Sommer 2021 Aktuelles

Aktuelles Sommer 2021 Explore Life Membership Catch up with Rhode Island-AATG AATG Members’ Summer Reading List

American Association of Teachers of German, Inc.

AATG Board of Directors Doug Philipp, President Cheyenne Mountain High School, CO Priscilla Layne, Vice President University of North Carolina, NC Blake Peters, Treasurer German International School, OR Ingrid Zeller, Presiding Officer, Assembly of Chapter Presidents Northwestern University, IL Michael R. Shaughnessy, Executive Director AATG Office, Cherry Hill, NJ

Tobias Barske, Midwest Region University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, WI Katrina Bauerlein, Northeast Region Mahopac Central Schools, NY Cynthia Chalupa, Central Region West Virginia University, WV Morgan Koerner, Southeast Region College of Charleston, SC J.J. Melgar, Southwest Region Westwood High School, TX Jennifer Roper, Northwest Region Rocky Mountain High School, CO

The American Association of Teachers of German supports the teaching of the German language and German-speaking cultures in elementary, secondary and post-secondary education in the United States. The AATG promotes the study of the German-speaking world in all its linguistic, cultural and ethnic diversity and endeavors to prepare students as transnational, transcultural learners and active, multilingual participants in a globalized world.

Published by the American Association of Teachers of German, Inc. Michael R. Shaughnessy Executive Director mike@aatg.org

Mercedes Pokorny Director of Operations mercedes@aatg.org

John Capasso Finance Manager john@aatg.org

Marisa Minard Director of Member Services marisa@aatg.org

Tara Herron Program Assistant tara@aatg.org 112 Haddontowne Court, #104 Cherry Hill, NJ 08034 Submit content to www.aatg.org/page/newsletter

Table of Contents 01 02 03 04

President’s Letter

06 08 09 10 12

2021 Funded Program Offerings

14

Because of German

16

Executive Director

The Life Membership Issue!

Explore Life Membership

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Get to know the benefits of Life Membership (pg. 2)

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Read testimonials from members about why they chose Life Membership (pg. 2)

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Recognition: Thanking our Life Members with an Honor Roll (pg. 3)

Recognition: AATG Life Members Summer List What to read, watch, and listen to this summer!

AATG-CLV Scholarship Winners AATG Funded Programs

National German Exam Student Spotlights Report from Rhode Island

How Teaching German Changed My Life

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There’s still time to apply for 2021 funding (pg. 6-7)

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AATG adds AVANT (STAMP and ADVANCE) proficiency testing tools to its programs for teachers and students

Sharing Your Responses

Regional Highlights

An essay-poem by Uwe Kind

Report, News from

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AATG Professional Partners

the National Office

AATG and Avant Assessment: A Strategic Alliance All members of the AATG and their students have expanded access to Avant's STAMP™ (STAndardsI nt erna t i ona lbased Measurement of Proficiency) assessments in

St ud ent Guid eany language through discounted pricing. These programs give students greater access to qualify for their state Seal of

Biliteracy and provide the opportunity for both teachers and students to qualify for the Global Seal of Biliteracy. Teachers have the benefit from discounted pricing on Avant's ADVANCE proficiency standards training tool.

AATG members can access the benefits at www.aatg.org/page/ AVANT_STAMPandADVANCE

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Jane Sokolosky, Rhode Island-AATG President, reports on the 2020-2021 school year for the German learning community in the smallest U.S. state.*

Have regional news to share with the national AATG? Submit an AATG chapter

*by land area.

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President’s Letter Dear AATG Colleagues, What a year it has been! Almost all of us who are classroom instructors had to change the ways in which we teach to make the best of the ongoing situations presented to us with the COVID-19 pandemic. Change seemed to be almost the only constant that we could find, or at least it seemed that way.

I know very well that this academic year, really the time span from March 2020, has not been easy, and that many of us are running nearly on fumes, but as I wrote in my spring letter, it is getting better. Summer has arrived, and with the season’s change, there comes time to refresh, restore, and renew. To help you all do that, I would like to highlight some opportunities from AATG available to all of us.

This summer we are launching a series of virtual Stammtisch meetings on Zoom approximately twice per month. These are open to every AATG member and will be informal times when we can gather to discuss issues and ideas. Please know that the Board and I greatly value your input and feedback. Everyone who belongs to AATG are welcome to participate in these Stammtisch meetings, and I will welcome each of you gladly. Specific meeting details will be sent out first in an official AATG email and then posted as well in our official social media, Facebook and Twitter.

On our website I would like to draw your attention to the Funded Program Offerings. AATG has long offered a splendid array of programs to its members, and this year we have added even more options for which members can apply. Under the Funded Program Offerings you will find descriptions of each program, application deadlines, and contact information for point people who can answer questions about specific programs. Please take a few minutes to explore the area, and let me stress that you are always welcome to apply for programs for which you are eligible.

We are crafting a new version of the NextGen leadership training program.

The original seed for NextGen came from the TraiNDaF program of the early

2000s. Our leadership enhancement program was reimagined as NextGen in 2015. We have received funding through Netzwerk Deutsch for a new cohort of leaders, and this time we are focusing on AATG members who are part of underrepresented groups and within the first five years of their teaching careers.

This cohort of newly trained leaders will have its first meetings in Washington, D.C. from September 9-12, 2021.

Our student study trips will return in 2022, and there will be various positive refinements to the programs. For example, we are looking at the idea of having a range of topic-specific trips as one of the offerings. To facilitate all of this important work, the national AATG has hired a new full-time director of programs. A message introducing our new AATG staff member will be sent in an official AATG email to all members!

With the mention of student study trips, I would like to draw your attention to our new AATG Professional Development fund, dedicated to assisting AATG members with financial assistance for professional development opportunities.

We have never had a fund that has been specifically dedicated to funding professional development, but now we do. We have managed to bring this fund to life in this most difficult year. I want to thank each AATG chapter and each of you who have contributed to the fund. We truly are investing in both ourselves as well as future German language educators via our contributions. Thank you very much. We are still getting the fund firmly established, so information about applying for professional development help will be coming out when the details are completed. I would like to thank our past president, Susanne Rinner and our executive director, Mike Shaughnessy, as well as our fundraising committee, for their hard work in establishing this fund.

The AATG Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee has been working hard on an all-member survey that will be sent to the email addresses that are registered for official AATG communications. This survey will help to

gather refined demographic data from all of us, and that information will be used in myriad ways. By having detailed data, we will be able to design programs, address needs, and plan for the future. The link for the survey will be sent via email in July. The deadline for completing the survey is September 14. Please take the time to complete the survey when it arrives in your inbox.

As we progress forward from this most unusual academic year, I want to thank you for your herculean efforts to provide instruction to your students. I know it was often not easy teaching to a grid view of students in some form, or to classrooms of masked people, or whatever variance was your experience.

We were all dealing with things we could not foresee well nor change easily. I hope that you will take time this summer to replenish yourself and to recharge. Some of my plans include working on major revisions of my core curricula, spending time reading a stack of books on a range of topics, and training to run a full marathon again.

Our organization is alive and doing well because of the efforts of so many people and partner organizations. I hope that the information I have highlighted here will inspire you to seek out something in the AATG with which you can become involved. I will be doing that, and I hope to see you too! As always, please know that I welcome emails from you all.

Thank you; what you do matters deeply.

Sincerely,

Doug Cheyenne Mountain High School Colorado Springs, Colorado runhiketeach@yahoo.com

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AATG Membership:

WHY LIFE MEMBERSHIP?

I decided to become a Life Member because I realized, at about the mid-point of my

A career investment Members with a long-term commitment to teaching German can benefit from the AATG Life Membership. Life Members get full access to AATG member benefits for a lifetime and never worry about making annual dues payments.

career, that I had been a

member for a number of years and wanted to continue to be a part of the AATG for many more to come.

-Cornelius Partsch

The value membership Q: How much does Life Membership cost?

A: AATG Life Membership costs $1750 in 2021. The average AATG member will spend more than $3500 in membership dues over their career. This value membership provides you with long-term savings and guarantees you full access to member benefits for the rest of your life.

Q: What financing options are available?

A: You are working hard, and we want to support you. AATG offers flexible payment plans so that you can pay for your Life Membership over time.

Contact Marisa Minard (marisa@aatg.org) if you would like to get started or learn more about our payment plan options.

I decided to become a life member of AATG because: it is a wonderful organization; AATG works hard to support teachers of German; together we make AATG better, and a one-time contribution made sense economically and logistically— I didn’t have to remember to pay every year.

-Darlene Lyon

As a Life Member, you support German in the U.S. and receive all AATG member benefits:

Become a Life Member today!

www.aatg.org/page/ Membership

• Access to seminars, workshops, and networking opportunities in your chapter and across the US • The German Quarterly and Die Unterrichtspraxis subscriptions • Best rates for the AATG/ACTFL Annual Convention • Member pricing on AATG store items, National German Exam, and more • Annual funded program offerings for professional development, program building, and teaching

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A n i nve s t m e n t i n o u r f u t u re T h a n k Yo u A ATG L i fe M e m b e rs !

Anne Winston Allen, Cathy Altmeyer, Keith O. Anderson, Mara Rekis Anderson, Wade K. Anderson, Amy Anderton, Ulrike M. Arendt, William W. Aust, Gerhard Austin, Gundula Baehre, Cheryl A. Baggs, Thomas Baginski, Karen Bahnick, Lisa Bahrawy, Karin Baumgartner, Wolfgang Baur, Charles Beattie, Rick Beck, Heinke Behal-Thomsen, Raimund Belgardt, Bartell Berg, Leo W. Berg, Kathleen L. Betterman, Deborah Lokai Bischof, Jeannine Blackwell, Barbara Bloomer, Thomas E. Braatz, Patricia B. Branson, Wendy Brennan, John T. Brewer, Marilou Brewster, Stephen Brockmann, Martha Brodersen, Helga Brown, Roger S. Brown, Kelleen Browning, Debra S. Burden, Elaine S. Burgess, Vance Byrd, Phillip J. Campana, Joan V. L. Campbell, Martina Caspari, Corinna Freimann Cavanaugh, David H. Chisholm, Sandra M. E. Clark-Guillotel, Albrecht Classen, Constance Colwell, Charles R. Connell, Gail Cope, Carol Anne Costabile-Heming, Thomas Keith Cothrun, Annette K. Coulter, Corinne P. Crane, Regine Criser, Jutta Czachorowski, Carol Del Vitto, Carol W. Devoss, Robert Di Donato, Sandra S. Dieckman, Paul Diveny, William Collins Donahue, Randall P. Donaldson, Shannon A. Dubenion-Smith, Stephanie Duisberg, Glenn Ehrstine, Margret Eifler, Phyllis Farrar, Staci Ferris-Letsos, Kristie A. Foell, Alan C. Frantz, Christiane Frederickson, Judith Fullerton, Mary-Neal R. Fullerton, Johnathan Gajdos, Christa Garcia, Lawrence F. Glatz, Robert S. Goodman, Richard T. Gray, Katrina Griffin, Sabine D. Gross, Regina Guhl, Erika H. Guth-Degner, Rachel J. Halverson, Laura Hanley, Claudia Harbauer, John E. Harrington, Karri Harstine, Carol Heckman, Kerstin Helbing, Burkhard Henke, Inge Herman, Dennis J. Hessner, Helen Hickersberger, Jeanne Hoch, Cora Hofstetter, Albrecht Holschuh, Jennifer L. Howe, Irmgard S. Immel, Loring Ivanick, Susan Jacobson, Charles J. James, Birgit Jensen, Ahn Jongil, Inge Karlberg-Stannik, Christiane Keck, Herta M. Keilbach, Sigrid Kellenter, Cynthia Kelly, Uwe Kind, Peter Knox, Hans Peter Kohlhoff, Christopher Koy, Angelika Kraemer, J. A. Krause, Peter W. Krawutschke, Claudia Kunschak, Horst G. Kurz, Mariella V. Lansford, Jean Stern Lavid, Krista Winzer Lee, Meredith A. Lee, Debra Andrejcik Ley, Cherie Lodl, Elizabeth A. Loentz, Ursula G. Lohmann, Randy J. Lounds, Pardee Lowe, Jr., Horst Ludwig, Erika M. Lupacchino, Paul M. Lutzeler, Darlene L. Lyon, Rosalie Maher, Ervin Malakaj, Jean C. Maley, Kim Mallett, Lorna Martens, Susannah J. Martin, Karolina May-Chu, Mary McKay, Gabrielle-Octavia McNeely, Jennifer McNulty, Chauncey J. Mellor, Marilyn Metzler, Ingrid U. Miller, Wolfgang Mieder, Aleidine Moeller, Rosmarie T. Morewedge, Kurt E. Mueller, David E. Nagle, Nichole Neuman, Ilse Newbery, Susanne Nimmrichter, William Odom, Karl F. Otto, Susan M. Otto, John E. Paluch, Kendall T. Parks, Cornelius Partsch, Barbara L. Patten, Juliet M. Peterson, Karl Pfeiffer, Douglas Philipp, Sigrid R. Rainer, Damon Rarick, Susan J. Rastetter-Gies, Joanna M. Ratych, Carl J. Rau, Keith A. Reigart, Peter Richardson, Susanne Rinner, Reni Roberts, Mark William Roche, Frances M. Roller Rockey, Thomas R. Ronay, Ferrel V. Rose, Hildegard Rossoll, Rebecca Roth, Anja Routbort, Constance Rumer, Michelle Rymer, Renate Saggau, Jeffrey L. Sammons, Frank Schlossbauer, Wendy Schmidt, Rebecca Schrader, Jennifer Schultz, Renate A. Schulz, Gisela Schwab, Alexander Schwarz, Christopher Seidler, Michael Shaughnessy, Amanda Sheffer, Eckehard Simon, Andrew C. Smith, Sidney R. Smith, Janis L. Solomon, Ilse-Sibylle Sonnenberg, Stephen Spangler, Roland H. Specht-Jarvis, Christian P. Stehr, Guy Stern, Edith H. Stock, William E. Storm, Melissa Storr, Debra L. Stoudt, Rudolf Strahl, Ursula Stumpf, Ruth E. Styles, Bridget Swanson, Anne L. Sween, Lynne Tatlock, Alicia Taylor, Erwin Tschirner, Marjorie Tussing, Jutta Ulrich, Donna C. Van Handle, Jacqueline Vansant, Javier Samper Vendrell, Stephen L. Wailes, Cynthia Walk, Patricia Lee Walker, Christine A. Webb, Hannelore Weber, David M. Weible, John A. Welliver, Thomas Welther, Thomas L. West III, Edward J. Wilk, Sabine Wilke, Elinor C. Williams, Roland Winzer, Walter Wojcik, Linda Kraus Worley, Karin Wurst, Ingrid Zeller, Cecile C. Zorach, and Mariaanna Zose.

Summer SPARK Social

JOIN SPARK!

WANN? Kick-Off: 5. August 2021 15 Uhr EST Was? 4-wöchiges Fortbildungsprogramm (2 Stunden synchron und 3-4 Stunden asynchron) Themen: Digital Unterrichten, Lernraumgestaltung, Arbeit mit Kindern und Jugendlichen Warum? Theorie mit Praxis im Kontext der SPARK Unterrichtspakete verbinden und sich auf den SPARK Unterricht im Herbst vorbereiten und andere SPARKler*innen kennenlernen Wer? Zielgruppe sind Studierende, die SPARK im Herbst umsetzen. Lehrende sind Expert*innen im Bereich Fremdsprachenpädagogik mit Unterrichtserfahrung K-16 im Fach Deutsch Neue Labs sind herzlich eingeladen, an diesem Workshop als Vorbereitung auf die Umsetzung von SPARK teilzunehmen. Bei Interesse bitte beim SPARK Team melden, susanne.rinner.extern@goethe.de und Thomas.Flanagan@goethe.de.

W e asked AATG members what you ar e r eadin g, watchin g, an d lis tenin g to thi s summer.

Summer List

Anna Funder

Michael Maar

Gudrun Pflüger

Sharon Dodua Otoo

Stasiland: Stories From Behind the Berlin Wall

Die Schlange im Wolfspelz

Wolfspirit: Meine Geschichte von Wölfen und Wundern

Adas Raum

Rocky Mountain Books

Sarah McGaughey, AATG member, Pennsylvania

Harper Perennial Kathy Fegely, AATG member, Pennsylvania

Rowohlt Taschenbuch Timm Menke, AATG member, Oregon

Gerda Dinwiddie, AATG member, California

Kathrin Aehnlich

Jörg Maurer

Olivia Wenzel

Wenn die Wale an Land gehen

Unterholz

1000 Serpentinen Angst

Argon

S. Fischer

Mike Bendorf, AATG member, New Jersey

Mona Eikel-Pohen, AATG member, New York

Kunstmann Marcel Rotter, AATG member, Virginia

S. Fischer

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Blauer Hibiskus Fischer Taschenbuch Carlos Burse, AATG member, Georgia

S u b m i t c o n t e n t f o r f e a t u r e i n A A T G A k t u e l l e s a t aatg.org/page/newsletter

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Read, Watch, Listen: Summer Picks by AATG Members

I am reading Franz Werfel's Die vierzig Tage des Musa Dagh, all 997 pages! It is a spellbinding novel narrating the events leading up to the Armenian genocide of 1915 and 1916, and the resistance of a small group of Armenians evading the death marches by hiding on the Moses Mountain (Musa Dagh) close to the Mediterranean, in the hope of being noticed and picked up by Western war ships. Werfel wrote this novel on the eve of World War II and the Shoah, after having met— sometimes very young— Armenian refugees in Israel. I read the novel as a part of a counter-history of the twentieth century that seeks to understand the conditions that lead to genocide and the failures of those in power to prevent it, including those in Europe. The focus of the novel is very much on the individual, and the choices s/he can or has to make. Werfel's novel has not lost any of its relevance.

Dorit Linke’s Jenseits der blauen Grenze is out in English this spring under the title Beyond the Blue Border. The novel tells the story of two friends who see no future in the late GDR and escape by swimming across the Baltic Sea. Told from the perspective of 17-year old Hanna, Linke offers a nuanced perspective on oppression and perseverance. A great novel to read with students!

Kristin Rebien, AATG member, California

I’m reading Die Berlinreise by Hanns-Josef Ortheil and am absolutely loving it so far.

Fascinating and beautifully written look at a boy’s trip to Berlin with his dad to revisit where his parents lived before and during WWII. It is great also for classroom use— lots of indirect speech, subjunctive, and uncomplicated language. I highly recommend this book.

Carl Niekerk, AATG member, Illinois

Jennifer Bennett, AATG member, New York

I recommend Sing On Germany available on Netflix— so German and so much fun. Also, try LOL: Last One Laughing, hosted by Michael Bully Herbig (and available on Netflix)!

Tobias Barske, AATG member, Wisconsin

This summer, I read Juli Zeh's Empty Hearts (Leere Herzen). I love everything Juli Zeh writes and look forward to discovering the dystopian vision of Germany she creates in this particular book. In general, her characters and their questions are absolutely interesting and fun to follow, and I find her style very much to the point about how people in Germany think and behave.

Theresa Fuchs, AATG member, Illinois

Two podcasts I love and would highly recommend are Elementarfragen from Viertausendhertz, https:// viertausendhertz.de/elementarfragen/, an off-beat interview podcast (guests include a bank robber, brain surgeon, and police detective), and Geschichten aus der Geschichte, wherein two historians regale each other with interesting, seldom-heard tales from history, https://www.geschichte.fm/.

April Hemphill, AATG member, New Jersey

I’m rereading German author Kerstin Gier’s Rubinrot trilogy for the umpteenth time—a YA fantasy time travel series that is even better in German than in English. As for music, there’s always German music playing in my car, mostly Glasperlenspiel or classical Nena.

Rebecca Linam, AATG member, Alabama

I am reading two books by Edith Eger: The Gift and The Choice. Also Angela Duckworth's Grit is on the nightstand in the to-read queue. I also hope to continue reading Mein Agnus: die Geschichte der Agnus Dürer

by Ulrike Halbe-Bauer. Pleasure reading will be the Bruno series by Martin Walker, set in the Perigord region in France. The series includes wines and recipes of the region for those who want to travel but cannot this year!

Suzy Holland, AATG member, Texas

I'll be reading Safranski's Goethe: Kunstwerk des Lebens, also Musil's Der Mann ohne Eigenschaften and will continue reading the Alatriste series by Arturo Perez-Reverte. I’ll also start my journey with Enrique Krauze's Biografía del poder (8 volumes...gulp).

Lee Forester, AATG member, Michigan

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2021 AATG Funded Programs Program

Focus

AATG Endowed Professional Development Fund

Professional development

AATG National German Exam (NGE) Award

AATG Spanier-Ladwig Scholarship

Description Supports German teachers attending a professional development program in the German-speaking world.

AVANT (STAMP and ADVANCE) Offerings

Building Professional Connections for Future German Teachers (ACTFL Travel Grant)

Creating a Safe Space 2: Materials Development Focused on People of Color and LGBTQ Communities

Timeline

All AATG members

Coming soon

Students scoring in the 90th percentile or higher on the NGE

April-May results from National German Exam

Students from Claremont High School in Claremont, California

N/A

High school teachers who teach/plan to teach an AP German class

Deadline has passed; check back in 2022!

All AATG members

N/A

Early career (5 years or fewer), contingent faculty, BIPOC members

Apply ASAP

All AATG members

Deadline has passed; check back in 2022!

This program is funded by donations to AATG.

Student program

Recognizes and awards high scoring NGE participants with summer study programs. In 2021, these programs will occur in conjunction with Concordia Language Villages.

This program is funded in part by partner donations, in conjunction with our partners at Concordia Language Schools.

Student program

Supports an annual scholarship to be used for advanced German studies and to be awarded to a member of the graduating class at Claremont High School in Claremont, California.

This program is funded by donations to AATG.

AATG Tussing-Mahlkau Scholarship

Eligibility

Professional development

Supports registration and other costs for attending an AP German Language and Culture Summer Institute.

This program is funded by donations to AATG.

Testing tools

AATG members and their students have access to Avant's STAMP™ (STAndards-based Measurement of Proficiency) assessments in any language through discounted pricing.

Teachers also benefit from discounted pricing on Avant's ADVANCE proficiency standards online training tool.

This program has been reconfigured in light of ACTFL’s decision to host a virtual-only 2021 conference.

Professional development

AATG is providing support for flight, hotel, and registration costs for an in-person conference or convention. This grant is meant to support members who might lack robust institutional support.

This program is funded in part by the German Government’s Netzwerk Deutsch Program.

Professional development

AATG supports up to 10 members in the creation of materials focused on People of Color and LGBTQ communities in the German-speaking world.

This program is funded in part by the German Government’s Netzwerk Deutsch Program.

AATG is committed to increasing access to programs and has redesigned the application process for almost all of our programs. The process is transparent, accessible, and free of unnecessary administrative hurdles. We're working hard to

make funding available to students, teachers, and programs to support German in the US. Not a member? Join today!

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T he re’ s sti ll ti me to app ly for 20 21 fu n di ng !

Program

Deutsch macht Spaß

FLACH Mini Grants

Focus

Program building, student program

Program building

Description

Eligibility

Timeline

All AATG members

Rolling applications

All AATG members

Rolling applications

Qualifying AATG members with field-specific expertise

Rolling applications

Chapter-level

Chapter applications due September 1, 2021 for 2022 projects

All non-native speaker AATG members

Deadline has passed; check back in 2022!

AATG provides up to $500 to support projects designed to grow and support German programs.

This program is funded in part by the German Government’s Netzwerk Deutsch Program.

The FLACH SIG supports grants of up to $250 to support creative and innovative learning projects focused on the language and culture of Liechtenstein, Austria, or Switzerland.

This program is funded by donations to AATG.

Focus on Fortbildung (Professional Development Consultants)

Grassroots Chapter Projects Supporting DaF Instruction

Professional development

This program is funded in part by the German Government’s Netzwerk Deutsch Program.

Program building, student program

Internationaler Lehrerfortbildungskurs -Heidelberg University Scholarship

Professional development

Mit Deutsch in die Zukunft

Professional development, student program

NextGen Underrepresented German Leader Cohort Training

SPARK for German

Teach German Day

AATG supports members who present at regional and national conferences by paying speaker fees and supporting limited travel.

AATG provides chapters up to $1000 to support a larger project.

This program is funded in part by the German Government’s Netzwerk Deutsch Program.

Supports program costs for non-native German speakers to participate in the 4-week online Fortbildungskurs II of the Internationaler Ferienkurs at Universität Heidelberg.

This program is funded by the Germanistic Society of America.

Professional development, advocacy

Professional development, program building, student program

Methodology training with the Herder Institute in Leipzig for future and early career German teachers.

This program is funded in part by the European Recovery Program.

Leadership and advocacy training for German teachers from underrepresented groups. This grant is meant to support members who might lack robust institutional support.

This program is funded in part by the German Government’s Netzwerk Deutsch Program.

Undergraduate (6+ semesters), Deadline has passed; graduate students, check back in 2022! early career (3 years or fewer) Early career (5 years or fewer), Deadline has passed; contingent faculty, check back in 2022!

BIPOC members

Professional development for future German instructors; also gives young students the opportunity to start learning German at an early age in after-school programs.

All AATG members

Rolling applications

This program is funded in part by the German Government’s Netzwerk Deutsch Program, in conjunction with our partner, The Goethe Institut.

AATG supplies a kit of fun giveaways to support teacher programs. Members pay only for shipping of the box, delivered Program building, in early fall.

All AATG members student program This program is funded in part by the German Government’s Netzwerk Deutsch Program.

Rolling applications Teach German Day is October 4, 2021

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Announcing the 2021 AATG-CLV Scholarship Winners AATG is pleased to announce the recipients of the AATG-Concordia Language Villages (CLV) "Next Best Thing to Being There" Scholarship from the 2021 National German Exam. To apply, students had to score in the 90th percentile on the National German Exam and meet all eligibility requirements. This year, 55 students were selected to receive a scholarship towards either a fourweek German immersion program (in-person or virtual) or a full scholarship for any one-week Waldsee Virtual Village program at Concordia Language Villages.

Congratulations to all scholarship recipients and their outstanding teachers!

The 55 prizewinners were: Liam Allison, Annika Bilderback, Halie Boyer, Isabella Brashear, Naomi Breuer, Benjamin Brobst, Minyi Chen, Lily Childress, Morgan Chow, E Chythlook, Nadia d'Arrigo, Daniel DuVernay, Ian Fabris, Malachi Feil, Ethan Frick, Chloe Genzel, Devon Goetz, Lauren Guo, Cathlene Horwege, Thomas Ji, Jasmine Jones, Ottilie Kissler, Jacob LaFore, Myles Lange, Ruby LaRocca, Olivia Latimer, Sabrina Lussier, Julia Martins, Grace McAdoo, Yuktha Milukuri, Sorochi Okwor, Thomas Palakapilly, Erin Park, Rebecca Phinney, Rain Rainbolt, Ryan Raisrohani, Carlton Roe, Lucas Ruebsamen, Tobia Ruth, Kate Schreiber, Alexandra Seesee, Blair Shatzel, Elizabeth Singer, Jocelyn Somerson, Christina Sorochinsky, James Sowerby, Josh Talluto, Salonee Verma, Maya Viswanathan, Madeline Waterfield, Leah Wiebe, Jenna Yaeger, Katherine Yang, Jocelyn Zhang, and Magdalena Zucek.

To learn more about the National German Exam, visit www.aatg.org/page/NGE To learn more about Waldsee, German Language Village, visit ConcordiaLanguageVillages.org/German Read the official press release from Concordia on Concordialanguagevillages.org

2021 National German Exam Honor Roll 1,377 Goldurkunde students 1,015 Silberurkunde students 1,034 Bronzeurkunde students NEW THIS YEAR! View results according to level, state, and chapter name using the interactive map at aatg.org.

A note from the President The outstanding performance of these German students in our national competition brings honor to their school, their district, and their German program. The AATG salutes their tremendous accomplishment and the great work their teachers do. Furthermore, thank you to all who gave the exams to your students this year. For those who did not administer the exam this year, I know full well that conditions were not right for many at this time, so please know you will be welcomed in the future when you decide to use this testing tool. My special thanks go to our National German Exam co-chairs, Cynthia Chalupa and Juan Carlos Morales, for their diligence and professionalism in assembling the exams this year.

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National German Exam Student Spotlights Know an outstanding NGE student? Submit content to our newsletter form for a chance to be featured in AATG Aktuelles.

Gabriella Leer is a recent high school graduate of Billings West High School in Billings, Montana, where she was the top student of German. Gabriella started taking German 1 as a sophomore, and switched into German 2 after one semester, thanks in large part to her self-study of the language. In her three years of German at West High, she was a gold medal recipient every single year. Her determination to learn the language and culture is exceptional, and although she was unable to travel to Germany for an extended stay (she was also a CBYX recipient for this

past year, but due to COVID, the exchange was cancelled), German will certainly play a role in her future as she moves into her post-high school life.

Submitted by Paul Asleson, AATG member, Montana

Spencer Goldsmith is a junior at Falmouth Academy on Cape Cod, studying German 5. He ranked #1 in the state of Massachusetts in this year’s National German Exam, Level 4.

Spencer’s initial interest in the German language was sparked by meeting German speakers while traveling in Italy, and then again near his home on Martha's Vineyard. From September 2019 until July 2020, Spencer was an exchange student at the “Stadtteilschule Bergedorf” near Hamburg. His time in Germany helped improve his fluency to the point of being able to

read German books for pleasure. “Meine Familie und anderes Getier” by Gerald Durrell ranks among his favorites. After his graduation in 2022, Spencer plans to go to college in Germany to pursue linguistics or a language-related course of study.

Submitted by Bettina Freelund, AATG member, Massachusetts

Tabitha Watson from the Alabama School of Mathematics and Science (ASMS) ranked 1st in Alabama both at level 3 and level 4 in consecutive years of the National German Exam. She qualified for the national Seal of Biliteracy by placing intermediate-high to advanced skill level. Tabitha spent a term

with a German family and went to school abroad through the ASMS foreign exchange program, and has sat in on some virtual college-level German courses at Georgetown University. Read the full article published by ASMS at www.asms.net/news.

Submitted by Muriel Hoequist, AATG member, Alabama

AATG opportunities for students in 2022  

AATG Käthe-Wilson Honor Society Scholarship for high school students AATG Summer Study for High School Students Scholarship



AATG Future Scholarship for High School Students

Report from Rhode Island-AATG

By Jane Sokolosky

“We are proud be turning the local to

By Angel Lane, to President, AZ Chapter global.”

As schools begin to imagine a return to in-person learning, the German learning community in Rhode Island is geared up to continue expanding the excellent programs found throughout the state. We are a small state of only one million inhabitants, but our commitment to German is impressive. At the high school level, AATG new teacher member Josh Zahren took over leadership of the long-standing German program at North Kingstown High School in fall 2019. He has added two new German classes and is now able to offer German 1-4. Although the GAPP exchange was postponed to 2023, his students did benefit from the Goethe Institut’s "German for Hire" program. Josh was especially pleased to see seven of his advanced German students receive the AAPL Seal of Biliteracy this year.

Susan Hoagland runs the program at The Greene School charter school. Her students continued their Zoom partnership with the Johannes Altius Gymnasium and participated in the "Meet a German" program offered by

By Jennifer the German-American Fulbright Commission.

She isMcArthur, especiallyStaff proudWriter of her students who won a gold, a bronze, and two commendations in the National German Exam. Susan also helps mentor the next generation of German teachers and worked with a student teacher. She looks forward to partnering with the University of Rhode Island (URI) in 2022 to offer dual enrollment courses.

Anne Duda from the Meadowbrook Waldorf School writes that her German program is strong and thriving with 108 students in grades 1-8 as well as a student intern. For the first time ever, she had two 8th graders participate in the National German Exam. Students write regular letters to their pen pals at the Waldorf School in

Wiesbaden. Her 7th graders performed the “Prinzessin Perle” for the annual German play. Her 6th graders had the opportunity to talk to Anne’s brother who is Chair of

Drama production by Meadowbrook Waldorf

the European Securities Markets Authority via Zoom. The fifth graders have been tackling German grammar skills all year long and love playing German mad libs; the 4th graders are very much into social justice and equality, while the 3rd graders work on their picture dictionaries. Hats off to Anne for all she has done for 20 years at Meadowbrook!

Norbert Hedderich, a long-time President of RI-AATG, took time out of his phased retirement, to update us on the undergraduate German program at the University of Rhode Island which counts itself as the largest in the country based on number of majors--pretty impressive since Rhode Island is the smallest state in the US! They

offer a dual degree program with Engineering and Business and partner with TU Braunschweig and TU Darmstadt and the HAW (Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften) Hamburg. Norbert reported on the new 10

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International Studies and Diplomacy (ISD) program whose future partner will be the Friedrich Schiller Universität Jena. URI is also home to co-authors of Klett’s new Impuls Deutsch 1 + 2, Niko Tracksdorf and Damon Rarick. A new initiative ensures instructors receive OPI training and that all majors are tested using the OPI-C at the midpoint and endpoint of their studies.

Brown University’s German Studies Department benefits from graduate students who teach in our German Studies department and help out with extracurricular activities. North Kingstown High School has visited along with their GAPP partner school. We had a scavenger hunt, lively and fun icebreakers and even a narrated organ concert. Most recently, our undergraduates enjoyed two virtual visits, one from the Berlin filmmaker Jakob Preuss, director of the film,

When Paul Came Over the Sea. Jagoda Marinic, journalist, Director of Heidelberg’s Intercultural Institute, and author of Sheroes: Neue Held*innen braucht das Land (2019) spoke to students about #metoo and immigration in Germany. Brown students who major in German Studies go on to consulting, medical school, law school and graduate school. Former students graduate and work in the German Bundestag, at Barclays, in architectural firms, at Continental Tire, and Deloitte, to name a few. We may be the smallest state in the US but we send our high school and undergraduate German students far and wide, and are proud to be turning the local to global.

German 4 students from North Kingstown High School learn inperson or on the screen (virtual students in background) Photo: Joshua Zahren

Classroom work from North Kingstown High School Photo: Josh Zahren

Tell us how your AATG chapter is engaging teachers, students, and the community.

Submit content to our newsletter form.

aatg.org/page/newsletter

How Teaching German Changed My Life Sharing your responses

Mike Bendorf, New Jersey German has taken me on a multi-state, multi-country adventure—first as a student, then as an educator of students from teens to twentysomethings and beyond. Sharing the language, its music, movies, legends and plays with over a thousand learners thus far has been truly rewarding. I hope I have inspired them to be lifelong language learners with a heightened global awareness.

Scott Bumbaugh, Texas I always knew I wanted to be a German teacher. My father was in the U.S. Army, and we were stationed in Germany two different times for a total of five years. I got a degree in German from Sam Houston State University, but immediately began working on my master's in political science. My dear German professor was contacted by the local school district, because they needed a German teacher immediately, and she gave them my name. I will ever be grateful to her and to the school district for hiring me, an untrained recent graduate. It was the absolute best thing that has ever happened to me. I fell in love with teaching, and my students have kept me young. Teaching German has allowed me to return to Germany many times since the early 1990s. Once when I was doubting the impact I had on my students, one of my colleagues stated "Scott, you are so naive. You don't know how many of your students have gone on to study German at the university level.”

Rory Callendar, Michigan Teaching German opens a door to learning about history and changing cultures.

Teaching German has also allowed me the opportunity to meet some pretty amazing family and friends. In turn, all of these unforgettable experiences enrich my teaching lessons and relationships with my students.

Kathy Fegely, Pennsylvania Teaching German and sponsoring GAPP in a small community made a huge impact on my life, the lives of my family, and our greater community in addition to the school community. My friends from Germany are a special part of my extended family. Advocating for German language instruction has opened my eyes to the need to share cultural diversity with all in whom we come in contact. The support of the German instructors network is beyond comparison. My sincere thanks to all who have reached out in support over the years.

Brad Holtman, Ohio Learning and teaching German gave me direct access to my German relatives and to rich, vibrant, and beautiful countries. I was honored and eager to introduce high school and university students to both language and culture, opening many eyes and inspiring travel or even extended stays. There were even a few who ended up marrying German speakers and living in Europe! The exchange program I set up between Mansfield University and the Uni Jena not only provided wonderful experiences for our German guests, but also enriched the experience of our students on campus and those who participated in the exchange in Jena. Several former high school students and German majors chose the profession as well, carrying the torch to younger generations. I am pleased, through teaching German language and culture, to have influenced so many. I learned a huge amount myself along the way, and I am grateful to have this vital connection to my own German ancestry.

Mariah Ligas, Pennsylvania I decided early, when I was in the 11th grade, that I wanted to share this language the way it had been shared with me by great teachers. German brought me adventures to places I had never imagined before. No, literally, I never imagined that I would live and teach in Germany, Palestine, and Romania; or that I would unlock a skill for language and gain some proficiency in five different tongues; or that I would visit 25 countries in the span of a few years. I knew early on that I wanted to teach, but I never knew just how empowering it feels to see the light click on in a kid's eyes and witness them break out of their shell using German. I never imagined the "teacher's high" after a good lesson, or the warmth in my heart when a student slips a thank-you note onto my desk. Learning and teaching German made my world bigger, more interesting, and more hopeful. I know I could do countless things with my German skills, but as a German educator I get to pass on the key to my students of all of those adventure-filled doors—and that for me is the greatest thrill I could have.

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Didn’t get a chance to submit your response? AATG members are welcome to complete the survey for a chance to be featured in a future AATG Aktuelles.

Rebecca Linam, Alabama Although German was my first love, I taught math for 11 years, begging the principal every year to add a German curriculum to the school with no luck. Then in 2012, I got the chance to teach German at the University of North Alabama as an adjunct part-time, and the high school where I was teaching immediately added a high school German program. In 2015, I left the high school and devoted more of my time to the university. Since teaching German, it has changed my life for the better. I’ve been able to help a small German program grow, get my students involved in the community with German, and see them succeed in opportunities that I never had. If I had remained at my previous job, I would have missed so many wonderful opportunities to meet students who love German just as much as I do.

Mona Eikel-Pohen, New York I always thought I wanted to become an English teacher. English had been my favorite subject when I went to school in Germany in the 1980s and 1990s, and even when I studied both languages, I liked English much more.

It took five years, an offer to teach at a German school in the US, and another offer to teach at the German Language School before I comprehended that my passion lies with German as a foreign/new/additional language.

Teaching seems to be transforming my life with every single lesson. I learn so much, especially from my students. I love what they have to tell me and how they make me want to investigate and research more, make me want to do a better job. Every. Single. Lesson.

Sunny Ray Serna, Missouri The summer after my sophomore year in high school, I traveled to Mexico with my Spanish teacher. When I returned, I had the travel bug. Wanderlust had taken hold. There were two German exchange students at my school, so I applied for the Congress-Bundestag Scholarship and to everyone's surprise, I was awarded it and went on to spend my senior year in Hamburg, Germany, after having studied three years of Spanish and no German whatsoever! It was a life-changing experience that fostered a love of the German language and culture, which ultimately led me to become a German teacher and travel with my own students!

Pauline Spring, Pennsylvania Teaching German—and wanting to teach German— changed my life in significant ways. It affected which college I chose to study German, and subsequently, I met my future husband at that college. Because I couldn't find a teaching position in German in central Pennsylvania a year after our marriage, it affected where I earned my master’s degree in German (Penn State). Where we lived to accommodate that decision led us to host two exchange students from Germany, which we have been lifelong friends with for over 30 years. Teaching German took me to Europe six times (including every German-speaking country each time), and to leading student groups on tours and exchanges. Those trips brought me even more new friends from Berlin, and helped me with my personal genealogy research, which has become a lifelong pursuit. My two children both learned German, and I had them as students in some of my classes, so we have that in common. My students, both present and past, have enriched my life immensely with their dedication to the German language. It has given me great pleasure to watch them pursue their dreams as they travel, study, and work abroad in German-speaking countries. Teaching German was one of the best decisions I ever made!

Claudia Windfuhr, California As one of the first teachers to get a DaF credential in Germany, teaching German has allowed me to work all over the world and on three different continents. It has made me reflect on my heritage and has made me proud of it.

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Because of German An essay-poem by Uwe Kind Have you ever been to Syria, Vietnam, Iraq?

The answer is “yes.”

One might think through the U.S Military. No, not at all!

It all was because of the German language!

Because of the German language, I was able to see countries like Argentina, Indonesia, New Zealand, Australia, Italy, Turkey, Denmark, Oman, Russia, Jordan, China, Kenya, and many more countries.

Because of German, I got a job teaching German at the New School in New York without a degree.

Because of German, I became the inventor of SingLing and LingoTech, teaching German through music, song, dance and movement and ended up studying at Harvard.

Because of German, I became the author of seven books and the creator of more than 200 songs teaching German grammar and communicative skills.

Because of German, I became the creator of a TV show in Japan teaching German.

Because of German, Johnny Carson and David Letterman invited me to appear on their shows.

Because of German, I appeared in live concerts in front of thousands and thousands of people.

Because of German, I created the Talking T-shirt that helped people to communicate in various languages instantly

By Jennifer McArthur, Staff Writer

by pointing to multi-language expressions and pictographs.

Because of German, the LingoTech platform reached nearly 8 million hits on YouTube.

Someallstudents are considering Because of German, students over the world know “Ich bininternational Ausländer” andeducation “Ich bin cool.” for the goalwonderful of broadening knowledge lifethe experience.

And last, because of German I made and special friends all &over world.

But how should you be fundamentally prepared for studies abroad?

It all started out with a dream in a cornfield, back in East Germany. By then I was ten. I saw myself traveling the big wide world, living in midst of huge skyscrapers in New York City and visiting exotic countries. In the Sixties my family escaped to West Germany. After I finished school in Düsseldorf I flew to New York. Just for a visit. I never returned… because of German.

My dream became reality.

I have often thought how my life would have been without German? I don’t know.

What I know is that German changed my life with the support, trust and enthusiasm of so many wonderful people at the Goethe-Institut and the AATG. Yes, German changed my life. And it changed me.

Uwe Kind is a German native, Life Member of AATG, and former teacher of German at the New School in New York City. He founded/authored SingLing and co-founded LingoTech alongside producer-composer Mark Schaffel. Kind is the author and producer of countless German language learning videos and texts known worldwide.

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Research project seeks German immigrant letters

You are invited to register as a host school or speaker and join Meet-a-German on October 6, 2021!

"German Heritage in Letters," a project of the German Historical Institute in Washington, D.C. {https://www.ghi-dc.org}, is an initiative to find, collect, and share online historic (1800 to 1920) correspondence sent to North American immigrants from Germany and its predecessor states. In collaboration with Auswandererbriefe aus Nordamerika, a parallel effort based at the Forschungsbibliothek Gotha which collects letters sent to Germany by American immigrants, the project seeks to build an unprecedented database for studying the history of migration from the perspective of both sending and receiving societies. The project works with archival institutions (universities, libraries, etc.) and with families who possess these collections to digitize their letters and share them online at the project's portal, GermanLetters.org {https:// germanletters.org}. A citizen-science interface on the project website makes it possible for volunteers to transcribe these letters (typically written in Kurrentschrift) into machine-readable text.

Thanks to its great success, Fulbright Germany in collaboration with the American Association of Teachers of German is bringing back Meet-a-German for a fourth round as part of Wunderbar Together.

Meet-a-German offers American schools the wonderful opportunity to have a native speaker or someone with first-hand experience of German culture join their classroom. It also provides speakers with the chance to contribute to international understanding and to connect with local communities.

To continuously mitigate the spread of COVID-19, this year Meet-a-German events will take place online via video conferencing platforms. That being said: If COVID-19 permits, the speaker is in the USA at the time and is matched in the school area (which we strive for), they could also meet in person by individual arrangement and at their own risk.

With sponsorship from the Wunderbar Together {https://https://www.wunderbar2gether.org/ home} initiative, this summer and fall German Heritage in Letters is running a German Genealogy Book Contest to raise awareness of the project and encourage members of the general public to share their letters. Letter contributors will be entered to win a package of useful books for researching German and German-American genealogy. Details about the book contest can be found at https:// germanletters.org/share/book-contest.

Members of AATG who have these kinds of immigrant letters, or who may know of such collections in their communities, are warmly invited to enter the contest and to share news about it with their local networks. Contest entries providing basic information about letter collections (family names, origin/destination, dates, and quantity) can be sent directly to contest@germanletters.org. In addition, members of AATG who have used German immigrant letter collections held by university archives or other institutions for thesis/research projects or in their own teaching are encouraged to contact project manager Atiba Pertilla at pertilla@ghi-dc.org in order to help build the project's database of potential collections to include. Volunteers with skills in reading Kurrentschrift who might be interested in transcribing letters can learn more by visiting https://germanletters.org/scripto.

Be a host! Sign up by August 16 by registering at https://www.fulbright.de/projects-and-initiatives/ fulbright-und-das-deutschlandjahr-usa/meet-agerman After you submit your information, Fulbright Germany will be in touch with you for further planning.

Blake Peters appointed as AATG Treasurer AATG is pleased to announce that Blake Peters has been appointed to serve as AATG Treasurer through 2024. Blake is Head of School at the German International School in Beaverton, Oregon. He holds degrees in German, Education, and Human Development and Social Relations from Kalamazoo College, and earned a M.A. in German Languages and Literatures from Ohio State University. Blake brings a wealth of experience to AATG through his work in operations, management, and development at the German International School.

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Executive Director Report It’s been almost one year since I took over the role of Executive Director and the first thing I want to do is thank all of those who came before me. I inherited an organization that has a long list of dedicated members throughout its history, and it’s humbling to learn more about the good work that has been done and is ongoing by our members and the professional staff of the organization. Specifically, I want to extend thanks to John, Marisa, Mercedes, and Tara for their work during a most difficult time. With health concerns due to COVID, workplace restrictions, operational disruption at every turn, and volatility, they demonstrated again and again their commitment to AATG. They worked extra hours and met the challenges of rapid, uncontrollable change as well as I could have imagined. Additionally, I want to thank Juan Carlos Morales for lending his expertise to AATG on our large-scale data project. His insights and leadership are already fruitful.

On a more serious note: this past year has been devastating to so many. The loss of life, the pressures heaped upon educators, the uncertainty of life, and the politics of violence urge us all to think about our core values, personally and professionally.

As we look to the next year, we at AATG commit ourselves to serving educators at all levels, finding ways to enact the words of our mission statement: “The AATG promotes the study of the German-speaking world in all its linguistic, cultural and ethnic diversity, and endeavors to prepare students as transnational, transcultural learners and active, multilingual participants in a globalized world.”

We are committed not just to serving you, but honoring you in your work in light of what you endured and continue to endure as educators. We are committed to recognizing the students who prove time and time again why we chose education as our path. And we at AATG are looking forward to growing with you all to come out as a stronger, more inclusive organization.

Herzlichst

Michael R. Shaughnessy Executive Director mike@aatg.org

News from the National Office The 5th annual National TEACH GERMAN Day celebration will take place on Monday, October 4.

National TEACH GERMAN Day is a celebration of German teaching and learning. It recognizes the important role that German teachers play in our schools and communities and encourage the next generation of German teachers.

Order your TEACH GERMAN Day Kit now! Visit www.aatg.org/page/TeachGermanDay for details.

We continue to wish all of you a relaxing and rejuvenating summer, and look forward to serving you this coming year!

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Why I Support AATG I first joined AATG as a graduate student. It was, and still is, very reasonably priced for students, and the University of Kansas graduate German program encouraged membership in AATG – it was part of becoming a professional academic. At that time I couldn’t even begin to contemplate what a huge role AATG would play in my future.

After a year of study in Germany at the end of my graduate program I joined my husband in Cleveland and got a high school teaching job.

I was still interested in improving my teaching skills and sharing with other teachers, and I was directed to the Goethe Institut Ann Arbor weekend programs. That’s where I was inspired by fellow German teachers to become active in my state AATG organization.

From that point on I was off and running. It seems like I participated in everything AATG had to offer: state conventions and national conventions as both an attendee and a presenter.

Opportunities AATG made possible include travelling abroad with students, developing exchanges with schools in Germany and allowing students to get college credit in AP German. Throughout my career I met and formed permanent bonds with fellow professionals here and abroad. I am thankful for the support I got from AATG at every step of my career and I appreciate the opportunity to give back to the organization.

—Mary Ashcraft, Patron Member, Nevada

IDT 2022 in Vienna Join German teachers from all over the world in Vienna. Registration and the call for proposals are now open. Visit www.idt-2022.at for more information.

Mark your calendar!

XVII. Internationale Tagung der Deutschlehrerinnen und Deutschlehrer Das Motto der IDT 2022 lautet *mit.sprache.teil.haben. Sprachen bedeuten Teilhabe: an Lebenswelten anderer, an gesellschaftlichen Prozessen, an kulturellen und wissenschaftlichen Erfahrungen, an ästhetischem Erleben. Sprachen bedeuten für Menschen, dass sie aktiv und selbstbestimmt kommunizieren können. Die IDT 2022 fokussiert das Deutsche im Kontext einer offen verstandenen Mehrsprachigkeit, die sich mit soziolinguistischen Fragen ebenso befasst wie mit multilingualen Didaktiken. *mit.sprache.teil.haben gilt auch für Deutschlehrer*innen und Forschende aus aller Welt, die zur die IDT nach Wien kommen: Sie prägen die Tagung wesentlich mit durch ihre Ideen, Beiträge, Vorträge und Anregungen, sie haben teil an der IDT – mit Sprache, mit ihren

Veranstalter: Österreichischer Verband für Deutsch als Fremdsprache/Deutsch als Zweitsprache (ÖDaF) Ort: Wien Datum: 15.-20. August 2022 Deadline Abstracteinreichung: 15. September 2021 Informationen unter: www.idt-2022.at 17

Liebe Kolleg*innen, werden soll. GEMs dienen nicht nur der Förderung

es ist kaum zu glauben, dass sich nun schon das

hoch qualitativer Lehre und Unterricht an Schulen

zweite von der Pandemie betroffene Schuljahr dem

und Hochschulen sowie der Begeisterung für

Ende neigt. Für viele von Ihnen ging es vom

Deutsch als Fremdsprache, sondern stärkt zudem

virtuellen Unterricht wieder ins Klassenzimmer und

die transatlantische Beziehung.

wir wünschen Ihnen virtuell und reell viel Erfolg.

Nach wie vor ist unser Hauptanliegen, Sie im und außerhalb des Unterrichts in allen Anliegen zu

Wo wir von transatlantischer Beziehung sprechen:

unterstützen. Wir hoffen, dass die Angebote des

die transatlantische und vielmehr internationale

Goethe-Instituts, die Ihnen auf den folgenden

Zusammenarbeit ist heute wichtiger als jemals

Seiten vorgestellt werden, dabei helfen.

zuvor, wenn es um das Thema Nachhaltigkeit geht.

Wir erleben ganz unmittelbar, wie das Handeln

Ein nagelneues Projekt, das ich Ihnen nicht

jeder einzelnen Person unser aller Wohlergehen

vorenthalten will, ist die Berufsbrücke. Sie fragen

beeinflusst sowie das Leben künftiger Generationen.

sich, was das ist? Die Berufsbrücke ermöglicht

Sie fragen sich, wie Sie das Thema Nachhaltigkeit in

Studierenden an Community Colleges, in die

Ihrem Deutschunterricht aufgreifen können? Lassen

Berufswelt Deutschlands einzutauchen. Auch

Sie sich auf der Webseite "Step Into German" im

Studierende ohne Deutschkenntnisse werden

Reiter Nachhaltigkeit inspirieren!

dabei in intensiven Deutschkursen im Sommer 2021 optimal vorbereitet, um im Jahr 2022 einen

Wir freuen uns immer, von Ihnen zu hören und Sie

Aufenthalt in Deutschland anzutreten (von der

zusammen mit dem AATG in allen Ihren Vorhaben

Corona-Situation abhängig). Die Pilotphase

zu unterstützen. Wir sind für Sie da!

widmet sich Berufen der Mechatronik. Haben Sie Interesse? Melden Sie sich bei meiner Kollegin

Herzlich

Ulrike Michalczik (Ulrike.Michalczik@goethe.de), um weitere Informationen zu erhalten.

Bei unserem gemeinsamen AATG & Goethe-Institut Projekt SPARK geht es diesen Sommer in

Anne Schönhagen

Vorbereitung auf den SPARK Unterricht im Herbst in einem 4-wöchigen Fortbildungsprogramm um Digitales Unterrichten, Lernraumgestaltung und die Arbeit mit Kindern und Jugendlichen.

Ein weiteres Angebot in Zusammenarbeit mit AATG, auf das wir besonders stolz sind, ist die Fortbildung zum German Educational Multiplier (GEM). GEMs sind Teil eines neuen Exzellenznetzwerkes, das ab

August 2021 flächendeckend in den USA aufgebaut 18

Wie können wir gemeinsam

eine nachhaltige Zukunft für alle gestalten?

Konferenz Unsere Nachhaltige Zukunft Es ist wichtig, dass wir uns alle für eine nachhaltige Zukunft einsetzen. Deswegen hat das Goethe-Institut Washington den Nachhaltigkeitswettbewerb „Unsere nachhaltige Zukunft“ ausgeschrieben.

In Anlehnung an die 17 Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung der Vereinten Nationen riefen wir Schuler*innen auf, ihre Umgebung nachhaltiger zu gestalten. Teams aus Deutschland, Mexiko, den USA und Zentralamerika entwickelten zusammen mit ihren Deutsch- und Fachlehrer*innen Projekte für unsere nachhaltige Zukunft.

Eine Jury aus anerkannten akademischen Expert*innen hat die 12 besten Projekte ausgewählt und mehrere Monate intensiv betreut. Schüler*innen-Team präsentierten ihre Ergebnisse auf unserer virtuellen Nachhaltigkeitskonferenz vom 18. bis 20. Juni, 2021. Tolle Preise wurden an die Gewinner*innen vergeben! Eine Aufnahme vom Abschlusstag der Konferenz ist hier abrufbar: Our Sustainable Future Conference 2021 - YouTube Bei der Konferenz haben Vertreter*innen von Fridays For Future aus Deutschland, Mexiko und den USA präsentiert.

Johannes Ebert, Generalsekretär des Goethe-Instituts, war unser Ehrengast. Zusammen haben die Schüler*innen einen gemeinsamen Abschlussappell für unsere nachhaltige Zukunft verlesen.

Die nächste Runde des Wettbewerbs wird bald ausgeschrieben. Informieren Sie Sich hier.

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Studienbrücke – wie läuft das eigentlich?

Wie wäre es mit einem Studium in Deutschland? Anna, eine amerikanische Schülerin, berichtet von ihrer Erfahrung mit der Studienbrücke. Schülerinnen und Schüler nehmen dabei an Online-Sprachkursen, Sommerkursen in Deutschland und

Prüfungsvorbereitungskursen teil und können sich direkt nach ihrem Abschluss an ausgewählten Partneruniversitäten in Deutschland bewerben.

Wie heißt du? Wann hast du an der Studienbrücke teilgenommen? Wo studierst du jetzt in Deutschland?

Hallöchen! Mein Name ist Hannah Porter. Ich habe die Studienbrücke im Jahr 2019 abgeschlossen und studiere jetzt an der Ruhr Uni Bochum (RUB).

Erzähl uns über deine Erfahrungen. Wie ist das Studium

an der RUB, was macht dir am meisten Spaß, was ist schwierig?

Ich habe mein Biologie Studium im Herbst 2019 angefangen und bin jetzt im 4. Semester. Das Studium ist ein wenig schwieriger als ich mir vorgestellt habe. Die Klausuren zählen sehr stark für unsere Noten, aber es gibt hier auch genug Möglichkeiten zum Entspannen, wenn keine Klausurenphase ist! Ich wohne nicht so weit von die Bochumer Innenstadt entfernt, einen wunderbaren Ort für Studierende. Es gibt da viele Essensmöglichkeiten, Bars und Parks, wo ich am liebsten

mit meinen Freunden aus der Uni chille. Das Studium selbst ist mega interessant. Ich habe direkt mit Laborübungen angefangen und musste keine Grundkurse in Englisch oder Geschichte belegen, was in den USA unvorstellbar ist.

Wie ist studieren unter Corona?

Das Studium unter Corona ist anders als normal. Gerade haben wir Onlineunterricht mit ein paar Übungen, die in Präsenz stattfinden. Es hat eine Weile gedauert, bevor die Dozent*innen sich dran gewohnt haben, Onlineunterricht durchzuführen, aber ich kann sagen, dass das jetzt fast so gut wie in den Zeiten von „normalem“ Unterricht

funktioniert. Da die RUB eine Pendleruni ist, wohnen alle meine Freunden in Essen, Wuppertal und anderen Städten in Nordrhein-Westfalen. Normalerweise ist das kein Problem, weil wir ein Studententicket durch unsere Studiengebühren gratis bekommen, aber jetzt ist Bahnfahren im Lockdown gerade etwas kritisch.

Wie hat die Studienbrücke dich auf das Studium in Deutschland vorbereitet?

Ich merke jeden Tag wie die Studienbrücke mich auf die Uni vorbereitet hat. Mein Deutsch war am Ende des Programms mehr als ausreichend, um den Vorlesungen zu folgen und um mit meinen Kommiliton*innen in den Pausen zu quatschen. Das fiel mir auch durch die interkulturellen Trainings während der Studienbrücke leichter, da ich ein tieferes Verständnis der deutschen Kultur entwickelt habe. Trotz Corona und stressigen Phasen im Studium lebe ich meinen Traum vom Studium in Deutschland dank der Studienbrücke!

Die nächste Bewerbungsphase zur Studienbrücke ist im Herbst 2021. Weitere Informationen finden Sie hier.

Senden Sie eine E-Mail an us-studybridge@goethe.de für ein kostenloses, persönliches Beratungsgespräch.

20

Unser neues Angebot für Studierende an Community Colleges!

Sie möchten transatlantisch auf dem Arbeitsmarkt erfolgreich sein? Die Karrierebrücke ermöglicht es Ihnen! Bewerben Sie sich bis 30. Juni für die Teilnahme an der Pilotphase. Es erwartet Sie ab Juli bis Ende des Jahres ein kostenloser Intensivsprachkurs (Vorkenntnisse nicht erforderlich) und die Möglichkeit, an unserer praxisnahmen Tour in deutschen Betrieben im Frühjahr 2022 teilzunehmen. Weitere Details entnehmen Sie unserer Webseite: https://www.goethe.de/usberufsbruecke.Wir freuen uns auf zahlreiche Bewerbungen.

THE BIG PONDER — A Transatlantic Podcast Looking for a new way to engage your German students? We’ve got your back! The Goethe-Institut’s new transatlantic podcast series THE BIG PONDER makes German culture accessible, even from the classroom. In each episode, one of our producers transforms an abstract concept into a captivating story and explores it from a U.S.-German perspective.

A perfect addition to any German teacher’s curriculum, this series introduces students to the intricacies of life in Germany — inviting them to reflect on aspects of American and German culture that are often neglected in textbooks. This season, we’ve covered topics like friendship, Wanderlust, patriotism, and diner culture, all great fodder for classroom discussion. Do the U.S. and Germany share the same values? What divides us? What unites us?

The entire series was

developed from a transatlantic

perspective with an

American audience in mind, so all

episodes are available in

English. Lucky for German learners,

a limited selection of

German-language episodes will be

available on our website

starting this summer!

You can listen to THE BIG

PONDER on our website, Apple

Podcasts, Spotify, or

wherever you get your podcasts!

For more information and to

subscribe to our newsletter, visit

www.goethe.de/bigponder.

21

Steig ein bei den Wanderbussen!

Als einer der Höhepunkte des Jahres der deutsch-amerikanischen Freundschaft reiste der Wanderbus des GoetheInstituts 2019 über 40.000 Kilometer durch die USA und besuchte dabei über 60 Schulen und Universitäten. Den Wanderbus, der jetzt auch in 2021 weiterfliegt, gibt es jetzt in zwei Versionen!

Der Digitale Wanderbus bietet eine 3D-Welt, in der Lehrer*innen mit ihren Schüler*innen zusammen oder jeder einzeln an eigenen Geräten in eine Vielzahl von Themen eintauchen können wie Kultur, Sport, Geschichte, Wissenschaft und Politik. Natürlich bietet der Digitale Wanderbus auch spannende Spiele & Quizze und die Möglichkeit, auf unterhaltsame Weise Deutsch zu lernen.

Eine neue Wanderbus-Version mit dem Fokus auf Karriere ist nun unterwegs – der “Karrierebus”! An verschiedenen Stationen im Bus können sich die Schüler*innen über die Möglichkeit eines Studiums an einer deutschen Universität erkunden, einen Einblick in die Forschung deutscher Forschungsinstitute erhalten und hautnah erleben, wie ein duales Ausbildungsprogramm in Deutschland und den USA aussieht. Auch in diesem Bus kommt der Spaß natürlich nicht zu kurz!

Interesse an einem virtuellen Klassenausflug in den Digitalen Wanderbus oder den Karrierebus?

Dann schreiben Sie eine E-Mail an teacherservice-washington@goethe.de und buchen den virtuellen Besuch!

Sprechen und erweitern Sie Deutsch auch außerhalb des Klassenzimmers: Tauschen Sie sich mit Kolleg*innen aus, erfahren Sie handlungsorientierte Unterrichtsansätze und Ideen und erreichen Sie Ihre nächste Sprachniveaustufe. Melden Sie sich für unsere achtwöchigen Online Sprachkurse an und trainieren Sie gemeinsam alle Kompetenzen. Der nächste Kursstart ist der 02. August. www.goethe.de/usa/onlinesprachkurs 22

Kostenlose virtuelle Studienreisen mit dem Transatlantic Outreach Programm (TOP) für alle Lehrkräfte Nach der erfolgreichen virtuellen Studienreise 2020 wird das Transatlantic Outreach Program (TOP) des Goethe-Instituts Washington in Zusammenarbeit mit dem Besucherprogramm des Goethe-Instituts Berlin/Bonn in diesem Sommer auch gleich zwei virtuelle Studienreisen durchführen. Die erste Studienreise, die im Juni beginnt, richtet sich an K12 Lehrkräfte der MINT-Fächer. Die zweite Studienreise im Juli ist für K-12 Lehrkräfte der sozialwissenschaftlichen (social studies) Fächern gedacht. Alle Erzieher in den Vereinigten Staaten, Kanada und weltweit sind herzlich eingeladen teilzunehmen. Sie werden die Gelegenheit haben sich mit deutschen auszutauschen, sich mit Deutschland zu befassen und sich mit einer Vielzahl von aktuellen Themen in englischer Sprache auseinanderzusetzen. Englische Live-Untertitel für Hörgeschädigte verfügbar.

Für weitere Informationen, folgen Sie @topteachgermany auf Facebook/Instagram/Twitter oder besuchen Sie www.goethe.de/ topvirtualstudytours.

German American Virtual Exchange (GAVE)

DLL Besser Deutsch lehren lernen

Kostenlos, abwechslungsreich, und in Englisch und Deutsch verfügbar. GAPP bietet das Programm und kleine Stipendien für teilnehmende Schulen an. Mehr Informationen sind unter goethe.de/GAVE zu finden.

Foto Copyright: Colourbox

Sammeln Sie Ideen für einen handlungsorientierten und abwechslungsreichen Deutschunterricht; tauschen Sie sich mit Kolleg*innen und erfahrenen Tutor*innen über Deutsch als Fremdsprache, Unterrichtsplanung, digitale Medien im Unterricht und Sprachbildung in allen Fächern aus. Erweitern Sie dabei ganz gezielt Ihre Lehrkompetenz und übertragen Sie die neuen Ansätze gleich in Ihren Unterricht.

Unsere 8-wöchigen methodisch-didaktischen Fortbildungen beginnen am 05. Juli. Es ist auch für Sie ein Themenbereich dabei! www.goethe.de/usa/dll 23

Neues von der Zentralstelle für das Auslandsschulwesen (ZfA) Liebe Kolleginnen, liebe Kollegen, das Schuljahr neigt sich dem Ende zu und wir möchten Ihnen allen danken für Ihr außergewöhnliches Engagement im vergangenen Pandemiejahr.

Wir freuen uns, Ihnen heute neue DSD-Schulen vorzustellen und Ihnen einen Einblick in das brandneue Projekt der Fachberatungen USA "Jugend debattiert – Nordamerika" geben zu dürfen.

Für weitere Informationen und Unterstützung steht Ihnen Ihre regionale Fachberatung wie gewohnt zur Verfügung.

Herzlichst, Susanne Dreyer, houston@auslandsschulwesen.de

Die Deutsche Sprachschule Naperville – Eine neue DSD-Schule in Illinois Als Entstehungsjahr der Deutschen Sprachschule Naperville nennt die Gründerin und Direktorin Angela Jöstlein das Jahr 2010. 2012 erfolgte dann die Aufnahme als PASCH-Schule. Ein weiteres Etappenjahr war 2020, als die Schule die Genehmigung erhielt, Prüfungen zum Deutschen Sprachdiplom der KMK, DSD I, durchzuführen.

Im Frühjahr 2021 erfolgten die ersten DSD-Prüfungen.

Heute unterrichten 7 Lehrkräfte ca. 100 Schüler/-innen in verschiedenen Alters- und Niveaustufen. Für den Schülernachwuchs sorgen die Krabbelgruppe für Kleinkinder ab dem 1. Lebensjahr und die Sing- und Spielgruppe für die 3- bis 4-Jährigen.

Der Unterricht für Kinder und Jugendliche wird freitags in der Synagoge Beth Shalom erteilt. Frau Jöstlein äußert sich sehr zufrieden über die Möglichkeit, die Klassenräume der Synagoge bereits seit mehreren Jahren für den Unterricht mieten zu dürfen, nachdem die Schule sich in den Vorjahren in einer Kirche und in einem Kulturzentrum versammelt hat.

Für Frau Jöstlein ist neben dem Deutschunterricht auch die kulturelle Komponente, welche die Schule der örtlichen deutschen Gemeinschaft bietet, sehr wichtig: Fasching, Laternenfest und Weihnachten wurde gerne gemeinsam mit den Familien der Schüler/-innen gefeiert – und so sollte es nach dem Ende der pandemiebedingten Einschränkungen wieder sein.

Die Lehrerin Anne Becker, die bereits seit zehn Jahren an der Schule unterrichtet, betont die Wichtigkeit des DSD-Programms und der Prüfungen als Qualitätsmerkmal. Die Schulleitung und die Lehrerschaft haben lange an der DSD-Zulassung gearbeitet, die erst nach der Erfüllung von mehreren Qualitätskriterien beantragt werden konnte. Schließlich konnte der Wunsch von vielen Eltern verwirklicht werden, die Interesse Von links nach rechts: Fachberatung Chicago mit daran hatten, ihren Kindern die Möglichkeit zum Schulleiterin Angela Jöstlein (Mitte) und Lehrerin Anne Studium in Deutschland zu ermöglichen. Dem steht Becker (rechts). jetzt nichts mehr im Weg! Bericht und Foto: Leeni Martinkari, chicago@auslandsschulwesen.de

Neues von der Zentralstelle für das Auslandsschulwesen (ZfA) Jugend debattiert in Nordamerika- weil Kontroversen sich lohnen…

Mit solch einem großen Interesse haben die Organisator*innen von Jugend debattiert nicht gerechnet.

Eigentlich war das Projekt für Schüler/-innen in den USA gedacht, aber dank der Unterstützung der Fachberatungen in Kanada und Mexico gelang es schließlich, knapp hundert debattierfreudige Schüler/-innen von 33 Schulen aus ganz Nordamerika für einen zehnwöchigen Workshop zu gewinnen. Parallel dazu werden knapp vierzig Lehrkräfte geschult, damit sie den Unterricht im Debattieren in der Zeit nach der Pandemie selbstständig durchführen können.

Auch wenn Zoom nicht das direkte Streitgespräch im Klassenraum ersetzen kann, funktionieren die Debatten auch im Online-Format. Auf diese Weise können sich Schüler/-innen aus Florida direkt mit Gleichaltrigen in Ontario über die Abschaffung von Studiengebühren streiten.

Ende Mai werden die 94 Schüler/-innen in zwei Debatten aufeinandertreffen. Die sechzehn Schüler/-innen mit den überzeugendsten Argumenten werden zum Nordamerika-Finale Ende Oktober nach Kalifornien eingeladen.

Hier gibt es hoffentlich die Chance, sich in der realen Welt kennenzulernen und Kontroversen von Angesicht zu Angesicht auszutragen. Am Ende wird es einen Nordamerika- Sieger oder eine -Siegerin geben. Es winkt eine Einladung zum deutschen Bundesfinale in Berlin im Juni 2022.

Dass Jugend debattiert in Nordamerika schon jetzt ein Erfolg ist, ist der Ausdauer der Schüler/-innen, aber auch dem Engagement der Lehrkräfte zu verdanken, die sich regelmäßig am Abend und an Sonntagen neben ihrer Arbeit an der Schule fortbilden lassen. Einen maßgeblichen Beitrag leisten auch alle Fachberater/-innen aus den USA, Kanada und Mexico. Wichtige Entscheidungen zur Organisation des Workshops wurden im Team beraten, alle Fachberatungen bereiten sich zudem darauf vor, Jugend debattiert in Zukunft in ihren Regionen durchzuführen. Dank ihnen besteht eine gute Chance, dass Jugend debattiert auch in den kommenden Jahren weitergeführt werden kann.

Schließlich wäre das Projekt ohne die großzügige finanzielle und organisatorische Unterstützung der Zentralstelle für das Auslandsschulwesen (ZfA), dem Auswärtigen Amt und der Gemeinnützigen Hertie-Stiftung nicht möglich.

Bericht: Ingo Matthias, sanfrancisco@auslandsschulwesen.de

DSD I-Diplome im „Vorbei-Flug“ Ungewöhnliche Zeiten erfordern ungewöhnliche Maßnahmen – dachte sich die Schulleiterin, Dr. Angrid Henning, der Eastside German Language School (EGLS) in Bellevue.

Während am 12. März 2020 die Schüler/-innen der EGLS ihre DSD I-Prüfung noch unter normalen Bedingungen schreiben konnten, waren am Tag danach die Schulen in Washington State, wie fast überall in den Vereinigten Staaten, geschlossen.

Die mündliche Prüfung fand mit großer zeitlicher Verzögerung videobasiert statt.

Die Übergabe der DSD I-Diplome 2020 sollte daher etwas Foto: Angrid Henning

Neues von der Zentralstelle für das Auslandsschulwesen (ZfA) Besonderes sein – und möglichst nicht virtuell. So entstand die Idee der Drive-Through-Diplomübergabe auf dem großen Parkplatz der Kirche, an der die EGLS ihre Räumlichkeiten hat. Die Schüler/-innen konnten, zusammen mit ihren Eltern, praktisch im Vorbeifahren ihre Diplome und ein kleines Geschenk, ausgehändigt von der Schulleitung, den Lehrkräften der DSD-Klassen und der Fachberaterin der ZfA, Gabi Maiss-Minkler, sozial distanziert in Empfang nehmen. Eine ungewöhnliche Veranstaltung, die allen viel Spaß gemacht hat, vor allem weil man sich endlich einmal wieder persönlich sehen konnte. Ihre DSD I-Prüfung und Diplomübergabe wird den Schüler/-innen sicherlich lang im Gedächtnis bleiben! Nochmals herzlichen Glückwunsch an alle DSD IAbsolvent/-innen!

Bericht: Gabi Maiss-Minkler, seattle@auslandsschulwesen.de

Weitere DSD Schule im Nordosten der USA: German School Brooklyn Auf Antrag der German School Brooklyn hat der Zentrale Ausschuss für das Deutsche Sprachdiplom (DSD) der Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK) in Deutschland die Genehmigung zur Durchführung des DSD ab dem Frühjahr 2021 erteilt. Mit der German School Brooklyn gibt es nun eine weitere Schule in der Region Nordost, in der das DSD angeboten wird.

Anlässlich eines Schulbesuchs am 09.03.2021 des Fachberaters New York, Helmut Kehlenbeck, unterzeichnete die Schulleiterin der Schule, Kerstin Haakenson, die gemeinsame Absichtserklärung zum Einsatz des Programms und zur Durchführung des DSD. Am 10.03.2021 nahmen Schüler/-innen der Schule erstmalig an der schriftlichen Prüfung des DSD teil.

Die German School Brooklyn (https://www.germanschool brooklyn.org) ist die erste zweisprachige Deutsche Internationale Schule in New York City. Sie verwendet einen fächerübergreifenden, kulturübergreifenden und zweisprachigen Ansatz, um junge Köpfe zu befähigen, komplexe Zusammenhänge zu sehen und herzustellen.

Kerstin Haakenson und Helmut Kehlenbeck Foto: Melissa Bourgeois

Das DSD wird ein wichtiger Baustein, um das Sprachprogramm der Schule qualitativ abzusichern. Zwei Lehrkräfte der Schule nehmen am Blended Learning DSD GOLD-Kurs DSD I der ZfA teil.

Die German School ist eine neu gegründete, aufwachsende Deutsche Auslandsschule in Brooklyn NY. Der älteste Jahrgang hat die 8. Jahrgangsstufe erreicht, als Schulabschluss soll das International Baccalaureate (IB) angeboten werden.

Bericht: Helmut Kehlenbeck, newyork@auslandsschulwesen.de

Neues von der Zentralstelle für das Auslandsschulwesen (ZfA) Brookwood High School - ein neuer „DSD Stern“ am Himmel in Georgia Der Brookwood High School in Georgia ist es als ehemalige Georgia DSD-Länderprojekt-Schule trotz erschwerter Umstände während der Pandemie gelungen, nun offizielle DSD Schule zu werden.

Die Brookwood High School ist mit rund 3700 Schülern eine High School in einem wachsenden Vorort von Atlanta in Gwinnett County und ist als eine der anspruchsvollsten Schulen in der Region mit einem hervorragenden Deutschprogramm bekannt. Diese Schule liegt in der Nähe einer großen Anzahl von deutschen und österreichischen Unternehmen, die das Interesse am Erwerb der deutschen Sprache und der deutschen Kultur fördern.

In diesem Zusammenhang liegt es daher nahe, dass bereits während der ersten gemeinsamen Online Konferenz mit dem Schulleiter und der stellvertretenden Schulleiterin sowie der Deutschlehrerin der Schule die Verknüpfung der durch die Schüler erlangten Deutschkenntnisse mit deren beruflicher Zukunftsperspektive diskutiert wurde.

Hierzu hat es bereits Gespräche mit Vertretern der umliegenden Betriebe und dem Kooperationspartner der ZfA, dem Georgia Department of Education sowie der Deutsch-Amerikanischen Handelskammer USA Süd (GACC South = German American Chamber of Commerce of the Southern US) und der German American Cultural Foundation (GAC-F) gegeben.

Alle Beteiligten sind sich darüber einig, dass dies ein vielversprechendes Vorhaben für die zukünftigen Deutschschüler der Brookwood High School sein wird.

Wir sind schon jetzt auf weitere Neuigkeiten zu diesem Thema gespannt.

Bericht: Nicolette Gahleitner, atlanta@auslandsschulwesen.de

Erste Online Konferenz zum DSD mit Vertretern der Brookwood High School und der Fachberatung Atlanta Großes Foto: Heather Parkerson (Stellvertretende Schulleitung, Brookwood High School), v. o. n. u. kleine Fotos: Nicolette Gahleitner (Fachberatung Atlanta, ZfA), Mirela Kimbrough (Deutschlehrerin Brookwood High School), Heather Parkerson (Stellvertretende Schulleitung, Brookwood High School), William Bo Ford, Jr. (Schulleiter Brookwood High School) Foto: Nicolette Gahleitner