SPARK Directors
susanne rinner
Dr. Susanne Rinner is a teacher-scholar and the author of The German Student Movement and the Literary Imagination:Transnational Memories of Protest and Dissent (Berghahn Books, 2013). In 2012, she edited a special issue of International Poetry Review with a focus on poetry written in German by multilingual authors. From 2007-2019, Susanne worked at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro as an Associate Professor of German Studies. In 2018 and 2019, Susanne served as the president of the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG). She is the Program Director for SPARK for German, a joint project of the AATG and the Goethe-Institut. She is also the Program Director for the Goethe-Institut Summer Academy. Susanne’s goal is to strengthen and build German programs across K-16 institutions. She wants to encourage all students to study languages and their cultural contexts and to consider a career in teaching. As an advocate for public education, Susanne supports the implementation of language education as part of the core curriculum in the U.S. She volunteers as a translator for the project Migrants of the Mediterranean.
Michael Thompson
Michael Thompson is the Language Program Officer for the SPARK program at the Goethe Institute in Washington, DC. Michael was raised in Omaha, Nebraska where in 2019 he completed a double major in sustainability and German as a foreign language with a minor in philosophy at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Putting what he has learned into action has always been important to Michael, therefore during his time at university, he owned a furniture restoration business while continuing to pursue interests in language and intercultural exchange. His continued interest in cultural exchange and the German language led him to become a cultural representative for the US government in the CBYX for Young Professionals. Being a part of the CBYX program further fueled his desire to advocate for access to German language programs and resources for learners from all different backgrounds.
Regional Coordinators
Texas and Midwest: Denise Larsson
Denise Larsson is passionate about teaching and tutoring public and private school language students of all levels and ages supporting them to discover their potential and achieve their learning goals. As a certified examiner for an internationally recognized German language institute, Denise provides students with the language tools to pursue their higher education goals in German speaking countries. Denise is a true ambassador for German language and culture. Please contact Denise at LarssonDenise@hotmail.com.
Texas and southwest: Nella Spurlin
Nella Spurlin taught in Texas public schools for 40 years before retiring. Since then, she has been involved in professional development training for world language teachers, as well as elementary language and community arts programs for children. Her goal is to provide language and cultural learning opportunities for young students. Please contact Nella at nellaspurlin@gmail.com.
