District 88 students and staff share experiences of traveling to Germany

Pictured are District 88 students and staff members who recently participated in the German American Partnership Program (GAPP). During the June 24 District 88 Board of Education meeting, they shared their experiences of hosting students from Germany and then traveling abroad to Germany. To watch the presentation, click the video above.

During the June 24 District 88 Board of Education meeting, Addison Trail and Willowbrook students and staff shared their experiences of participating in 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.

The group traveled to Germany from May 31 to June 20. During the trip, the students and staff attended school at Helmholtzschule in Frankfurt, lived with local families and toured Frankfurt and Munich.

As part of the exchange program, District 88 also welcomed and hosted students, teachers and the principal from Helmholtzschule from Sept. 23 to Oct. 8, 2018. During their time with the district, the group from Germany 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.

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 such as the GAPP for students to experience other cultures. 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.