School for International Training
Encyclopedia
World Learning
World Learning is a 501 international nonprofit organization that focuses on international development, education, and exchange programs. Based in Brattleboro, Vermont, World Learning "unlocks the potential of people to address critical global issues" through its five core program areas; the...
in Brattleboro, Vermont
Brattleboro, Vermont
Brattleboro, originally Brattleborough, is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States, located in the southeast corner of the state, along the state line with New Hampshire. The population was 12,046 at the 2010 census...
. The president and CEO is Adam Weinberg.
History=
SIT Graduate Institute began as the Experiment for International Living (EIL). It had its origins in preparing outbound Peace Corps Volunteers for their assignments and was the first international exchange program to involve a family homestay. EIL was selected by the original architects of the Peace Corps, because the professionals at EIL were known to have a strong system for teaching the nuances of culture shock preparedness. Experiment assisted after WWII (1934-present) when they lead teaching voyages on a series of decommissioned warships with the members of the Student Council on Travel.
When language and culture training began to shift to "in-country", SIT filled a need of returned Peace Corps Volunteers by offering a graduate degree in International Development. The Vermont campus originally consisted of a small collection of dorms around a Carriage House on a scenic farm on the north end of Brattleboro. These early Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
volunteers took lessons in foreign languages with materials and teachers from the language training from their service, and The School for International Training began to expand its offerings. By 1968 the small but increasing number of RPCVs were requesting a degree in Teaching English as a Second Language, a new speciality. In 1969, two graduate programs were developed—ICT: International Career Training; and MAT: Masters in Teaching Languages (French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and ESL
ESL
ESL is a common abbreviation for English as a Second Language, see English language learning and teaching.ESL may also refer to:-Companies:...
).
Early Programming
The first MAT class consisted of three students, the second of 28 students, and the third of 38; in the fourth year the class size reached 50 students and stayed there for many years. ICTs spent part of their program on campus and part in internships around the world. MATs originally went to MexicoMexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
or Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
for student teaching but by 1972, students began to develop other sites around the world. Eventually, the ICT program changed to PIM: Programs in Intercultural Management and developed specializations in NGS's and Civil Society, Peace and Conflict Transformation, Social Justice, Socially Responsible Management, Sustainable Development,International Education, Language and Culture, Teacher Preparation. Jody Williams
Jody Williams
Jody Williams is an American teacher and aid worker who received the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with the campaign she worked for, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines...
, an MAT graduate, won the Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
for her work on banning land mines. Wangari Maathai
Wangari Maathai
Wangari Muta Mary Jo Maathai was a Kenyan environmental and political activist. She was educated in the United States at Mount St. Scholastica and the University of Pittsburgh, as well as the University of Nairobi in Kenya...
, Trustee Emerita, won the Nobel Peace Prize for her work on sustainable development and democracy in Kenya. The International Leadership Project brings community activists, legislators and regional leaders to campus to study the means of bringing peace to such war-torn places as Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
or Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
/Palestine.
In the late 1970s, the 1980s, and 1990s there was an undergraduate program called the World Issues Program (WIP). It was a two-year program for transfer juniors and seniors. During the early years, a group of students published a book entitled "Process: About Learning and Caring" which speaks about the difficulties and rewards of transformational education.
Inspired by a speech by United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
leader U Thant
U Thant
U Thant was a Burmese diplomat and the third Secretary-General of the United Nations, from 1961 to 1971. He was chosen for the post when his predecessor, Dag Hammarskjöld, died in September 1961....
, the program provided classes in Peace and Conflict Studies, Alternative Energy Sources, Population Studies, International Economics and Environmental Studies. After the first year spent on campus, students had year-long internships in different sites around the world. The final semester consisted of research into one of these areas on a topic of the student's choice, and presentations of research results. The program was usually completed through submission of a Bachelor's Thesis or combination of projects. After 22 graduating classes, nearby Marlboro College
Marlboro College
Marlboro College is a small, coeducational, alternative liberal-arts college in Marlboro, Vermont, USA.-History:Marlboro College was founded in 1946 by Walter Hendricks for returning World War II veterans on Potash Hill in Marlboro, Vermont. The school's operation was initially financed using money...
adopted this program and offered it on their campus.
In the late 1990s the MAT department created the Teacher Knowledge Project as a way for teachers to work together using the reflective cycle (to inquire into their practice) and principles of Experiential Learning. This project resulted in research in schools in New England focusing on reflective teaching, mentoring
Mentoring
Mentorship refers to a personal developmental relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person helps a less experienced or less knowledgeable person....
and structured language immersion. Other offshoots of the MAT program include a four-week TESOL Certificatehttp://www.sit.edu/graduate/6882.htm program that offers basic preparation for teaching English as a second or foreign language and the ACCESS program that helps content teachers develop skills for working with English Language Learners in their classes.
Over the years School for International Training has hosted and worked with Nord-Amerika Somera Kursaro (NASK), BRAC, OTEP, USAID as well as other international groups through the World Learning network.
Current Program Divisions and Offerings
SIT Study Abroad offers undergraduate programs overseas in more than 60 countries. The Study Abroad program has begun the journeys of many notable recipients of fellowships and prestigious education and platforms.SIT Study AbroadSIT Graduate Institute formerly known as the School for International Training, is the accredited educational program of World Learning
World Learning
World Learning is a 501 international nonprofit organization that focuses on international development, education, and exchange programs. Based in Brattleboro, Vermont, World Learning "unlocks the potential of people to address critical global issues" through its five core program areas; the...
. SIT-Graduate Institute offers Masters degree programs with the following offerings: a Masters of Arts in Conflict Transformation, Masters of Arts in Social Justice in Intercultural Relations, Masters of Arts in Sustainable Development, Masters of Science in Management, and the Masters of Arts in International Education. The Masters in Social Justice in Intercultural Relations and the Masters of Science in Management are currently being discussed for closure and to have their coursework integrated into the core curriculum in order to strengthen the on-campus program.
As part of SIT Graduate Institute, World Learning
World Learning
World Learning is a 501 international nonprofit organization that focuses on international development, education, and exchange programs. Based in Brattleboro, Vermont, World Learning "unlocks the potential of people to address critical global issues" through its five core program areas; the...
also has announced a one year Masters program in Washington D.C. consisting of 12 Months, Three Trimesters, 40 Credits.. The organization has also expressed an interest in restructuring in favor of "connecting with World Learning's global network" to bring students closer to the world for their studies, "strengthen their positioning", and "support their students". SIT Graduate Institute
The Experiment in International Living
Experiment in International Living
The Experiment in International Living, EIL, or the Experiment, is a worldwide organization offering language, arts, community service, ecological adventure, and regional exploration programs of international cross-cultural education for high school students in the United States and people of all...
is the longest functioning exchange program, and as above, has paved the way into a more peaceful and just world, by transforming students though international experiences and homestays.EIL
The International Honors Program is a new member to the World Learning organization, leading programs in studying and traveling with multiple destinations.IHP
International Professional, Academic, and Cultural Exchanges works to bridge differences through citizen diplomacy.The program is actively engaged on a daily basis in promoting global understanding “one handshake at a time,” the World Learning Visitor Exchange Program (formerly Delphi International) facilitates citizen diplomacy through exchange programs for adults and young leaders.IPAE
International Development Programs As a part of an extensive international NGO network, World Learning also has International Development Programs (IDEP) which focus on capacity building in International Development in 20 countries.World Learning - IDEP
Notable alumni
- Richard RyscavageRichard RyscavageRichard Ryscavage S.J., a nationally-known expert on immigration and refugee policy and issues, is director of the Center for Faith and Public Life and a professor of sociology and international studies at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut....
S.J., Director of Center for Faith and Public Life and Professor of Sociology and International Studies at Fairfield UniversityFairfield UniversityFairfield University is a private, co-educational undergraduate and master's level teaching-oriented university located in Fairfield, Connecticut, in the New England region of the United States. It was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1942, and today is one of 28 member institutions of the...
, nationally known expert on immigration and refugees. - Jody WilliamsJody WilliamsJody Williams is an American teacher and aid worker who received the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with the campaign she worked for, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines...
MAT Class of 1984 - Recipient of the 1997 Nobel Peace PrizeNobel Peace PrizeThe Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
.
See also
- List of colleges and universities in the United States
- List of colleges and universities in Vermont