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

My time in Ushuaia, Argentina was a highlight of my college experience. If you are looking to improve your Spanish, expose yourself to a new culture, and live in one of the most beautiful small cities in Patagonia along the "end of the Earth", this is the program for you. Ushuaia itself is like a big small town nestled between the end of the Andes mountain range and the ocean. So, there's plenty to do as long as you like hiking, skiing, and immersing yourself in local culture. For example, with other students from the program, I went skiing, horseback riding along the beach, and hiking (sometimes with our host families, too!) in my spare time. The people you will meet are kind, friendly, and warm. Beyond your course programming — which does a wonderful job introducing you to local history, sites of interest, and activities — taking advantage of your stay with a host family can open up lots of doors for you as well. For example, my host sister was around my age and with her, I felt included into her friend group and her family. I joined a local rugby club and experienced everything from the movie theater and mall to nightlife. Doing all of this in Spanish with my host family and friends helped me improve my language in a way that felt natural and fun. Of course, there are challenges to any experience like this, but in my opinion, SIT sets you up for success so long as you are ready to take advantage of all that Ushuaia and its people have to offer.

As I write this review, back in the United States, I am sipping Playadito yerba mate (Industria Argentina) from the gourd and bombilla I brought home. I am reminded of all of the times I drank mate in Ushuaia: at La Estación De Vigilancia Atmosférica Global, while we watched the launch of a weather balloon to measure the hole in the ozone layer; on top of Cerro Cortez, resting from the tough climb with some locals I met along the way, gazing out at the magnificent view of the city and Monte Olivia; in the back of a CADIC truck, headed out to do fieldwork at Cabo San Pablo with a couple of biologists; at the small bouldering wall at the Club Andino, listening to Rock Nacional while we climbed; in Sede, passing around the mate while all of the other students presented their awesome Independent Study Projects; with my host family reflecting on all of the good times the day before my flight back to the US... We drank a lot of mate. These memories remind me of the incredible cultural and academic experience that this program was for me. Tierra del Fuego is beautiful, Antarctica is incredible, and neither are easy to get to. The opportunity to spend time in such a unique and remote part of the planet is not an opportunity that you should pass up. Downsides: 1) being a program with other American students, we spoke a good amount of English amongst each other (though classes were all in Spanish, and the friends you make around town likely won't speak any English). 2) Ushuaia is REMOTE, and the opportunities for weekend trips to other cities/countries are not as prevalent as, for example, somewhere in Europe.

I absolutely loved my time during this program in Ushuaia, Argentina. Studying during my U.S. fall semester (Patagonian spring), I will be forever grateful for the three months I got to immerse myself in Fuegian culture. First, the program's academics are very relevant to your time in Ushuaia. They helped me gain more from the immersion, such as the geological processes that led to the formation of the area, the marine and terrestrial biology, and the history of the Tierra del Fuego Indigenous peoples. I will say that the Spanish classes are less so about grammatical concepts and more about practicing conversation. However, the professors are very open to feedback and will tailor lessons to your wants early in the semester. Second, the directors' support is extremely helpful, starting from your orientation week and all throughout the semester. I had a lot of fun getting to know them and experiencing the wonderful trips and experiences they plan alongside the SIT group. They are all very knowledgeable about Ushuaia and are full of recommendations/ share information about cultural events that are happening throughout the city. Third, the nature around the city is extremely accessible and it's very possible to do a day hike almost every weekend when there aren't excursions planned! I used AllTrails for navigation and trail reviews before heading out on trail. Lastly, I had an amazing time staying with my host family. They accepted me on the spot and were very accommodating to my language level and interests throughout the program. The program puts a lot of thought into the matches for host families and students, but if you are struggling with your host family, the directors are very receptive to solutions for any problems. They want to help you be as comfortable as possible and support you for a successful and enjoyable semester. And, of course, who wouldn't want to go on a trip to Antarctica?? I cannot recommend this program enough and all of the amazing memories that come from just one semester in Argentina.

I knew I wanted my study abroad experience to be driven by a total cultural immersion, a mix of invigorating classes taught in a foreign language, and a beautiful, accessible scenery I could engage with both passively and intentionally. I wanted to take advantage of my one semester abroad where I could really live embedded within a new country and internalize a language and culture even as a foreigner, and SIT's Argentina: People, Environment, and Climate Change in Patagonia and Antarctica program did just that, all through an incredibly supportive and receptive system of instructors and program directors. The curriculum was fantastic, taught by a mix of researchers at the local research station CADIC-CONICET, and encompassing everything from marine biology, local indigenous history, to classes on current political atmospheres and movements of the region. On top of having an engaging curriculum, the field excursions were easily the most memorable trips of my life, seeing the expansive topographic diversity of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago, to actual Antarctica. The host family experience was incredibly fruitful as well, and helped me solidify my Spanish and my cultural understanding of the region. I cannot recommend this program enough. I never felt alone, and I knew I was facing every challenge of living and learning in a new country with the support system of an incredible panel of program directors with whom I interacted with every day.

This program was the highlight of my college experience!
The semester began with a week-long orientation that allowed me to get to know the other students, understand some basics about Argentinian culture, and get aquatinted with Ushuaia. The SIT staff was incredible throughout this period, planning a variety of activities that helped us all adjust to our new surroundings.
After that first week, we met our homestay families. My homestay was with a single woman who was very welcoming. She eagerly introduced me to her family and was always excited to bring me along for a drive around the city. She practiced my Spanish with me every night over dinner and helped me improve significantly.
I loved the city of Ushuaia, its relatively small size made it easy to navigate on foot and on public transportation. I never felt unsafe walking around the city alone. It’s location between the water and the mountains was not only beautiful, but allowed for some incredible hiking on the weekends. The city also held parades and other events on holidays that were exciting to experience.
I enjoyed the academics in this program. Each class was taught by a different local expert and assignments were created and graded by the SIT staff. This format allowed us to learn about a wide variety of local environmental, social, and research topics ranging from the unique ecosystems of Tierra del Fuego, the history of indigenous groups and the politics of Antarctic exploration. The classes could feel very separated from each other, but the assignments allowed us to fit them together. We also had several class sessions focusing on research and data analysis which culminated in a final group project. The Spanish classes were held at a local language school. While my group had some issues with our teacher, I enjoyed the culminating project where we made a podcast as a class.
These classes were complemented by several excursions that allowed us to explore other parts of Tierra del Fuego while getting a different view of the topics we were learning about. We also had a 10 day excursion to Antarctica which was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and complemented our learning about climate change, Antarctic exploration, and Antarctic politics very well.
After the classes and the Antarctica expedition, we completed month-long research projects. These allowed me and my peers to get hands-on experience in a topic that interested us, which I felt was incredibly valuable.
This was an amazing program and I highly recommend it. I learned a lot and really enjoyed my SIT group (I’m still in contact with several of them). To anyone who is interested in environmental science, Antarctica, the outdoors, and Spanish, this is the program for you!

This program was more than I ever could have hoped for. The program staff was super supportive and they went above and beyond with planning events for us. In particular, they gave us lots of opportunities to connect with the scientific community in Tierra del Fuego. We had 3 excursions outside of Ushuaia, and they were all incredible. One of those was a trip to Antarctica, which was a crazy opportunity. Ushuaia itself was also an amazing place to be. It is definitely on the smaller side, but I felt that that made it easier to connect with the community. The people in Ushuaia are generally very friendly and accepting even as you are still improving your Spanish. Also, it is right in the mountains and on the ocean, so there are all sorts of outdoor activities that are very accessible from the city. The classes and internship component of the program were both really interesting, and I learned a lot from them. Also, my Spanish improved a ton during this program. Furthermore, the host family experience allowed me to experience Argentinian culture in a way that I never could have if I had lived on my own in a dorm or apartment. On the whole, this program was an incredible, once in a lifetime experience, and I would highly recommend it.

Studying abroad with this program was such an amazing experience. The program staff are kind and professional and made a huge effort for us to have the best possible experience. The other kids on my program were so much fun and we had a great time exploring Ushuaia. The academics were interesting and kept us busy. It's definitely more work and more classroom time than many other study abroad programs. The excursions were super fun and a great way to see more of Patagonia, and the chance to visit Antarctica was incredible and once-in-a-lifetime.

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.