulnerable women in Jordan. The key findings focus on several themes discussed by the women, including the need for additional business training and development in addition to skills-based programs; positive social community integration among participants as a result of economic empowerment programs in Jordan; the ability for women economic empowerment programs to the impact traditional gender roles in the society; insufficient availability of offered programs; and the desired occupations among vulnerable women in Jordan. The results of this study are not intended to be representative of the entire vulnerable population in Jordan, but rather offer perspectives from a sample of beneficiates’ experiences to provide constructive feedback to implementing actors.
Intercultural Learning Program for Wyoming High School Youth
Jordan Limoges, MA in International Education
Opportunities to experience intercultural learning and gain intercultural competence are rare for high school students in the state of Wyoming. A proposed program, Intercultural Learning for Wyoming High School Youth, provides Wyoming high school students with an immersive intercultural learning experience to build their intercultural competence, while also contributing to students’ holistic development. This is a short-term, affordable, instructor-led program for students to experience intercultural learning through travel to a domestic U.S. destination over a summer break. The program includes a 10-day intercultural learning experience in a Latinx-majority neighborhood in Chicago with a rich history of culture and activism, and concludes with a three-day “returns” component held in Wyoming, during which students reflect and complete assessment activities.
Tuesday, May 3, 12-1:30 p.m.
Impact of Community Radio on
Community Development in the United States
Jillian Hermansky, MA in Sustainable Development
This research evaluates the role of community radio in the United States in communication and information sharing and promoting sustainable social change and development. Findings indicated that community radio stations in the United States serve as a communication and information sharing resource to aid communities in overcoming challenges arising from the digital divide. The findings also demonstrated that community radio provides direct development benefits to communities such as aiding in grassroots initiatives, community building, empowering community members, promoting diversity and inclusion, among others. If provided proper support to overcome barriers and ensure the sustainability of the field, community radio could prove a valuable tool for communities to achieve sustainable social change and development.
Tuesday, May 3, 2-3:30 p.m.
Foodways in Chile: A Bridge Back to Nature
Kayla Weiss, MA in International Education
Not only is food a necessity to life, it is uniquely tied to understanding culture, history, and other aspects of a society. This study arose from recognizing this influence and importance. I took the opportunity to better understand how Birchwood College might be an optimal site for a short-term study abroad program based in food studies. The research findings offered insights on the integration of food studies with education abroad by way of sustainability education; how to best align a short-term program with the school’s mission and gain institutional support; and pedagogical and curriculum considerations. This needs assessment and resulting findings informed a program design for a short-term, faculty-led course, Foodways in Chile, which has its foundations in experiential learning, the cultural transitions model, and critical pedagogies. While a case study into the specific context of one college, this research offers a foundation for future research on integrating food studies as a method of cultural education that fosters environmental stewardship.
Wednesday, May 4, 10-11:30 a.m.
The Relationship Between Women Empowerment Programs and Food Security Outcomes:
Incorporating Perspectives from Jordan
Mays Iseed, MA in Humanitarian Assistance and Crisis Management
Global discourses have advocated women's empowerment as a means to reduce their own food insecurity, which is also a key development challenge in Jordan. However, little empirical research has been conducted on this issue. The present study was conducted to examine the relationship of four domains of women's empowerment in relation to their food security. The analysis indicates that women's access to money, resources and decision-making roles in households increase their bargaining power over the utilization of resources and choices of food, which significantly and negatively decrease their food insecurity. However, women in rural areas have low self-esteem and feel no ease in publicly addressing their inequalities. By understanding both women's and program implementers' perceptions on including nutrition/food security sensitive activities, the results from this research can assist policymakers to develop more suitable strategies to enhance the empowerment status of women and thus reduce their food insecurity.
Promise and Problems of Short-Term Mission Trips through the Eyes of Christian Young Adults
Hayley Culver, MA in International Education
Short-term mission trips are a popular form of international travel among Christian youth. Though many who attend these trips see them as a way to gain international experience and help others, there are also those who question the value of such trips and describe them as merely “voluntourism.” This research reveals that while most trip-goers were motivated by an altruistic desire to help others, they also chose to go for self-betterment, in response to peer and/or family pressure, or to explore an academic interest. While the trips had a lasting and mostly positive impact on participants’ worldviews, some expressed significant concerns about how much the community they visited actually benefited from their presence. This study is particularly relevant to churches and religious nonprofit organizations organizing and/or overseeing volunteer work abroad.
Wednesday, May 4, 12-1:30 p.m.
Navigating the Necessary Evils: Contemplating the Topic of Sustainability of Study Abroad
Megan Zacher, MA in Sustainable Development
Travel is a defining feature of education abroad, instrumental in exposing students to experiences and countries beyond their campus community. The cultural exchange implied in travel aspires to benefit both host communities and students’ home institutions. However, education abroad has negative environmental impacts incongruent with many sustainability efforts. The education abroad sector aims to address this reality by advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals in program design and execution. This study looks at how stakeholders perceive this incongruency and implement sustainability initiatives in programming. Results suggest a consciousness of this contradiction, yet the sector lacks a mechanism to enforce practices that reduce the field’s negative global impact. Efforts are inconsistently implemented, lacking a co-created policy and metrics to assess the environmental impacts or reciprocal benefits for host communities.
Wednesday, May 4, 2-3:30 p.m.
The Undocumented Perspective
Sahar Sandoval, MA in Diplomacy and International Relations
This study explores the perspectives of undocumented young adults in California and was guided by the following research questions: What are the identity challenges undocumented young adults face? How do undocumented young adults from Mexico view themselves in the United States today? How has the lack of U.S. citizenship and the discourse surrounding immigration affected the way they view themselves? Participants discussed living in a constant state of fear and uncertainty. Fears contributed to hesitancy to participate in citizenship practices resulting in limited political engagement. Lack of access to higher education, financial assistance, and other state and federal programs affected participants negatively. This study adds insight to the challenges of navigating life in the U.S. while being undocumented. These findings demonstrate the urgency for the U.S. public to engage in positive, productive dialogue to change the discourse and culture on this topic to have a positive effect on the policies and laws implemented in the U.S.
Thursday, May 5, 11-12:30 p.m.
The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Syrian Refugee Adolescents in Jordanian Host Communities
Chris Evans, MA in Humanitarian Assistance and Crisis Management
The purpose of this research is to better understand the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Syrian refugee adolescents living in Jordanian host communities. Among key findings, it was determined that the participants’ ability to learn was significantly impacted and based on a combination of factors most commonly associated with prolonged periods of school closures in Jordan, including: barriers to accessing virtual education; a lack of academic support and the perceived lack of commitment of educators; the absence of institutional accountability for attendance; reduced motivation; decreased quality of education; and less comprehension of material. Their social lives, marked by less time with friends and changes in the manner in which they socialize, was characterized as being the most impacted area of their lives and overwhelmingly negative. Family life was regarded in a remarkably more positive light. Participants expressed concern for the significant impact on their feelings and emotions, reporting a greater degree of loneliness, sadness, stress, and fear, and a lesser degree of happiness and energy. A range of coping mechanisms were identified which can best be described as either self-soothing or socially minded.
Teacher Preparation and Multilingualism in Education
Jordan Lucas, MA in International Education
Twenty-two percent of students in the United States are multilingual and arrive at school with unique skills and needs. This study explores the perspectives of teachers and administrators working in the field, specifically investigating how teachers have been prepared to teach multilingual learners and how they consequently should be prepared based on participant experiences. This study generated insights about the needs of teachers in supporting multilingual learners. The majority of participants had not received any preparation for teaching multilingual students in their teacher education programs. As the findings demonstrate, there is no one particular way that teachers should specifically be prepared, but more intentional planning and preparation is needed in general to meet both the needs of students and teachers.
Thursday, May 5, 1-2:30 p.m.
Political Risk in the Oil and Gas Industries of Mozambique
Liam Flanagan, MA in Diplomacy and International Relations
In 2010, the discovery of large natural gas fields off the coast of the Cabo Delgado province of northern Mozambique signified a time of optimism. Following the discovery of these natural gas reserves, Mozambique, one of the world's least developed countries, was suddenly in contention for the largest private investment to ever take place in Africa. The revenue that the Mozambican government would receive would be enough to address the dire social conditions that plague the Mozambican population. The multibillion-dollar investment within the oil and gas industry of Mozambique would allow for the government to address issues of inequality, low literacy rates, high unemployment and extremely low standards of living. However, since the discovery of the natural gas fields, operations have not gone according to plan. Political risks within the country have hindered the oil and gas industry of Mozambique from taking off. Deep-rooted social tensions spilled over into an extremely volatile insurgency that has disrupted the $120 billion project. In April 2021, TotalEnergies, the chief operator and largest stakeholder of the Mozambique Liquified Natural Gas Project, had no choice but to declare force majeure and evacuate all its personnel from the region due to security risks brought about by the insurgency. This capstone project aims to examine these political risks and illustrate the effect that they have on foreign companies involved in the oil and gas industry of Mozambique
The Radical Imagination:
Exploring the Intersection of the Youth-led Climate Justice Movement and Education
Calla Sneller, MA in Intercultural Service, Leadership and Management
This paper explores the crossover of the youth-led climate justice movement and education, utilizing The Experiment Digital Climate Change & the Environment as a case study to investigate this crossover globally and locally. A six-week virtual exchange program designed to connect 100 high school students from 23 countries, The Experiment Digital Climate Change & the Environment aimed to equip youth with radical tools to address the scale of the climate crisis. The study drew on the neoinstitutionalism and systems thinking approaches to globalization. Findings revealed that international relationships improved critical thinking and collaboration. In combination with systems change curriculum, the program spurred increased action in the youth-led movement. The study’s key contributions to scholarship include comprehensive systems change curriculum, the solidified connection between education and increased activism, and documenting perspectives on climate justice from exceedingly diverse participants.