Colorado Mountain College (CMC) is offering an opportunity this fall for students and interested community members to travel to Cuba through a faculty-
led study abroad program. The 11-day, 10-night trip is scheduled for Nov. 21 through Dec. 1, 2025, and is part of the official coursework for “Current Political Issues” (PSC 1050), a class offered through CMC. Participants of the trip, students and non-students, must be registered for the online course in order to tag along.
The trip is being organized and led by Dr. Bob Gumbrecht, a professor of political science and history at CMC’s Steamboat Springs campus. This will be the third study abroad trip Gumbrecht has done in Cuba.
Gumbrecht’s first trip with students to Cuba was in 2013, before the normalization of relations between the U.S. and Cuba. He took students to meet diplomats before an official U.S. embassy had been established.
His second trip, in 2016, con-
cluded with the group in Havana when the news about Fidel Castro’s death broke. He recalled seeing an interesting side of the country as many of the residents mourned Castro’s death as the group was preparing to leave Cuba.
Gumbrecht has also led similar CMC study abroad programs to other destinations, such as Guatemala, Nicaragua and Northern Ireland.
“Normally, Americans are not allowed to travel to Cuba unless under very certain, narrow circumstances,” said Gumbrecht. “This is an opportunity right through CMC to be able to do that.”
The complicated history between the U.S. and Cuba dates back to the Cold War era, when Fidel Castro rose to power in the 1959 Cuban Revolution. Since then, there has been a nuclear crisis, an embargo and long-term political effects. Relations between the countries improved briefly during the Obama administration but renewed restrictions in recent years have made U.S. citizen access to Cuba increasingly rare.
Due to the restricted travel conditions, CMC is partnering with the Center for Global Education and Experience, a program operated by Augsburg University, a private Lutheran college in Minnesota. The program holds the necessary licenses to make trips like this one possible for CMC.
Participants on the trip will travel to Havana and the resort town of Varadero. The itinerary also includes visits to museums and schools, a clinic, an organic farm and art spaces such as the Afro-Aesthetic Experience.
Throughout the trip, participants will meet with Cuban residents, visit cultural and historical sites and attend presentations and discussions that offer insight into Cuba’s current political climate. The group will also visit the U.S. Embassy in Havana for a briefing with diplomats.
“I hope that folks get an opportunity to see what a different way of life looks like, get a different sense of how people deal with their relative opportunity or lack of opportunity and how people cope with the challenges of daily life in a developing country,” said Gumbrecht.
The program is open to all CMC students as well as interested community members, regardless of their field of study. No prior political science background is required. Gumbrecht emphasized that the program is designed to be inclusive and accessible to anyone curious about global issues and interested in meaningful cultural exchange.
The trip cost is set at $3,000, which covers accommodations, meals, in-country transportation, travel insurance and all scheduled activities. Not included in the base price are airfare, CMC tuition for the course and incidental expenses such as passport or immunization fees. Course participants will earn transferable academic credit upon completion of the trip.
CMC encourages interested students to explore financial assistance opportunities. Scholarships and aid may be available through the college’s Financial Resources for Study Abroad program. The application deadline is Aug. 1, 2025, with final course registration and payment due on Aug. 15.
More information about the trip, including application instructions and eligibility, can be found on CMC’s website: www.coloradomtn.edu