My semester in Bolivia challenged me to grapple with important and complicated questions about identity and global crises while allowing me to explore an incredibly beautiful and unique part of the world.
-Emma Share
The academic program thoughtfully integrates many themes about Bolivia including political history, indigenous rights, social change, climate change, globalization through guest lecturers from the community and lots of hands-on learning experiences. The group excursions bring incredible diversity and adventure to the semester, including visiting and living with a community in the Amazon basin, engaging in the daily activities of Aymara families on the shores of Lago Titicaca, visiting the mines of Potosi which provided nearly half of Spain's silver during conquest, and learning about sustainable living in the lowlands. I gained confidence in my ability to speak another language and navigate an unfamiliar place by myself.
During all of th e beautiful and challenging adventures, my host family was my grounding force, always caring for me and teaching me. I truly became part of their family and my bond with them has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. This program provides an opportunity to dive deep into a really unique and complex country in a way that I would never have been able to do without the connections and support of SIT. The experience is a whirlwind of emotions and adventures. It is filled with beautiful places, people, and languages. There is no single way to describe it— every week brings new and exciting experiences!