A five-member delegation from the German Parliament visited Denver on April 30, as part of their four-city U.S. tour to gather information and to promote the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange programs (CBYX).

Arriving from San Francisco, the delegation scheduled a full day of meetings in Denver. The first stop was the University of Denver, where they met with Christopher Robert Hill, Dean of the Josef Korbel School of International Studies and former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, and spoke with Reed Beall, the university's Study Aboard Program Coordinator. The delegation also held a round-table with the Dean and faculty members to discuss the current state of German and European political affairs.

The delegation then invited university students interested in studying abroad to an informal discussion about the two exchange programs sponsored by the German Bundestag: Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals and International Parliamentary Scholarships (IPS).

The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals

The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals is a year-long program, funded by the German Bundestag and U.S. Congress through the U.S. Department of State. It annually offers 75 young professionals with a strong interest in cultural exchange the opportunity to study, work, and live with a host family in Germany. The program consists of two months of German language school (no prior German language skills required!); four months of classes in the participant’s career field at a university, technical school, or professional school; and a five-month internship in the career field. Participants are placed throughout Germany on this scholarship program. CBYX is primarily designed for business, engineering, technical, vocational, and agricultural fields, though applicants from all fields may apply.

International Parliamentary Scholarships

The IPS program offers recent U.S. graduates with a strong interest in politics an opportunity to gain first-hand experience in Germany’s system of parliamentary government with a 15-week internship in the office of a Member of the Bundestag combined with a supplementary academic program organized by Berlin’s three major universities. The scholarship candidates, who will sprend 5 months in Germany, are chosen annually by the German Bundestag’s independent selection panel.

The CBYX, known in Germany as the Parlamentarisches Patenschafts-Programm (PPP), also has a component for secondary school students between the ages of 15 and 18 and for full-time vocational students from 18 to 19 years of age.  It offers German and American students a fully-funded academic year aboard living with host families, attending school and participating in community life. Again, no prior German language skills are required for American students. 

Luncheon with German Exchange Students and Host Families
Before their departure to Philadelphia, the next city on their tour, the delegation hosted a luncheon for German CBYX exchange students presently attending high school in the Denver area. At the luncheon, the delegation had the opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge from both students and host parents about their experience with the program. They were also able to take away invaluable feedback about what was working with the program and what improvements could be made. 

After their visit to Philadelphia, the delegation will travel to Buffalo, New York before returning home to Germany.

Background:
The CBYX was established in 1983 to celebrate the 300th anniversary of German settlement of the United States. The program, providing a full scholarship for an academic year, seeks to strengthen ties between the younger generations of both countries and improve career skills through formal study and work experience as well as foster awareness of each other’s culture, society, history and politics. It has been renewed by both legislative bodies since its inception.

Related Links:
Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program
Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals
International Parliamentary Scholarships