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Haddon Township High School, NJ: Participating in the program German for Hire has been a memorable experience for me. In a single day I stood in front of six different classes, spoke about life in Germany, answered questions and talked to the students. All of them were very intested and motivated. Claire Roder -
Haddon Township High School, NJ: I was able to talk to Claire beforehand and together we tailored a program to meet the needs of my students. Claire spent the entire day with us during which she delivered a powerpoint presentation about her life in Germany, and patiently answered questions from all 110 of my students. All of my students enjoyed the experience of speaking and listening to a native speaker, and learned a little bit more about the German culture as well. Scott H. Partenheimer -
Gunn High School, CA: The students thoroughly enjoyed my presentation about migration in Germany. Afterwards they had a great time making Döner Kebabs, Germany’s favorite fast food. Denise Reck -
Los Gatos High School, CA: The students had fun while practicing their German. German for Hire is an ideal opportunity to make German more attractive. It’s simply a great program! Verena Hehl -
Chinle High School, AZ: The two days I spent at Chinle High School were pretty amazing and I hope that I was able to drum up enthusiasm for Germany and for learning the German language. The students extended a warm and open welcome to me and I was even given the opportunity to attend a Navajo lesson and to get an impression of the language. Maja Bösser -
Chinle High School, AZ: We truly enjoyed having Maja with us and listening to her reports about studying in Germany. There are many students in my class now that could imagine to study in Germany themselves. Maja even contributed to our information session for the new freshman classes by providing information about the German language and Germany itself to around 100 students. I will definitely hire a young ambassador again next year. Kathleen Shull -
Claremont High School, CA: German for Hire is a fantastic program. Many students didn’t know anything about Marburg, the Grimm Brothers or Frankfurt and it was great for me to see them being so interested in these topics and to be able to share my German “world“ with them. Natascha Vonderschmitt -
Cheyenne Mountain High School, CO: I’m still so delighted with the school and the students that I met. Doug is a great teacher and I had the chance to learn so much in a single day. I was fascinated by the language level of the students – they really understood everything I was saying and showed interest in my presentation. Kathrin Bickert -
Chandler High School, AZ: Right from the beginning of the class the teacher handed over the classroom management to me – which I appreciated greatly and perceived as a huge vote of confidence in my teaching skills. During the lesson I tried to speak slowly and to paraphrase words that the students might not know. They were all very open-minded, interested and made great efforts to answer my questions in German. We finished off my visit with a jolly Christmas celebration. It was a great pleasure for me! Christoph Schreiber -
Old Bridge High School, NJ: The students loved having a 'true' German in class! They were able to apply what they had learned in class - both their language and knowledge of culture - and they enjoyed Rouven's presentation about Christmas in Germany! We loved the program and hope to have another 'German for hire' in the classroom soon!! Brita Schmitz -
Diablo Valley College, CA: The students showed immense interest in the life of young university students in Germany. Now they know about BAföG (the federal student financial aid), Kochkarussell and the different educational paths in Germany. It was such a pleasure to tell them about my everyday student life in Paderborn and to share some photos of the university, the students‘ accommodations and the city with them. I would gladly support this German-American cultural exchange again! Rebecca Meier -
Diablo Valley College, CA: Rebecca designed her presentation as an interactive quiz and thereby managed to include every single student. They were all very enthusiastic about her visit and highly interested in her Spotify list with German music. It was striking that a young ambassador who is in the same age group as the university students, and who has just come from Germany, does have a completely different emotional effect on the students than a professor. For many of them, Rebecca’s visit was certainly the highlight of the semester! Tina Schrader -
Litchfield Senior High School, MN: The school visit was incredibly instructive for me. The teacher offered me the opportunity to accompany her during the entire day, so I could get an insight into the everyday work of an American teacher. During my presentation I informed the students about the possibilities of studying a foreign language such as German would open up for them after finishing High School. Besides this, I introduced them to some German singers and bands to familiarize them with German music. Rena von Essen -
The Paragon School, FL: Students were thrilled that Lea came to visit us! Lea presented on typical German teen activities and introduced them to her hometown. Beside the first-hand look into German teen life, they practiced important social skills - asking appropriate questions, interacting with a positive near-peer role model. We are looking forward to having more German Ambassadors visit us in the future. Sara Hoefler -
Nolan Catholic High School, TX: The day at the high school was a full success, not only for myself, but also for the students. They seemed very interested, sincere, and curious, and enjoyed getting to know a native speaker who could provide answers to their questions. I believe that this small but educationally valuable cultural exchange not only brings a bit of Germany to the US, but also encourages American students to continue learning German in higher education and even consider a trip, an exchange program or a degree in Germany. Selina Pazen -
Independence High School, CA : Mareike was very cooperative and flexible in the process of preparing and making her visit to our school possible. Her contribution greatly enhanced the lesson which was very much appreciated by the students. Katharina Eldada -
Plano Senior High School, TX: I had an amazing time attending five German classes in two high schools, and I believe that the students did as well. The German teacher Ms. Warren made me feel incredibly welcome in her classes, provided breakfast for the morning classes and home-made waffles in the afternoon which we all enjoyed. Depending on the level of German, we discussed the German culture in German, or had a Q&A session about life and school/college education in Germany in English. The students were thrilled, but they were not the only ones benefitting from the program – I personally learned a lot even though I believed I was already well familiar with the American culture. What a rewarding experience! Sina Bückle -
Shiloh High School, GA: The students LOVED having the German ambassador visit!! I believe it was exceptionally beneficial for my students to have the opportunity to meet and speak with a „real“ German. Deniz brought Germany to life for the students; both she and I also found it fascinating to see what the students were curious about. They prepared questions beforehand and engaged Deniz in a lively conversation in all three classes. According to their surveys, they liked hearing about daily life in Germany and how it differs from daily life in the US. In addition, many of them wrote that they now really wanted to travel to/live in the German-speaking world. They were unanimously positive and many of them wrote that the day exceeded their expectations. There is no replacement for spending time with people who really speak the language and are from the country of interest. Ms. Richards -
Shiloh High School, GA: My day as German Ambassador was not only exciting and informative, but also very fun and entertaining. In a relaxed atmosphere, I visited three German courses and answered questions students had prepared concerning Germany and the German culture. Questions mainly focused on daily life in Germany and its regional differences. Some of the more specific questions pertained to the German driver’s license exam, entry requirements for universities, and German soccer clubs; they also wanted to know about my studies and my living situation in Göttingen. I on the other hand was able to ask the different classes about their relationship with, and opinion of, Germany and the German culture. What interested me most was their motivation to learn German. Students also inquired about my opinion of and relationship with the US. They wanted to know how “a German” would think about the USA. All in all, we had exciting and inspiring conversations in all three German classes. Not only was I able to give the students a better understanding of life in Germany, but I also learned a lot about the students’ opinions and attitudes. It was a very exciting and valuable experience that I wholeheartedly recommend. Deniz Dilay
