District 88 welcomes students, staff from Germany

From Oct. 21 to Nov. 4, District 88 welcomed and hosted 22 students and two staff members from Helmholtzschule in Frankfurt, Germany.

Their visit was part of the German American Partnership Program (GAPP) student exchange. According to https://www.goethe.de/ins/us/en/spr/unt/efd/gpp.html#i9559184, “GAPP, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization, whose prime mission is to create opportunities for exchange between young Americans and Germans.” This is District 88’s third time participating in the program.

During their time here, the group members attended Addison Trail and Willowbrook, where they toured the buildings and viewed extracurricular activities. They also spent time in Chicago and went to several landmarks.

“The purpose is to build a relationship between students of two countries and keep that connection even after high school,” said Nilay Woodbury, District 88 world language teacher.

One of District 88’s greatest strengths is the rich diversity among its students and staff. The district has about 50 languages represented among its families, and almost half of the nearly 4,000 students in the district speak a language other than English at home. District 88 provides a variety of opportunities for students to experience other cultures, and through the GAPP, 24 students and three staff members from Addison Trail and Willowbrook will travel to Germany in June 2025. Whether it’s traveling to Europe or hosting guests from abroad, those interactions teach students life lessons and help them develop a global mindset.