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Pittsburgh's students explore Düren: Mayor invites you to meet!
Students from Pittsburgh visit Düren: exchange program with meetings in the town hall, excursions and joint activities.
Pittsburgh's students explore Düren: Mayor invites you to meet!
There are exciting days ahead in Düren: students from Mount Lebanon High School from Pittsburgh are visiting the city. Mayor Frank Peter Ullrich welcomed the 15 exchange students and their three accompanying persons in the Düren town hall. This year marks the 42nd time that the Stiftisches Gymnasium and the American school have organized an exchange. Mayor Ullrich was enthusiastic and emphasized that the market square was his personal favorite place in Düren, a place for meetings and exchanges.
As part of a week-long program, the students experience numerous excursions and short trips that show the cultural and historical diversity of the region. The mayor emphasized the importance of getting to know each other, which not only promotes understanding of each other, but also enables friendships across the Atlantic. He sensitively pointed out how important such programs are in building bridges between cultures.
Exchange programs with tradition
The exchange with Mount Lebanon High School is just one of many that the Stiftisches Gymnasium maintains. This exchange has been taking place since 1983, and around 20 students from grades Q1 and Q2 take part every year. The American guests visit Düren shortly before the summer holidays, while the return visit to the USA usually takes place in the week before the autumn holidays. Part of this trip includes a three-day stay in Washington, with the program coordinated by a dedicated team including Ms. Bertlich, Ms. Lütz-Gras, Dr. Rubel, Mr. Sixt and Ms. Wendlandt belong.
But the Stiftisches Gymnasium does not stand still internationally: partnerships with the Stella Maris College in the Netherlands and the Lycée Guillaume le Conquérant in France are also part of the offer. While there are annual meetings and thematic focuses with the Dutch, the exchange with the French celebrated a special anniversary in 2018/2019. Around twenty French students visit Düren in May/June, followed by an exchange in September, during which the Düren students go on excursions together.
Commitment to the future
Another exchange has begun with the Jinhua Foreign Language School in China, which has been organized at irregular intervals since 2016. These commitments show that the Stiftisches Gymnasium is actively working on an international educational offering and gives its students the opportunity to think outside the box.
The school also supports its needy students through its own social fund, which offers financial help for school and study trips. This ensures that all students have the chance for international encounters and valuable experiences. Exchange programs not only enrich the participating students, but they also help to strengthen cohesion and understanding between different cultures, which is more important today than ever.
How can such programs shape the lives of students? The answer is obvious: they enable the exchange of ideas, cultures and friendships that can last a lifetime. This not only broadens the students' horizons, but also builds bridges between countries that are necessary for a more peaceful, understanding world.
For further information about the exchange programs, please visit the website of the Stiftisches Gymnasium or read the press release from the city of Düren.