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Gulfport High School visits Carl Bechstein Gymnasium in Erkner
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- The Gulfport High School students visit Sanssouci Castle near Potsdam
- (© Jörg Schulze)
In the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, the students at Carl Bechstein Gymnasium in Erkner (near Berlin) knew that they had to do something to help the victims. They decided to organize a charity concert to collect donations for Gulfport High School which was badly affected by the storm. Based on this initial gesture of friendship and support, the two schools developed an exchange program that has sent many students across the ocean.
In 2007, the orchestra of Gulfport High School traveled to Erkner to give a joint concert with the choir of the Carl Bechstein Gymnasium which gathered a lot of attention in the local community.
This fall, 19 students from the technology class, the school's principal Michael Lindsey and two teachers packed their bags and headed for Germany. With their main interest being robotics, the students visited several technology locations including the Technology Park Adlershof and the Fraunhofer Institute. There the American teenagers had a chance to learn about the German vocational training and research system and were able to compare it to their own experiences. They also participated in the several classes at Carl Bechstein Gymnasium, sharing their knowledge with their new German friends.
Living with local host families, the American vistors had a chance to get a taste of German culture as well. This aspect of the trip was of great importance to many of the students since it gave them a real image of the everyday life of their German counterparts. A varied tourist program took the group to the world-famous Sanssouci Castle near Potsdam and they also attended a performance of the German Ballet Theater.
The return visit to Gulfport is scheduled for Spring 2010.
