This 11-day, 10-night seminar is a unique opportunity to experience the Cuban Revolution in the 21st century. Students will learn about the history of the revolution, its impact on Cuban society, and the challenges and opportunities facing Cuba today. Students will also have the opportunity to meet with Cuban people from all walks of life, including specialists in history, medicine, and education, professors, students, artists, farmers, and everyday citizens, as well as U.S. diplomats. We’ll tour Havana and Matanzas province (including the resort town of Varadero) to seek to understand the complexities of the Cuban experience.

Some program highlights:

• Walking tours and free time in Revolution Square, Old Havana, and the Malecón.
• Guided visits to museums dedicated to the history of the Cuban revolution, including the Museo de la Revolución (Museum of the Revolution), Museo de la Alfabetización (museum dedicated to the 1961 literacy campaign), and the Memorial de la Denuncia (Memorial of Denouncement, focusing on U.S. actions in Cuba).
• Explorations of the Afro-Cuban experience, including visits to the Afro-Aesthetic Project and the Casa de Africa museum.
• Visits to clinics, schools, and universities to discover the Cuban perspectives on health care and education.
• Discussions with artists and art students focusing on art and social justice, including visits to the Fábrica de Arte Cubano (Factory of Cuban Art), the Matanzas Art School, and the Giganteria art workshop.
• Learn about Cuban approaches to environmental sustainability with a visit to an organic farm.
• A two-day visit to Matanzas and the resort town of Veradero to assess the impacts of tourism on Cuba. Includes a guided tour of San Severino Castle, a site included as part of UNESCO’s Route of the Enslaved.
  Learn about the Cuban political system and U.S.-Cuban relations from Cuban historians and researchers, and from U.S. State Dept. officials at the U.S. Embassy in Havana.
• And much more!

We will depart from DIA on Friday, November 21, and return on Monday, December 1.

The trip is a partnership between Colorado Mountain College and the Center for Global Education and Experience (CGEE), associated with Augsburg College in Minneapolis. You can get more details on CGEE programs at augsburg.edu/global

Social science professor Bob Gumbrecht is the instructor and CMC trip leader for this course. Bob has been at CMC for 20 years and is a seasoned study abroad leader, having taken students to Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, Cuba, and Northern Ireland on many occasions. Professor Gumbrecht earned an M.A. in Political Science and has completed Ph.D. coursework in Latin American Politics, Comparative Politics, and International Political Economy. Bob teaches courses in political science, history, geography, and sustainability studies. 

The trip fee is $3000, which includes all program-related expenses while in Cuba (meals, lodging, fees and honorariums, international travel health and cancellation insurance, and local transportation).

Airfare, CMC tuition and other potential fees (such as passport fees, immunizations, and trip cancellation insurance) are not included in the course fee.

No, you will purchase airfare on your own. It is difficult to predict the cost of airfare far in advance, but expect it to cost around $700-800 (roundtrip Denver to Havana). So that we all arrive together, you will be provided a flight itinerary to purchase as we get closer to the trip. Due to the special nature of travel to Cuba, we ask that you be sure to purchase the required flight itinerary. Any deviations to this itinerary must be approved by the instructor in advance of purchase.

August 1, 2025 is the application deadline, with course registration and payment due (or payment plan initiated) by August 15, 2025.

Yes! There are scholarships available for this trip through the CMC Foundation. We anticipate the scholarship application to go live at the beginning of June 2025. Contact the instructor for details.

See CMC’s Financial Resources for Study Abroad site for details on CMC study abroad scholarships and other sources of financial aid. Contact your campus financial aid office to discuss how you may be able to apply financial aid awards towards trip expenses.

Payment plans are available through CMC. These allow you to spread out the cost of your trip fee over several payments. The earlier you apply, the more time you have to pay the trip fee. Contact your campus student account office for details. At the Steamboat campus, contact Patrick Gilliland at 970.870.4420 or pjgilliland@coloradomtn.edu.

Depending on the date of cancellation notice, refund of at least some of the course fees may be possible depending on when you decide to cancel, according to cancellation/refund policies of the Center for Global Education and Experience:

Trip Fee: If you cancel:

• 90-75 Days Prior to Arrival | 5% of the program fee and non-recoverable costs
• 74-61 Days Prior to Arrival | 15% of the program fee and non-recoverable costs
• 60-31 Days Prior to Arrival | 50% of the program fee
• 30-1 Days Prior to Arrival | 100% of the program fee

Airfare: Depending on the airline, airfare is generally nonrefundable, but many allow for future flight credit in case of cancellation.

CMC Tuition: Refunds are based on the course start date. See the course syllabus for details.

PSC 1050: Current Political Issues (3 credits). This course is appropriate for most students. This is a Guaranteed Transfer (GT) course and there are no course prerequisites.

While all participants must register for the course, community members and others who do not need course credit may “audit” the course (and not receive a grade).

In addition to the trip, we will have a number of class meetings before and after travel. These class meetings will be held on Zoom and are tentatively scheduled 6-8pm on the four Thursdays prior to departure (October 23 and 30, and November 6 and 13) and one Thursday after the trip (December 4). Class sessions are mandatory. There will be reading and other assignments due on Canvas to prepare for the experience.

Course meetings will cover background and preparation related to course themes, travel preparation and logistics, and plenty of time for Q&A with the instructor.

Yes. This is a short-term course, with just a few mandatory course meetings (see above). Travel occurs partially over Thanksgiving break.

1. First, complete the application above. Application deadline is August 1, 2025.
2. After application acceptance, register for the appropriate course (POS 1050: Current Political Issues) and pay the course fee (or begin a payment plan). Registration and payment deadline is August 15, 2025.
3. There will be additional paperwork to complete after registration, including an online application with our travel partners, a CMC participation agreement and liability waivers, enrollment in the U.S. State Department Smart Traveler program, and perhaps other items.
4. If necessary, apply for a passport or renew if it is about to expire. Then Apply for/renew a U.S. passport. You may need to pay for expedited processing if you are applying for a new passport within 2-3 months of departure.

You must have a valid passport (with an expiration date beyond six months after return) to participate in this course. Apply for/renew a U.S. passport online. Please be aware that it may take at least 4-6 weeks to receive your passport, so plan accordingly! You may need to pay for expedited processing if you are applying for a new passport within 2-3 months of departure.

Travel health insurance is provided through our travel partner and is included in your course fee.

Trip cancellation insurance is NOT included in your course fee. It is HIGHLY recommended that you purchase trip cancellation insurance to protect your investment.

There are no required vaccines for travel to Cuba.

Check with your doctor or the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) regarding recommended vaccinations for travel to Cuba. Visit the Centers for Disease Control Cuba Travel page for details.

In Steamboat Springs, you can also visit the travel immunization clinic operated by the Northwest Colorado Visiting Nurses Association: 970-879-1632 or visit their travel immunization page for more details. There may be similar services near your home location.

You should plan on getting your vaccinations at least 4-6 weeks prior to travel.

Students under the age of 18 will be considered on a case-by-case basis, and a notarized parental release form will be required to participate.

No. Spanish language is not required to take this course. Translation will be provided during all program-related activities.

The U.S. State Dept. has determined that, overall, it is safe for Americans to travel to Cuba, with some common-sense precautions. Check out the U.S. State Department's travel advisory for Cuba for more detail.

Our hosts in Cuba are Cuban citizens and are long-time professionals in study abroad programs. They know the country well and have well-developed procedures to keep us safe and to deal with any emergencies should they arise.

As far as clothing and personal items, we will cover this in our pre-trip meeting.