German Exchange Program 2011
The German-American Partnership Program, also known as GAPP, brought Ben Franklin and Kippenberg Gymnasium together again this summer and our students had a fantastic time living with their host families, attending classes, and getting to know Germany.
Frau Becker, Franklin’s German and drama teacher, chaperoned students in Bremen for three weeks and led excursions to diverse locations in and around the city, including Weser Stadium (a world-class, state-of-the-art soccer stadium), the Bremen History Museum, the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, Bremen’s sister city of Bremerhaven, and Heide Park amusement park. This trip will never be forgotten because it made history and literature come alive for everyone.
Two students extended their stay in order to attend an immersion program at the Goethe Institute. They both earned internationally recognized certificates while honing their German language skills. The result of this pilot program is that the study abroad option will continue to be part an optional part of GAPP exchange.
“The trip was such an enriching experience. Many of us are coming out of this experience with an international family and great friends. The firsthand opportunity of being immersed entirely in another culture is incredible!” says senior Cat Habel. “It is crucial to experience such an immersion program if you want to be successful at learning another language, and building life-long friendships with the Kippenberg students makes learning German so much more rewarding. Everyone should be part of GAPP!” Students are already signing up.
GAPP is about building relationships and developing a deeper understanding of another culture and the Franklin students were successful at doing both! Frau Becker looks forward to the next exchange and invites you to participate as a host, a traveler, or both! Enrollment in German at Franklin is recommended, but not required. Anyone seeking more information can contact Frau Becker at rachel_becker@benfranklinhighschool.org
Revised 8/16/11
