Language Opportunities
AEA Student Exchanges
Since 2009 AEAMS has an exchange program with the Herderschule (a grade 5-12 school) in Gießen by Frankfurt. The exchange program is organized within the Framework of GAPP (German American Partnership Program). Each year 20-30 of our middle school students host students from the Herderschule Giessen who will go to school with them. Then on the return trip our students are hosted by their exchange partner's family and will get the opportunity to attend school with their exchange students. In addition we always plan several exciting cultural trips. The Germany trip is around 20 days. Cost and travel times vary depending on school schedules and flight cost.
Each fall our German exchange students from Herderschule in Gießen, Germany, come to San Diego. They visit their AEA host families and spend three weeks at AEA. In addition to shadowing their host students in school they also get a chance to see beautiful SoCal -visit the Zoo, Sea World, Old Town and Universal Studios.
In return AEA 7th and 8th grade students who hosted in the fall go on their visit to Gießen in May/June of the following year ( https://www.herderschule-giessen.de/ueber-uns/austausche). Students spend time in their German host families, go to school with their host students, and also travel to Munich/München, spend a few nights in a typical German youth hostel, visit BMW World, Deutsches Museum and the famous castle Neuschwanstein. They also take day trips to cities and sites in the Gießen area.
Since our German exchange program is so popular we added an addional German Exchange Experience for our students with Rudoloh- Brandes Gymnasium in Bad Salzuflen, Germany which is also a true exhange following the same concept. Students from Bad Salzuflen visit in the fall and AEA students go on their return visit to Germany in the spring.
The integration of students into the everyday life of host families and into the classroom activities of the host school represents an intensive language and cultural immersion for our students and in many cases long-lasting friendships are formed.
2023 Exchange student visit in San Diego
2015 Welcome Party Gießen
Pictures of our exchange school in Gießen
Pictures of our exchange school in Gießen
Schloss Braunfels
Schloss Neuschwanstein
Preschools
Full-day preschools:
Kindermission:
German and Spanish. For more information please contact Peggy at kindermission@gmail.com
Die Rasselbande Preschool:
A non –profit German preschool, licensed by the State of California, that exposes children ages two to Pre-Kindergarten to the German language and culture.
High Schools
Guajome Park Academy - starting in middle school (IB school) - German Teacher Christopher Bailes https://www.guajome.net/pf4/cms2/cms2_contact_form?d=x&id=1563866361398&group_id=1543480236982&return_url=1572893863734
Hilltop High School in Chula Vista – German 1-4, German Teacher Rick Ludwig Rick.Ludwig@sweetwaterschools.org http://hth.sweetwaterschools.org/world-languages/
Rancho Bernardo High School – German 1-8 (no AP), German Teacher Melanie Knoy (858)485-4800#4314 mknoy@powayusd.com
Santee West Hills High School, German 1-3 - German Teacher Torben Holzhausen (619) 956 0549 tholzhausen@guhsd.net
More German Language Opportunities
Weekend or afternoon German programs and summer camps:
German Saturday School: As part of the German-American School Association of Southern California, Inc., the German School San Diego has been dedicated to teaching kids and culture in a fun and supportive environment for the past 50 years. The school has two locations in Central San Diego and in Vista. Check out their offer of online German enrichment classes at: http://germanschool4kids.org/san-diego/
Kindermission: The Kindermission offers afternoon programs every day of the week as well as summer camps in the German language for children of all ages including preschool. https://www.kindermission.com/
Kinderwerkstatt: This program organized by the House of Germany offers German language instruction to students between the age of 4 and 14. The classes are designed to improve German fluency, vocabulary and grammar as well as to teach reading and writing in German. http://www.houseofgermany.com/kinder-workshop/
Rasselbande: Die Rasselbande preschool is a non-profit German immersion preschool for children from two to five years of age. We offer a play-based program that attends to the whole child, enriching and supporting each child's experience and development. Summer programs might be offered depending on interest. https://www.dierasselbande.com/home
Adult Classes:
If you would like to learn German to help your child with their German language learning, to travel or just for fun, take a look at these local resources:
Grossmont College offers German classes year-round. For more information please write to: aronke12@gmail.com
Grossmont also offers a German 4 program for students with prior German knowledge to receive their Foreign Language College Credit.
Study in Germany:
Interested to study in Germany?
Germany has many different kinds of universities that offer courses in German and in English. Most of them have no or very low course fees. Please visit : DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) to find out more.
