Education and Excellence in the African Diaspora in Cuba

music, rum, distinctive architecture, and dynamic culture of visual and performing arts. Cuba’s liveliest cities (Havana and Santiago) are both welcoming, impressive, and rich in Afro-descendant history.

Join us for an unforgettable educational and cultural immersion. Our group will focus on Cuba’s educational and cultural traditions, exploring the relationship between personal expression, community development, and collaboration. We’ll visit schools, community groups, studios and galleries, World Heritage Sites of extraordinary beauty, and neighborhoods that have been revitalized through imaginative development projects.

Meetings with local teachers, writers, and advocates, plus guided visits to museums will also be featured. It’s a wonderful opportunity to experience an extraordinary place at a historic moment--and feel the heartbeat of Cuba’s creative spirit, especially through its vibrant music and Afro-Cuban culture. This journey is being facilitated by Robyn Fisher of AAREA.

AltruVistas is delighted, honored, and deeply grateful to be working with her and with the team at AAREA to help facilitate your experience. You will come away with a deep understanding of the complexities and wonders within Cuba; its world-recognized education and health systems; and current trends in Cuba’s tourism industry as we experience together the beauty of the island's bio-reserves and cultural heritage sites.

Malia Everette, CEO and founder of AltruVistas, will personally be in and out of the group to support your experience. Our trip includes a flight from Santiago to Havana! The African American Regional Educational Alliances® (AAREA®) is the culmination of more than ten years’ worth of work to support educational achievement among African American students in the San Francisco Bay Area.

AAREA®’s mission is to develop collaborative educational services and professional development opportunities that result in improved academic proficiency and college readiness of African American students. One of the cornerstones of this work is the belief that culturally responsive approaches engage African American students.

Through our “Education and Excellence in the African Diaspora” travel series, AAREA® seeks to enrich participating educators’ cultural responsiveness with the most hands-on experience possible: purposeful travel.