Cuba Educational Travel's mission is to connect the people of the United States and Cuba. This is done through coordinating travel between both countries – in both directions – to facilitate two-way learning; as well as producing studies and publications about issues of mutual concern and organizing events in the United States that deal with issues related to Cuba and U.S.-Cuba relations.
BUILDING BRIDGES
CET routinely sponsors the travel of Cuban artists and entrepreneurs to the United States for conferences, workshops, and classes. CET has also assisted a number of Cuban cultural groups to perform in the United States, and numerous Cuban academics to present at US academic institutions.
TWO-WAY EXCHANGES
2020 IMPACT
Getting Funky in Havana
In conjunction with the Trombone Shorty Foundation, CET put on a historic New Orleans-Meets-Havana Funk Festival during Cuba’s International Jazz Fest. The event brought American bands Tank and the Bangas, The Soul Rebels, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, Anders Osborne, and Big Chief Monk to perform for thousands of Cubans and Americans in Havana.
NPR: Tank And The Cubans: A Week In Havana
Reuters: Festive New Orleans conga in Havana defies Trump Cuba policy
The Guardian: Conga and carnival: Havana's jazz festival – in pictures
WWL: 'Us and the Cubans, our music and our people are the same'
El Pais: El jazz une en La Habana lo que Trump separa
Chronicle Boston: Getting Funky in Havana
2019 IMPACT
May 2019 Survey on Cuba’s Private Sector and US travel
A new survey of the private sector in Cuba found that the economic success of Cuban entrepreneurs is strongly tied to US travel to the island. Cuba’s private sector actors almost unanimously responded that an increase in US travel to the island represents more profit for their businesses and measures to curtail US travel would harm their entrepreneurial ventures.
CET sponsored Cuban breakout artist Cimafunk on his unprecedented and extremely successful 20-city US tour in March-May of 2019. The group played top spots from coast to coast, starting at SXSW and later selling out iconic venues such as North Beach Bandshell in Miami, Tipitina’s in New Orleans, No Name and the Grammy Museum in LA, DROM and National Sawdust in New York, among dozens of others.
Flyers designed by Haydée Fornaris.
Photo: Eloy Costa
CET has provided support for 2019 Cuban exchanges at Western Kentucky University, assisting Cuban rap duo Obsesion get to Bowling Green for a conference and performance in April 2019. After WKU professors met the duo in Regla, Havana, last year, they decided to bring the duo to Kentucky to share with their students the work, projects, and music the duo is creating. Obsesion will be representing Cuba for WKU’s “International Year of Cuba”.
In May 2019, CET helped bring four Cuban female creatives to the Miami Light Project for a historic exchange in Wynwood. The creatives, Lauren Fajardo, Marta Deus, Cristina Figueroa, and May Reguera, shared their story with the Miami community and engaged with Miami creatives.
With hundreds of repeat clients, and a strong and extensive team on the ground, our trips build lasting relationships between our clients and our people in Cuba. Throughout its existence, CET has given back to the entrepreneurs and artists we work with on the island.
LASTING FRIENDSHIPS
CET has brought countless Congressional delegations to Cuba for fact-finding trips, market research, and official meetings. We are dedicated to doing our part to change US policy towards Cuba, promoting open exchanges and freedom of movement for Americans. Your trip to Cuba with CET is more than just a vacation. It is a part of the bettering of relations between the people of the United States and Cuba.
POLITICAL IMPACT
CET ORIGINAL MEDIA