Cuba

We are so excited to share that we have just returned from our second trip to Cuba, and our first implementation of the project.  It was an amazing success!  Please watch the videos on this page.  Both videos show what these amazing people were able to accomplish in just a couple of days.  In both Holguin and Banes, the kids chose a song, played every instrument, learned to record, mix and master!  We couldn't be more prouder to have been a part of this amazing project!

In addition to music, we worked with the younger children in the evening.  They were so incredible, they took the iPads and made their very own movies and just had a blast!

Origin:

In 2018, Cuba was chosen as the latest project location for The STEM Foundation. A vast amount was learned about the closed-off country once we embarked on the first steps of this new mission. The purpose of this initial visit was to perform a site survey, and determine how The STEM Foundation could best help the people of Cuba.

We knew almost instantly that music would be an integral part of this project. Everywhere we went, it seems, music could be found. For many Cuban families, church communities also play a big role in their daily lives. The church provides a supportive, stable network that becomes essential for many Cuban kids growing up. Combining the major influences of music and the church, we chose to meet with Elio, the musical director for First Baptist Convention, to explore where The STEM Foundation could have the biggest impact on the community.

After some initial brainstorming with Elio, the beginnings of this exciting new project were underway. The idea is to teach the kids of the church communities how to engineer and produce music and video. The kids can then apply this knowledge and produce videos to accompany the music for their church services. All parties agreed that this would be very beneficial for the kids in Cuba, because music is everywhere and is so important to their culture.

We’ve been working with two churches: one in Holguin, and the other in Banes. Each church has twenty students broken up into three smaller groups. The STEM Foundation is providing each church location with three iPads and one docking station that transforms the iPad into a fully functional mini recording studio. The iPads are coming preloaded with software to teach the students how to produce music and video, as well as educational games for the students to enjoy.

In addition to the need for new technology, the church communities also need access to the internet, which is still highly restricted and regulated in Cuba. In order to access the public internet, you need to purchase internet cards, which cost about $1 per minute. Each card contains a code that you must enter to have any access to the internet. The STEM Foundation will provide internet cards for the two church communities along with the iPads being delivered over Thanksgiving.

Overall, our first trip to Cuba was phenomenal. It was truly a privilege to get a glimpse of this country that has remained closed off for so long. We were overwhelmed with the generosity and happiness amongst the Cuban people. Our second trip was over the Thanksgiving week break in late November, 2018. We spent two and a half days at each location to setup the iPads and introduce everything to the students. Our biggest hope was for this latest project to be well received, and that there is assured future growth. The results were incredible and went way beyond what we had imagined!  Stories coming soon, enjoy the videos above!