Hosted by Colgate University's German Department, CNY AATG President Kevin Quinn presented on  updates from the AATG about the National German Conference (Boston, July 11-14, 2026),  grants, advocacy tools, student travel opportunities all through the AATG.

There was continued discussion of a local CNY German teaching database that will be opened to the members to edit. This will provide a list of where German is taught in all CNY region secondary and post secondary educational institutions, and allow for continued advocacy.  In that vein, we discussed collaboration between colleges and universities and secondary schools and the benefits for helping both types of programs. (Spreadsheet below)

German-American Partnership Programs 

in CNY High Schools 2024:

Mexico High School GAPP:

12 students and 2 teachers from Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany visited Mexico, NY as a part of their GAPP Exchange. The group was here for 3 weeks in October and attended classes with their host siblings at Mexico High School, as well as traveled to SUNY Oswego, Syracuse University, Skaneateles, and Niagara Falls!

Frühlingstreffen, 4. Mai, 2024 

Binghamton University

This spring, we met at Binghamton University and were visited by the Österreichische Kulturforum New York, where they informed us about opportunities for us and our students who want to learn more about Austria in the classroom, as well as what they offer in New York City. Afterwards, we had a collaborative discussion on our experience with AI, as well as the pros and cons of AI. We also tried out a few different AI sites, such as ChatGPT, Diffit, and Sonu. 

Herbsttreffen 2023

New President Mike Kaefer presented with Vice President Kevin Quinn’s assistance an overview of the benefits of running a German Club in either the college or secondary level of German instruction.  Members added suggestions and were given interactive examples of icebreaker German Club activities.  Members were challenged to create the tallest tower using toothpicks and Gummibärchen. 

Mike then made Spätzle while Julie Mugavero gave instruction in Fenstersterne as a German Club activity.  Lunch was Mike's Spätzle!

Gute Nachrichten 2023:

German-American Partnership Programs 

in CNY High Schools 2023:

Mexico High School GAPP:

This February, 14 students from Mexico High School embarked on their first post-Covid GAPP exchange. The group was led by chaperones Kevin Quinn, Mona Goble, and Shannon Bigelow. They stayed in Schneverdingen, Germany with host families for 10 days, attended class at the KGS Schneverdingen, and then traveled to Hamburg, Berlin, Vienna, Munich, Oberammergau, Neuschwanstein, and drove through the Alps.

Plattsburgh High School GAPP:

German teacher Jessica Klimkiewicz successfully pulled off their first post-Covid German Exchange with 6 German students from Rastede (Niedersachsen) visiting in the Fall, and 5 high-school, 2 middle-school & 2 elementary-school students visiting Rastede in the Spring.  These schools have been running this exchange program for over 30 years! 

Vestal GAPP:

The school year began with German students visiting Vestal in the fall and staying with VHS students. In the sprisng, it was the VHS students' turn! Here's more from VHS German Teacher Michael Kaefer...

"The trip was part of the German American Partnership Program sponsored by the US and German governments. A total of 23 students went on the exchange, and we traveled from April 7 - 24. We visited our partners in Ingolstadt, Germany, in Bavaria. Students toured the cities of Munich, Nuremberg, Bonn, Cologne, Dachau, and the castle Neuschwanstein. The students really loved being with their partners and the food in Germany. A lot of students tried the Döner Kebab, which is a German specialty. That is something we learn in German class, and students were also fascinated at how different soda was in Germany! The students also enjoyed separate activities on the weekends with their host families, like visiting a water park or a neighboring city. 

Fayetteville-Manlius receives Awards for 2023 National German Exam

Undergrad Research Turning into Action: Stolperstein für Otto Heimann/Bob Hyman, June 5, 2023, Bochum-Langendreer, Germany

Courtney Conte, German minor, presented her research about Otto Heimann/Bob Hyman to the Bochumer Stadtarchiv in January 2023 and to the wider community at Syracuse University in April 2023. The Stolperstein for Otto Heimann was laid on June 5, 2023 in Bochum-Langendreer, Germany by Gunter Demnig after a commemoration celebration that was based on Courtney's work, prepared by a school class in Bochum that she worked with, and attended by Bob Hyman's Canadian family members

Frühlingstreffen 

1.4.2023, Cornell University

Herbst Treffen 17.9.22

Presented by President Dr. Mona Eikel-Pohen, CNY AATG members were given via a Zoom meeting excellent classroom strategies for teaching pronunciation.  Mona has spent intensive time learning about voice acting and best classroom practices for pronunciation.  Her presentation involved ways to warm up the vocal chords, how best to teach the pronunciation of  German consonants, vowels, diphthongs,  as well as the most challenging words for non-native speakers of German. She will present this to the national AATG. Instructors came away with strategies and ideas that can be put to use on Monday!

Gute Nachrichten 2022!

In April, five local German students won scholarships of $800 from the Central New York German American Society.  These scholarships were given based on students' commitment to continue to study German in college, acceptance to college for the fall of 2022, as well as overall grades and application letters.  Students gave short speeches in both English and German thanking the CNY G.A.S.

Fayetteville-Manlius: Mexico : Onondaga Central:

Jame Hoehner Carolyn Zedack Nicholas Toomey

Lucas Gascon Lauren Salisbury

News from SUNY Oswego's German Program:

SUNY Oswego graduate, Michelle DiBlasio, who spent last academic year in Austria on a Fulbright will stay another year in Austria teaching English in a school near Vienna.  Upon return to the USA next year, Michelle plans to teach German in a high school in New York state.

Seal of Biliteracy

Three German students from Mexico CS and two from Fayetteville Manlius achieved the Seal of Biliteracy in the spring of this year.

Mexico Central School's Kevin Quinn, Tyler Warner, Carolyn Zedack, and Ryan Liedka and teacher Mona Goble.

FM Students win medals in the 2022 National German Exam

Fayetteville-Manlius High School German students won:

5 gold,  9 silver and 3 bronze medals.

At the middle Schools, Wellwood  won 2 Silver, 1 Bronze and Eagle Hill students won  4 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze.

CNY AATG Frühlingstreffen: 9. März, 2022

CNY AATG members welcomed presenter, Cynthia Chalupa,  Professor at West Virginia University, Chapter President of the West Virginia AATG, AATG National Exam Advisory Board Member and AP German  Language and Culture Development Committee, to our meeting.  Dr. Chalupa convincingly presented the benefits of the NGE and its alignment with the AP German Exam.    Her slide show and handout are attached in this post.

Post secondary teachers met in a break-out room to discuss current teaching struggles and advocacy strategies as our programs continue to be threatened. 

CNY AATG 2021 Erfolge:

27. Mai, 2021

Fayetteville-Manlius High School, Wellwood and Eagle Hill Middle Schools had multiple winners of Gold, Silver and Bronze medals in the National German Exams this year:

CNY AATG Frühlingstreffen 2021

13 March 10:00

Frau Alston vom Goethe-Institut New York leitete einen Workshop zum Thema Phonetik- und Aussprachetraining.  

Elena Alston studierte an der Universität Tübingen Deutsch und Englisch auf Lehramt und unterrichtete dort nach ihrem Abschluss für die Abteilung Deutsch als Fremdsprache. Seit 2016 lebt sie in den USA und ist am Goethe-Institut New York tätig. Neben dem Unterricht auf allen Niveaustufen, liegt der Fokus ihrer Arbeit im Bereich der Fortbildung des Kollegiums, sowie der Ausbildung neuer Lehrkräfte. 

In unserem Workshop ginen wir der Frage nach, wie Phonetik- und Aussprachetraining in einen handlungsorientierten Fremdsprachenunterricht integriert werden kann. Wir schauten hierfür auf aktuelle Ansätze und überlegen, wie sich diese in unserem eigenen Unterricht umsetzen lassen. Das Ziel des Workshops war es, gemeinsam Ideen zu entwickeln, die schon in der nächsten Unterrichtseinheit als gelungenes Phonetik- und Aussprachetraining eingesetzt werden könnten.