Lake Ridge Academy and its eye-opening connection to Cuba

Three teachers and 19 students from Lake Ridge Academy, an independent day school in Ohio, USA, spent a week visiting Cuba as part of the culmination of a course where students learned about the island’s history, culture, politics and music.

Teacher Mitch White, sharing his impressions of the trip on Facebook, noted that, as part of the subject he teaches alongside Rhett Rybarczyk and Luz Elena Bermúdez, they also addressed the complex relationship with the U.S. “This wasn’t just a trip,” he wrote.

He also explained that, before boarding the plane, his students “learned salsa, listened to Cuban music, ate Cuban food, and met Cuban Americans here in Cleveland.”

“By the time we arrived in Havana, our group of 19 students had already built something special together. That mattered,” he added.

Founded in 1963, Lake Ridge Academy offers co-educational classes from kindergarten through 12th grade, which is why the students’ families were a key factor in deciding on the trip to the island.

“After the U.S. intervention in Venezuela, we had to take a hard look at whether we could safely move forward… We surveyed families and gave everyone a choice. I’m proud to say every student stayed committed,” White explained.

Visiting Cuba was joyful and enlightening

Regarding their time on the island, the teacher commented, “What we experienced in Cuba is hard to summarize. Conditions there right now are very, very difficult. And yet we encountered extraordinary generosity, resilience, creativity, and warmth.”

Following the fuel supply restrictions imposed on Cuba by the U.S. government, conditions in the country are not ideal, but the experience of conversing with people was invaluable for the young people.

“Our students connected with Cuban teenagers, asked thoughtful questions, danced, laughed, and listened. We also carried more than 1,000 pounds of supplies (clothing, medicine, sports equipment, and toiletries) and left them with people who truly need them. It was joyful. It was complicated. It was eye-opening. It was deeply meaningful.”

“I’m incredibly proud of our students, and their maturity, their curiosity, their empathy. And I’m thankful for colleagues and families who made it possible,” the teacher concluded.

Cuba is a nation that strongly supports people-to-people exchanges, as they strengthen human ties, promote mutual understanding, and foster cooperation between communities. As part of these exchanges, which have a long tradition between the island and the United States, people share cultures, knowledge, and experiences directly, based on principles of respect, equality and mutual benefit.