SIT Study Abroad: Argentina: People, Environment, and Climate Change in Patagonia and Antarctica

This program created a valuable combination of environmental science and Spanish language education. All of the classes were taught in Spanish by a variety of local researchers who each lectured on their specialty. We also had many excellent field trips and excursions to learn about a place or a research technique in the field. While assignment expectations were sometimes unclear, the program staff was extremely available and helpful to resolve any doubts. They were slow about returning our grades and assignments, but they always gave us detailed feedback and the grades were fair. The program staff is also a great support network for non-academic problems or concerns. The Spanish language classes were not very related to the rest of the classes, but they were helpful in adapting to the local accent. The homestay experience was where I learned the most Spanish language and Argentinian culture. As everything (classes, homestay, buying lunch, daily life) operates in Spanish, it is important to come with a decent language ability and a willingness to learn from your mistakes. The culture is very open to helping you learn, and they do not get easily offended when you say something wrong. The cost of all your necessities (food, housing, transportation) is included in tuition. Breakfast and lunch is provided by the host family, and you receive a stipend for lunch and transportation. I only used my money for activities in my free time and souvenirs. Some students do live fairly far from where we have classes, but the bus system is good, there are plenty of taxis, and Ushuaia is a safe place to walk at any time of night/day.

This program is definitely more social-science focused than I anticipated, being a STEM student myself. However, the classes, excursions, and discussions with locals tied together to present a big-picture view of the ecological and human challenges relating to climate change in a very engaging way. Classes were taught in Spanish by a different professor for each lecture, offering an interesting variety of perspectives but also many different paces of language.
The scenery and location is definitely the highlight of the program. Ushuaia sits on the base and up the slopes of the Southern Andes and, of course, Antarctica's landscapes were unbelievable. That said, the busy class schedule and several weekend excursions don't leave a ton of time for exploring and hiking.

The location was beautiful, the material was interesting and relevant to understanding the culture, society, ecology and economy of Ushuaia, the outdoors were so accessible, and the people are kind, helpful and amazing! I found another place to call home, I became more independent, my Spanish improved a lot, made friends from places all over the US, and spent a lot of time outdoors! It was 100% worth it. I felt very safe walking around by myself, food is affordable, and it's a great environment to continue learning or practice Spanish.