Over the past couple of years, PV Spanish teacher, Señorita Risius, has taken students on many amazing trips. Last year students joined her in Peru and Spain to learn more about South American and Spanish culture. Spring break of 2017, a group of students have been offered the opportunity of a lifetime: a trip to Cuba. Risius explains, “I think the student will grow in their Spanish skills, their understanding of another culture, their appreciation of their own world as well as a more global understanding of the world they live in.” With a very diverse and jam packed schedule, these students will definitely get the true experience of Cuba.
The students and Risius will fly from Miami to Havana, the capital city of Cuba, where they will meet with their tour guide and visit the University of Havana to discuss with the faculty and students there. Later in the day they will also visit a children’s community project. Their schedule for the next two days is too packed to be able to list everything, but some other things they are doing include: visiting a community daycare, visit a local organic farm and restaurant, and visiting another community project. Risius also mentioned, “I am most looking forward to seeing a country untouched by a modern world.”
On the fourth day of their trip, the students will travel to the Mayabeque Province, a newly formed province created from the former La Habana Province. Here they will meet with a local naturalist and local landscape artist. On day five, the students will visit the Zapata Peninsula in southern Cuba. They will participate in a workshop at the Zapata National Park and visit the Taino village. They will end their day by enjoying a performance from the Cienfuegos Orchestra. On the sixth, day the students will get the opportunity to participate in a hike and nature talk. Later in the day they will travel to Trinidad, a beautiful island off the northern coast of Venezuela. There they will meet with a local photographer and horse whisperer.
Day seven will consist of visiting an art school in Cienfuegos and later travelling to Santa Clara to participate at the community center. On their final day in Cuba, the students will visit Remedios and learn about the sugar industry at a former sugar mill. After that they will play a game with a local sports team. On day nine the students will return to Miami and travel home after a long and exciting trip.
This is such an amazing opportunity that has been given to PV students. These students will get the opportunity to truly immerse themselves in Cuban culture by doing things like visiting national universities and parks, getting a taste of the local music, and hiking through the beautiful country. PV junior, Nicholas Yanek, says, “I’m excited to have new experiences and see what the culture is like in Cuba, since it hasn’t been open to tourism for such a long time.” This is not the first or last amazing trip that PV students will have the opportunity to go on. Make sure to keep an eye out for information about the next trip and experience the excitement of traveling.
