NAHS welcomes German students
Twenty-two jet-lagged 11th-grade German students and two teacher chaperones enthusiastically arrived from their school in Gladenbach, Germany, for a welcome reception March 24 at Northampton Area High School.
NAHS and Europaschule Gladenbach have had a student exchange partnership for 29 years.
The German students will be here for approximately two-and-a-half weeks and will live with families of Northampton students who study German. Visiting German students and American students began attending classes together the same day of their morning arrival at the school.
The German students’ chaperones are Arne Seegelken and Marco Klingelhöfer.
Conversely, students from Northampton and two teachers, April Krempasky and Courtney Schynderite, will travel to Gladenbach, Germany, June 20. These students will stay with the families of the students and teachers Northampton hosted.
Just as the German students are now experiencing school in the United States, the Northampton students will attend school, speak German and learn about German culture.
While visiting the United States, the Gladenbach students will experience day trips to Martin Guitar, Historic Bethlehem, New York City and Philadelphia. The Northampton students will also experience various sites in Germany. A day trip is planned to Marburg and the Rhine River, and the group will also spend five days in southern Germany.
A Northampton German teacher and program coordinator, Krempasky said this program is offered every other year for students studying German. The only time the program was canceled was because of COVID-19.
Students form bonds with the visiting student they partner with as well as the host families. Social media connects students before they meet and maintains their connection.
The first student exchange with Northampton was in 1996. The exchange program is called the German American Partnership Program, which has been in existence for more than 50 years. It is sponsored by the American and German governments to promote international relations between countries.