1. VLA students took a walking tour of Old Havana and visited the world famous La Colmenita Children’s Theater. They participated in an arts performance and engaging workshops with their Cuban peers.
2. In Santiago de Cuba, students visited the Fernando Ortiz African Cultural Center and Casa del Caribe to learn about the history and culture of Cubans of Haitian descent.
3. Visited the Organopónico (organic urban farm) Vivero Alamar to explore cooperative farming and learn how this farm helped Cuba’s economy after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
4. Participated in a rehearsal of Ballet Folklorico Cutumba, an internationally renowned folkloric group that researches, collects, conserves, revitalizes, and presents the folkloric manifestations of Afro-Franco-Haitian-Cuban origin found primarily in Cuba’s eastern (Oriente) provinces. VLA students met with over 48 musicians and dancers.