“Schulen: Partner der Zukunft (PASCH)” initiative

The PASCH initiative ("Schools: Partners for the Future“) is a global network of more than 2000 schools that maintains a close relationship to both, Germany and German language. The Goethe-Institut supports over 600 schools in the national education systems of over 100 countries.

The “Schools: Partners for the Future” (PASCH) initiative was launched in February 2008 by Germany’s Federal Foreign Office. PASCH is coordinated by the Federal Foreign Office and implemented in cooperation with the Central Agency for Schools Abroad (ZfA), the Goethe-Institut, the German Academic Exchange Service and the Educational Exchange Service of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany.

Guiding principles and goals

PASCH is organized according to four guiding principles:

prospects through education
broadened horizons through multilingualism
access to language and education and
joint tackling of future problems as an international community of learners

The PASCH initiative ("Schools: Partners for the Future“) was founded in February 2008 by the German Federal Foreign Affairs Office. PASCH facilitates a global network of more than 2000 schools that maintain a close relationship to Germany and the German language. The Goethe-Institut supports over 600 schools in the national education systems of over 100 countries.

The initiative is coordinated by the Federal Foreign Office and implemented in cooperation with the Central Agency for Schools Abroad (ZfA), the Goethe-Institut, the German Academic Exchange Service and the Educational Exchange Service of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany.

The network of German schools abroad and schools offering the German Language Certificate is being strengthened. Furthermore, cooperation with schools is being stepped up with a view to anchoring German as a foreign language more firmly within national education systems. In addition, scholarships for pursuing a course of study in Germany and opportunities for school exchanges and twinning programmes are made available.

Goals of PASCH

The initiative is designed to arouse and sustain young people’s interest in and enthusiasm for modern-day Germany, German society and the German language. A global network of partner schools of the Federal Republic of Germany is being created; the schools become part of an international community of learners through shared activities and exchange.

PASCH offers attractive training courses that help give pupils and teachers qualifications that will serve them well in the longer term, thereby building upon the skills that the young people will need to study in Germany and in their later professional lives. It additionally aims to establish lively and long-lasting ties to Germany and to encourage schools, teachers and pupils to share their thoughts and ideas openly with one another and to work together. Furthermore, PASCH is linked to other foreign cultural relations and educational policy initiatives such as the “Kulturweit” voluntary service.

Role and activities of the Goethe-Institut

The Goethe-Institut helps the more than 550 schools it supports to include or expand German teaching on their curricula. It offers teachers further training in pedagogical methods and language courses, and equips schools with modern multimedia-friendly teaching, learning and cultural studies materials. Within the framework of the initiative, the Goethe-Institut has additionally sent teaching experts out to assist the partner schools around the world. Youth programmes are run in Germany for pupils from participating schools, allowing them to improve their language proficiency, develop their intercultural skills and experience Germany and its culture at first hand.