SIT Study Abroad: Chile: Cultural Identity, Social Justice, and Community Development

My experience was so unique because I feel like I did a program that was very different than the rest of the programs my friends or fellow students had done. As well as the choice to study in Chile. Not many students choose to study in Chile and this is what makes this program so unique. The academics were difficult in my program, but the support from my professors and directors is what pushed me to improve my Spanish tremendously. I went from speaking some beginner level Spanish to an advanced level. Some things that differentiated this program from others in Chile was the fact that I traveled and did excursions with my program. We went on two, two week excursions and then usually had an excursion during the week. During the two, two week excursions we traveled up north and then down south to learn and study the indigenous people of Chile. The aymara and the mapuche people. I learned to much from them that textbooks or online articles could have never taught me. It was nice to have hands on learning and not textbook learning. A lot of my friends who went abroad went to the UK. I've heard from them that their school work and academic rigor was easy and that they rarely had school. If you are looking to slack in school and not take it seriously this program is not for you! For instance, in my program I was never late, never missed a day of school and always had homework. I also was never not speaking Spanish. I don't regret my decision at all because everything you do in the program is to help you. Especially, to prepare you for the end of the program, the ISP and internship section. I highly recommend doing the ISP, it helped me gain a lot of self confidence in my self and in my Spanish speaking abilities and research a topic that I am interested in. I wish I could relive my study abroad experience. This program is truly life changing.

I would highly recommend this program to anyone who is hoping to improve their Spanish, immerse themselves in the chilean culture, and experience a lifestyle very different than that of the US. One of my favorite parts of my time in Chile was living with my host family and learning how to live the chilean lifestyle as if I was a native. I was stretched in the best way; life in Chile teaches you to slow down, it gives you the opportunity to listen to the experiences of others, to learn from those so familiar to this land, and to humble yourself by asking for help when you don't understand the public transportation system. The program takes you on an experience that forces you to grow, learn, and leave your comfort zone for the better. It was a wonderful experience and I cannot wait to go back to this country and visit my chilean family once again.

I believe that this program is the best for someone who would like to improve their Spanish, is interested in social change, and wants to explore a beautiful country! The program is split into two parts, one when you are in classes and lectures and two when you are doing either your research project or internship. While classes are extremely long (9am-5pm) and difficult for those like myself who did not have a good grasp of the language, you learn a lot about the social climate in Chile. On the bright side, you do get an excursion to the north and south during the classes part of the program, which is a nice break from the instant coffee and lecturers.
For the last month I chose to do an ISP over an internship, which I highly recommend if you have good time management and if you would like to take that time to travel within the country. 25 pages in Spanish seems scary, but you have a large network of support and if it is on a subject you are passionate about the page count doesn't matter, trust me!
For me, I thought the homestay element was the best feature of the program. I saw that my Spanish improved exponentially by just listening and talking with my host mom and my host sister, who I am still in contact with to this day. I recommend that you try and spend as much time as possible with your family because they will teach you the most about Chilean culture. Homestay was probably the thing that I was most terrified for, but ended up being my favorite part of the program.
Also worth noting, I am a vegetarian that leans towards being dairy free. If you are a vegetarian as well, do not worry about eating. I found no problem with finding the food that I needed, my host mom even tried out veggie burgers for me! I ate a ton of salads, eggs, and lentils, which is what I usually eat anyways. I do think that if you are gluten free or vegan it will be a bit difficult for you because Chileans do eat a lot of bread and cheese. It definitely will not be impossible for you to eat, just a little challenging.
My biggest recommendation to students entering this program is to practice your Spanish everyday (podcasts, Duolingo, telenovelas, etc), pack JACKETS (I was very cold the first month I was in Chile), and be open to the culture. Culture shock is real, but if you are expecting it, it will be okay. I also recommend taking every opportunity you can to explore Chile, this skinny country is full of different places and things to do!

We had 3 different home stays throughout the program -- one in the north in Putre, one in the south near Temuco, and our "home base" in Valparaíso or Viña del Mar. This is where my Spanish improved the most, without question. The program does a really great job of matching students with families and, if the family doesn't work for you for whatever reason, the program staff is good about moving you to another family. In my experiences, the families were really wonderful and invested in our wellbeing.

The travel that we did with the program was one of my favorite aspects. The 1-month independent research project was also a highlight for me. You're given the opportunity to elect a theme and are permitted to travel anywhere in the country to conduct that project.

This program was unique because the directors have such a good dynamic that they set the tone at orientation that we were going to have a great semester. The whole vibe of my abroad program group was very encouraging and supportive of each other. There were a total of 16 of us, and we all experienced the craziness and beauty together. The part I am most grateful for is the independent study period, in which I learned most of my confidence in speaking Spanish, and gained unparalleled research experience in a second language.

By my title I mean that this program and experience in Chile is one that if you allow it will challenge you to fully explore your sense of adventure and ability to truly sit and revel in the moments that make up the fullness of life. It allows you to, in the opposite sense of the phrase sit back, jump in and engage and let your mind and curiosity wander wherever they are drawn. SIT provides you with the the kind of rigor whose rewards are invaluable and everlasting. This program is structured in such a way that you very much make of your experience what you want. You have the ability to take your time abroad in whatever directions you feel. But the other incredible part of this program is it surrounds you with so many invaluable resources and such support that you can take leaps and bounds if you are driven to. It also is such that simply being in Chile, immersed in the beauty of the countryside, the rich history and the vibrant and incredible culture, provides you with such inspiration that the passion you enter with, if allowed to, will simply grow and multiply in ways you didn't know it could. Interpret it as you wish, but I came out of my abroad experience with more questions than I did answers to the questions I posed to myself when first entering into the experience.

As far as specifics:
On Education:
Education happens outside of the classroom and that education is fantastic. The education that happens inside the classroom is, yes very much on interesting and relevant topics, but is the traditional lecture at students and in this way not as engaging and eventful as experiential and other types of education that nurtures more dialogue. Nonetheless constant classes in Spanish do very much help your language skills. Outside of the traditional classroom the learning experience is very much boundless. You are the decision maker in how much you want to challenge yourself to think and grow in new ways and how much you want to explore and come to understand. Through these lessons you learn an invaluable perspective and way of living.

On the Administration of the Program:
The administration, the director and people who make this happen that you see from day to day, are some of the most kind hearted and thoughtful people. They truly make your experience. They also understand you as an individual and a student. They recognize that the experience of being in Chile and exploring it is where the real learning is and for this they support you in those kinds of activities and don't expect you to spend 100% of your time sitting in a library studying.


On Housing:
Host family experience: I made such a strong connection with my host mom. She truly became a very special person to me. She also helped so much with making my experience a meaningful one. She gave value and depth to my time in Chile. You simply have to be upfront about any needs but also be flexible and understand that you will miss somethings and just have to wait till you return to enjoy them.

On the Food:
Nooot my favorite. In general Chilean food does not know what spicy natural flavor is. I missed the burritos and tacos from back home in Southern California and just in general a more balanced diet. Lots of carbs and not many vitamins and minerals through those leafy friends. So just get ready you might leave the country looking a little more like a pillow than when you came. Although empanadas are near and dear to my heart heart after living in Chile and the best news is you can't walk longer than a minute without finding one to buy.

On Social and Cultural Integration:
This program is incredible in the sense that you spend a significant portion of it traveling and living with different groups of Chileans. This within itself gives you so much cultural integration. You have to try a little harder to break through into social culture with Chilean youth though if that's what you are intending to do, since you aren't around them all the time in classes or anything like that. Make an effort to join clubs and do things that would draw the people you would like to get to know in Chile, but go to the locations and events where you would be able to talk and meet people. It for sure is possible, but it is also somewhat up to you.

On Safety:
Use your head and follow your gut and don't let anything else hold you back. That was my mentality throughout my time in Chile. I never had any problems safety wise. Listen to people who have experience on what areas are ok and which are not. There very much are areas where it is unsafe to go where you will most likely be robbed. But don't go there or leave everything of value in a safe place. I would say the administration is very aware of both your safety and your independence and desire for adventures and cares for you with all in mind. Keep your head on straight, while still dancing around in the clouds and discovering things you never knew you'd would and all will be well.

This program was unlike anything I had ever experienced. I met such amazing people – host family, program staff, other students, etc. Valparaíso is such a fun and vibrant city, and I had a great time living in the city and learning about Chilean culture and history. Definite highlights were the trip to a Mapuche community, improving my Spanish, and getting to explore Valpo with the friends I made. My advice is to let yourself immerse in and adjust to the Chilean lifestyle in order to get the most out of your experience. I can't recommend this program enough, as it blew away all expectations I had for my semester abroad.

I would recommend this program to anyone studying a humanity, but especially to those interested in human rights work and social justice movements. This program connects you to some powerful folks in the community, and you create some meaningful connections with active members in the community working to change one of the many problems facing Chile due to an unfair constitution put into effect during the dictatorship (or maybe working to change the constitution itself). You also get to see the very north of Chile (Arica and Putre) and the south in and around Temuco; during those excursions, we learned about the Aymara (in the north) and the Mapuche (in the south). It is honestly such a crazy experience to be able to see such different ways of life, along with their philosophies in life and what they believe our universe is. If anything, this program is eye-opening and humbling; you get to do some community work as a group up in the hills of Valparaíso, meet incredible human rights activists working towards a better Chile, learn about the country's struggle to reconcile with its past, and above all, immerse yourself in rich, Chilean culture.

This program is for the curious, the ambitious, the motivated, and the wanderers seeking new adventures at every corner.

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Personally, I am half-Chilean, and I went to be able to study my family's experiences with the dictatorship. If you're reading this and also have Chilean roots, PLEASE consider going. Study abroad is often advertised as the student going to an unfamiliar place, but for me it was a chance to understand where I come from and seeing the full side to my family's history. Even if you're just a Latinx student, studying abroad in your own culture is something absolutely surreal, and life-changing for sure. Consider taking this chance to do it.