Cultural Travel Exchange
Cultural Exchange is an Invaluable Element of our Youth Program
Did you know that less than 2% of U.S. students will ever have the chance to participate in an international exchange due to many barriers including access, cost and logistics?
We understand that cultural exchange is an invaluable element of our Youth Leadership Diplomacy Program, which is why it culminates in a travel experience – based on cultural, educational, information, and trade exchanges, creating lifelong friendships that provide prosperity and peace through person-to-person “citizen diplomacy.”
2025 – Oaxaca
15 of our 17 youth diplomats, two Global Santa Fe staff, trip leader – Peggy Gaustad, a teacher from Santa Fe Prep, and a teacher from the New Mexico School for the Arts, all returned home from Oaxaca on March 28. As with last year, we can say with confidence that this year’s exchange proved transformative for all!
The group stayed four nights in Mitla and three nights in Oaxaca City. The exchange was led by remarkable local guides Luis Loza and Carlos Ortega, who provided meaningful context and rich historical narratives throughout the experience. The group participated in a Zapotec spring equinox ritual among architectural ruins in Mitla, visited a family of basket makers, enjoyed an equally delicious and informative afternoon dining at Master Chef Catalina Lucas’ restaurant where they were taught to make chocolate that they distributed as gifts to their hosts throughout the exchange. They met with award-winning weaver, Rodrigo Hernandez (who is just 23), to observe how he weaves cloth on a flying shuttle loom, and dined with the Hernandez family in their home. They visited the colorful and flavorful Tlacolula market, where people come from surrounding villages to buy and sell as they have for centuries.
The students watched pottery be made without a wheel as it has for over 100 generations in the town of San Marcos Tlapazola as well as enjoyed an inspirational visit with the blind potter, Don Jose Vazquez and his wife Dona Teresita who have been featured in Santa Fe’s International Folk Art Market. They met the challenge of a long, hot hike at the spectacular Hierve el Agua and cooled off in the pools at the springs. In Teotitlan del Valle, they learned and practiced candle making. They spent a morning at the site of ruins of an ancient center of Zapotec and Mixtec culture, Monte Albán, and an afternoon practicing their hands at block carving and printing, along with many other memorable experiences.
All the while, the youth learned about the Oaxacan way of life in villages and the city – diving deep into the concepts of tequio (a custom of unpaid collective work for the benefit of the community practiced by various indigenous groups in Mexico), Guezlaguetza (an indigenous celebration also hosted by the community who has been assigned specific roles), cargos (a traditional system of community governance, where civic and religious responsibilities are assigned annually to members of the communitY). These unpaid roles rotate regularly, ensuring shared leadership, collective participation, and a redistribution of duties to maintain social balance and cohesion) and consensus-based government. These concepts were thought-provoking. In the evenings and over meals at long and lively tables, they reflected on their experiences individually and collectively noting how diplomacy might be practiced in the communities they visited and which diplomacy skills they were putting into practice as individuals and as a group along their journey.
2024 – Cuba
In March 2024, a cohort of Global Santa Fe’s Youth Leadership Diplomacy Program including 10 students, 3 teachers, 2 Global Santa Fe staff and guides Peggy Gaustad and Stuart Ashman embarked on a transformative 10-day cultural exchange to Eastern Cuba, immersing themselves in the rich history, vibrant arts, and daily life of Holguín, Baracoa, and Santiago de Cuba.
The journey began with a warm welcome from Holguín city officials, where students presented a proclamation from Santa Fe’s Mayor, affirming the deep connection between our Sister Cities. Over the next several days, they explored historic plazas, visited renowned art and music schools, and engaged in meaningful exchanges with Cuban peers—discovering shared values and unique perspectives on education, creativity, and community life.
Traveling along Cuba’s northern coast to Baracoa, the oldest settlement on the island, students experienced the intersection of natural beauty and cultural heritage. They learned from local historians, joined hands-on art workshops with celebrated IFAM artists, and connected with tradition bearers keeping indigenous music and dance alive. Days were filled with visits to cacao farms, riverside hikes, and intimate meals in family homes—offering a window into the resilience and warmth of Cuban hospitality.
The program culminated in Santiago de Cuba, a city steeped in revolutionary history and artistic innovation. Students stood at the mausoleum of José Martí, explored centuries-old fortresses, and engaged with preservation experts safeguarding the city’s heritage. From the rhythms of La Tumba Francesa to the spiritual significance of the Basilica del Cobre, each experience deepened their understanding of Cuba’s complex cultural tapestry. By journey’s end, participants returned home with not only new friendships and broadened worldviews but also an enduring appreciation for the power of cultural diplomacy to bridge differences and inspire global citizenship.
