Sample Travel Seminar Itinerary
Nicaragua

The following represents a sample itinerary of a ten-day Center for Global Education travel seminar to Nicaragua. Each trip’s actual itinerary will vary based on program focus, length, timing and local events. However, this does represent the types of encounters you might experience, as well as the pace of the program. 

Day 1 

4:30pm Arrival and Welcome 

6:00pm Orientation/safety and security briefing/schedule overview. Dinner and overnight at Center for Global Education study facility in Managua 

Day 2 

8:00am Breakfast 

9:00am Introductions  

10:00 am History and update by a former member of the Sandinista Army and currently History professor

12:00pm  Lunch at the Center

2:30pm Social and economic exercise while visiting the market

4:00pm Meeting with an independent economist; former consultant to the World Bank and advisor to five past government administrations. 

6:00pm Dinner at the Center

Day 3 

8:00am Breakfast 

9:30am Depart for a local community and get an overview of work of a faith-based center for development in the areas of health, appropriate technology, employment generation activities linked to the fair trade market in the US 

12:30pm  Lunch at the Center

2:30pm  Meeting  with a FSLN member and former candidate for president in primaries. Visit to the art-gallery.

5:00 pm Meeting with the Campaign Manager of the Liberal Constitutional Party and former Minister of Foreign Relations party in government

6:30pm Dinner

Day 4 

8:00am Breakfast 

9:00am Meeting with the director of a women´s collective at their clinic.

11:00am  Meeting with the former Minister of Education

12:30pm  Lunch at the Center

2:00pm  Visit with the founder of an organization working with children and families working at the municipal dump.

3:30 pm Visit to the a public school

4:30 pm  Reflection/Group Session

6:00pm Dinner

Day 5 

7:00am Breakfast 

8:00am  Depart for Matagalpa to visit a coffee cooperative and meet with union organizers

12:30pm Lunch and further discussions at the cooperative

3:00pm Depart for the hotel

6:00pm Dinner at the hotel

Day 6 

7:00am Breakfast 

8:30am Visit an association of coffee growers in Matagalpa and meet with a member of the Board of Directors

10:00 am  Visit a coffee processing plant. Depart for Managua.

2:30pm Lunch at the Center

4:00 pm visit an art gallery and craft shop. Stop at the Cathedral   

7:00pm Attend Nicaraguan Folk Ballet at the National Theater “Ruben Darío”

Day 7 

8:00am Breakfast 

9:00am Leave for Masaya               

10:00am Visit the Masaya Volcano

12:00pm Lunch in Masaya

2:30pm Shopping at the Masaya Market

5:00pm  Visit to the Center of Heroes and Martyrs of Batahola- attend mass in the community church (optional)

7:30pm Dinner at the Center

Day 8 

8:00am Breakfast 

9:00am Meet with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and Development to get the government's perspective on the Free Trade Agreement

11:00 am  Meeting with a political officer at US Embassy to learn about US-Nicaragua Relations

12:30pm  Lunch at the Center

3:00pm   Hear a critique on Free Trade Agreements by a representative of the Center for International Studies

5:00pm  Final Reflection and Evaluations

6:30pm Dinner

Day 9 

7:30am Breakfast 

8:00am Depart for airport 

10:00am Leave Nicaragua