Thriving interest in "Meet-a-German." / More than 130 schools in 45 US states celebrate German culture / Fulbright Germany brings together American students and German guest speakers ´

Berlin (ots) - Undertaking virtual travels across Germany,
inviting others to "ask-me-anything," or playing games to practice
the supposedly unmasterable German language - on October 3, the
annual Day of German Unity, Germans and Americans who have lived in
Germany will visit schools across the U.S. to provide young Americans
with a fresh perspective on contemporary German culture. This year
more than 150 "citizen ambassadors" and schools across 45 states will
participate in "Meet-a-German," which reflects a thriving interest in
cultural dialogue. The project is organized by the German-American
Fulbright Commission (Fulbright Germany) in cooperation with the
American Association of Teachers of German (AATG).

"Meet-a-German" is based on the idea of raising interest in other
people through personal exchange. When asked to describe what
happened during her classroom session, one of last year´s speakers
wrote: "The students were very motivated and interested. A few even
sang a German song to me. It was fun for all of us and a huge
success!"

Created last year as a kick-off event for the Year of
German-American Friendship, "Meet-a-German" is now scheduled as part
of its grand finale. As the Executive Director of Fulbright Germany,
Dr. Oliver Schmidt, explains: "At Fulbright, we appreciate that
personal encounters, new perspectives and a celebration of
differences constitute the cornerstones of international cooperation.
We helped initiate 'Meet-a-German' because we believe that schools
are ideal spaces for this to happen. We are especially proud that
many of the participating schools can be found in the US heartland,
not only in metropolitan regions."

Building on decades of transatlantic exchange, Fulbright Germany
has contributed five projects to Germany´s current science and
cultural diplomacy drive throughout the U.S. The program is
co-chaired by both the German Federal Foreign Office and the U.S.
Department of State. The goal of all programs is to explore common
values and shared interests on both sides, as well as to advance
dialogue and mutual understanding on issues-sometimes with differing
viewpoints.

Fulbright Germany facilitates cross-border international
understanding through academic exchange. As the only binational
exchange organization in Germany with a US focus, we award around 700
scholarships annually for study, research, teaching and continuing
education in the USA and Germany. We turn nations into people.

Contact:
Fulbright Germany
Sophie Maaß, Communications
Lützowufer 26, 10787 Berlin
Tel: +49 (0) 30-28 44 43-25
E-Mail: maass@fulbright.de
www.fulbright.de
Press photos on request

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