Science Needs Everyone
Diversity &
Inclusion
SFS welcomes students from every background into field research across 12 countries.
Diversity &
Our Belief
We welcome students shaped by different histories and ways of knowing. Students from different backgrounds bring different questions to the same field site, and the research is stronger for it.
Our Mission
Biodiversity Begins With Us
SFS was founded with the belief that stewardship of our planet is the responsibility of people all around the world. Addressing complex global issues requires the active inclusion of stakeholders with varying perspectives and identities. We recognize that to successfully address threats to our natural world, we must look beyond social constructs designed to divide us.
Just as we value biodiversity in all of its forms, we value and engage with a multitude of diverse perspectives and people in the countries where we work and the students and staff we serve.
SFS strives to cultivate inclusive communities and encourage student cohorts that represent human diversity across the globe. We continue to develop strategies to support all students from the time they apply, during their program, and beyond. SFS recognizes that when all students' voices are valued and heard, confidence in academic ability thrives to the benefit of entire communities.
Our Commitments
Support for Every Student
LGBTQIA+
SFS welcomes members of the LGBTQIA+ community. While we work diligently to provide an open and safe space on our program campuses, we do ask all students to understand and respect that sexual orientation and identity may be viewed differently within the local community where they are living and studying. Please be aware that country- or region-specific laws or culture may limit individual self-expression while in the local community. SFS strives to offer gender-neutral housing at our centers. Please contact the Safety and Student Life Department at studentlife@fieldstudies.org for more information on housing and local community views across our program countries. For country-by-country context and on-program support, read our LGBTQ+ Student Guide.
Race & Ethnicity
Supporting students who are underrepresented, underserved, or marginalized as a result of their racial and/or ethnic identity is critical to SFS' mission and identity. Some students have reported that their time abroad has given them an opportunity to think about their identity in a new cultural context; others have reported feeling familiar or new types of discrimination. Very often, both are true and challenging. We consider seriously the varied forms of support we can offer, in each stage of a student's time with us, to create a resource-rich, diverse, inclusive, and equitable experience in which all SFS students belong.
First Generation
SFS is here to support students who are the first in their families to attend a four-year college or university to attain a bachelor's degree. We have many resources to help our students fund, plan, and prepare for their study abroad experience, and to help students communicate the importance of study abroad as part of a college career to friends and family.
Religion
SFS strives to support students in their religious observance and expression while on-program. It is important for students to research the religious traditions of the host country they plan to travel to, as well as what the local attitudes toward other religions might be. Due to the structured nature of SFS programs and our remote locations around the world, it may not be feasible to accommodate certain observances, dietary needs, and practices.
Our Promise
From Application to Alumni
Our programs aim to support every student, including those marginalized or underrepresented because of their racial or ethnic identity, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, first-generation college students, and students from all underrepresented groups or underserved communities.
We support all students from the time they apply, throughout their program, and after they finish.
Take the Next Step
Your Story Belongs Here
SFS programs run each semester and summer across 12 countries. Every one of them is built for students like you.