While others will be heading south to visit sandy beaches and enjoy the tropical climate, some students in the architecture program will be traveling to Havana, Cuba, for educational purposes during spring break.

Anybody is welcome to participate in the trip, whether or not they’re involved with the architecture program.

The trip will last throughout the duration of Spring Break, and will include touring the city and taking in the local sights, sounds and building designs. They will also be talking to some Cuban architecture experts about the architecture present in the heavily populated city. 

There are 22 students currently enrolled in the architecture 420 course, and Clare Cardinal-Pett, associate professor of architecture, said these students will be eligible to receive credit on the trip by participating in specialized work projects.

“If someone just wants to tag along for the ride though, that’s fine too,” Cardinal-Pett said.

Cardinal-Pett is currently the only faculty member involved in the trip, but she is collaborating with the organizations Food First and Global Exchange. The groups are dedicated to feeding the hungry and helping with relief efforts in third world countries, according to their respective websites.

Cardinal-Pett has led students on trips before travel restrictions limited her ability to do so. 

“I took students to Cuba for a three-week summer course in 2000, but the more restrictive travel bans put in place by the Bush administration made it difficult to do it again” Cardinal-Pett said.

The trip is a good opportunity for students to earn extra credit, and explore the world outside of the United States. For more information on the trip e-mail [email protected].