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

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.

Press photos on request