Exchange Programs
International exchanges offer invaluable and enriching experiences for people at any age. There are numerous academic and professional German-American exchange programs that allow you to study or work while living in Germany, where you can improve your German skills and experience the cultural offerings of your host country. There are also, however, numerous other opportunities to exchange ideas and experiences with German citizens.
The Transatlantic Program supports exchange programs, projects, seminars, and conferences in the cultural, educational, academic, and economic spheres which have a clear transatlantic connection.
Transatlantic Encounters
TOP—a partnership between the German Foreign Office, the Goethe-Institut, Deutsche Bank, and the Robert Bosch Stiftung—seeks to provide social studies educators from the US with information about modern Germany by producing teaching materials, organizing in-service teacher-training workshops, and sending educators to Germany on all-expense-paid study tours.
Transatlantic Outreach
Sister City Partnerships
If you need information about sister cities, these homepages are a good way to start. There are also more or less formalized types of cooperation between German and American states. A contractually agreed sister-state partnership exists between the German state of Hesse and the American state of Wisconsin. Detailed information about these kinds of cooperations can be obtained at the relevant state governments or American missions in Germany.
Corresponding with a pen pal is a great way to experience another country from the comfort of your home. Regardless of whether you write traditional letters or e-mails, in English or in German, communicating with someone from another country can be an exciting and new learning experience at any age.
Pen Pals - Brieffreundschaften
