Karolinen-Gymnasium celebrates German-French student exchange!

Karolinen-Gymnasium celebrates German-French student exchange!

On May 22nd, the official reception took place in the new building of the Karolinen-Gymnasium, which celebrated the warm encounter between students from the twin town of Colombes and the town of Frankenthal. Alderman and head of school Bernd Leidig warmly welcomed the French guests on behalf of the city. The event was organized by the city administration's schools department and aimed to promote intercultural exchange. The participants not only received a warm welcome, but were also offered an exciting program.

The students of the Karolinen-Gymnasium experienced a digital city rally through Frankenthal using the Actionbound app. But that was just the beginning. The visit to the historic city of Heidelberg with a boat trip on the Neckar and the trip to Schwetzingen Castle provided unforgettable impressions. An underground tour in Mannheim and an excursion to Frankfurt, during which the stock exchange and the European Central Bank were visited, rounded off the varied program.

New friendships and insights into everyday life

What was particularly pleasing was the opportunity for the host families to undertake activities together with the French students. This not only led to new friendships, but also to deep insights into everyday life in the twin city. The school partnership between the Karolinen-Gymnasium and the Institut Jeanne d'Arc has been an integral part of the town partnership between Frankenthal and Colombes since 1958. The exchange makes a decisive contribution to strengthening the German-French friendship and deepening mutual understanding, which also promotes the intercultural skills of the participants.

Such an exchange has many advantages: it not only promotes language skills, but also expands cultural understanding. According to the information from tausch-macht-schule.org, the German-French Youth Office (DFJW) offers exchange programs for different age groups. These range from individual exchanges for students in grades 8 to 11 to programs for entire classes and offers for young adults.

A look beyond borders

The DFJW also recently hosted an exciting project where the Generation Europe class of 2025 had the opportunity to speak with Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank. In the presence of Ambassador François Delattre, participants were able to ask questions and express their visions. The exchange lasted 45 minutes and was characterized by interesting discussions about innovations and their financing. Such events are not only a great opportunity for students and young adults, but also underline the importance of Franco-German relations, as dfjw.org reports.

Overall, the implementation of such exchange programs shows how valuable personal encounters are. The paths between Germany and France are diverse and constantly moving. These activities not only promote understanding among young people, they also open doors for future collaborations and friendships across borders.