District 88 welcomes students, staff from Germany

Addison Trail and Willowbrook students and staff members host a group of students from Germany. From Sept. 23 to Oct. 8, District 88 welcomed and hosted 21 students, two teachers and the principal from Helmholtzschule in Frankfurt, Germany, as part of the German American Partnership Program (GAPP) – Student Exchange. Through the GAPP, pupils from District 88 also will have an opportunity to visit Germany in June 2019.

Addison Trail and Willowbrook students, along with District 88 administrators, host a farewell celebration on Oct. 8 for a group who visited the district from Germany. From Sept. 23 to Oct. 8, District 88 welcomed and hosted 21 students, two teachers and the principal from Helmholtzschule in Frankfurt, Germany, as part of the German American Partnership Program (GAPP) – Student Exchange. Through the GAPP, pupils from District 88 also will have an opportunity to visit Germany in June 2019. Bottom left: District 88 German teacher Nilay Woodbury (third from left), District 88 Superintendent Dr. Scott Helton (fifth from left) and Willowbrook Principal Dr. Daniel Krause (sixth from left) pose with students.

From Sept. 23 to Oct. 8, District 88 welcomed and hosted 21 students, two teachers and the principal from Helmholtzschule in Frankfurt, Germany.

Their visit was part of the German American Partnership Program (GAPP) – Student Exchange, which provides information about cultural, social and political life in Germany through encouraging intercultural dialogue and enabling cultural involvement. During their time with the district, the group members shadowed Addison Trail and Willowbrook students, staff members and administrators, toured the buildings and viewed extracurricular activities such as athletic and performing arts events. They also visited Chicago landmarks. The students from Germany presented to Addison Trail classes as well on topics such as culinary specialties of Hesse (the state in which Frankfurt is located), the German school system and economy and a comparison of the history of migration, immigration and multiculturalism in the U.S. and Germany.

District 88 hosted a celebration to greet the group on Sept. 23. During the Sept. 24 District 88 Board of Education meeting, Board President Donna Craft Cain, along with the District 88 administration, presented Helmholtzschule Principal Gerrit Ulmke and teachers Johannes Falter and Jana Knopp with plaques and certificates in appreciation of their partnership. Watch the presentation at https://www.dupage88.net/site/page/9492 (click on “German American Partnership Program”). And on Oct. 8, the group gathered for a farewell celebration.

District 88 embraces the diversity of its student body and communities as a strength for its schools. The district has about 40 languages and more than 30 countries represented among its families, and almost half of the about 4,000 students at District 88 speak a language other than English at home. The district continuously provides opportunities for students to experience other cultures, and through the GAPP, pupils from Addison Trail and Willowbrook will visit Germany in June 2019. Whether it’s traveling to Europe or hosting guests from abroad, those interactions teach students life lessons and help them develop a global mindset. For more information about the GAPP, go to www.goethe.de/ins/us/en/spr/eng/gap.html.