Deepen your understanding of emergent transdisciplinary issues related to global health, environmental humanities and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals by examining contemporary challenges arising from global environmental change, and completing a 2-week field experience focused on climate change, biodiversity, conservation, and community health in Cuba.
The summer 2024 Education for Sustainable Development program of the Global Columbia Collaboratory offers the opportunity to virtually engage with a small group of Columbia University students, as well as faculty, students and community organizations in Cuba over the course of 15 weeks this summer.
If you have any questions, write to globalcollab@columbia.edu or watch a recording of one of the INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kXX2xrMv1k
Overview
Through global seminars, small group meetings, and working on a collaborative project with community partners and faculty from partnering institutions in Cuba, you’ll learn about aspects of environmental and global health realities in Cuba; the important role the humanities, arts, and social sciences can play not just in producing solutions to environmental problems but in understanding how those problems emerged; as well as Cuba’s experience addressing sustainable development challenges to achieve the SDGs; and you will gain hands-on experience through a 2-week in-country field experience in Cuba.
The Collaboratory is a not-for-credit program offered by the Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement in partnership with Citivas and partnering institutions in Cuba. Students may consider using their participation in the program for elective academic credit, and/or internship, capstone, practicum, or research requirements.
If you have any questions, write to globalcollab@columbia.edu or watch a recording of one of the INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kXX2xrMv1k
Eligibility and Application
At the point of application and throughout the Global Columbia Collaboratory experience, you must be:
Currently enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student
In good disciplinary standing.
Students must be able to fully participate in all activities and meetings throughout the 15-week program.
Non-Columbia students are eligible to participate.
The Collaboratory is conducted in English.
APPLICATION DEADINE:
Applications are open until Wednesday, March 13, 2024.
Financial Considerations
The virtual portion of the Collaboratory program is free to participants but there is a program fee for the in-country field experience.
Student fee: $2,700
Included in the student fee:
a $500 non-refundable deposit
Round trip flight to/from Miami, Florida to Havana, Cuba
cost of securing a visa
lodging
in-country transportation
all meals
in-country excursions
Excluded costs:
costs associated with securing a valid passport (if applicable)
vaccines for travel to Cuba (if applicable)
personal spending money
Tentative Timeline and Expectations
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Wednesday, March 13, 2024
February 19: Applications open
March 13: Applications due
March 18 - 22: Applicants will be asked to sign up for a brief interview with the program organizers
March 25: Finalists will be notified
April 1: Confirmation of Participation forms and $500 deposit due
Virtual and In-person Programming
Programming for the Collaboratory will take place over 15 weeks (May - August*) and students should expect to spend 5 - 6 hours a week engaged with Collaboratory content, seminars and activities. Additionally, students must be able to travel to the on-sight program.
Weeks 1 - 7: virtual programming/synchronous meetings
Weeks 8 - 10: in-country field study/Cuba
Weeks 11 - 15: virtual programming/synchronous meetings & Project Showcase
*Finalized Schedule, including the duration of the in-country field study in Cuba will be provided in mid-March 2024.
Students must be able to participate in all meetings and activities as part of joining the Summer 2024 Collaboratory.
Components
GLOBAL SEMINARS
Global seminars are led by faculty, practitioners, and researchers on education for sustainable development and environmental humanities, and are drawn from the extensive networks of Columbia University.
TOOLBOX SESSIONS
These are skills-based workshops to support students’ global learning, intercultural communication, and successful completion of a project in consultation with University of Cienfuegos.
SMALL GROUP MEETINGS - “PODs”
Collab PODs are facilitated small group sessions that meet on a weekly basis to provide students with specific content related to community health and the environment in Cuba and to foster students’ connection and reflection as they process and build on their learning.
PROJECT WORK SESSIONS
Student collaborators meet to work on their NGO/partner project.
ON-SITE FIELD EXPERIENCE
Students will spend 2 weeks in Cuba visiting sites of global health, environmental and cultural significance, working on their NGO/partner project, learning from observation, and engaging in field study.