Meet US

Visit to the Clay-Oberschule in Berlin

What is the American Dream?
What do Americans think about Germany?
Is there a person that you really admire, and why?
Have you ever been discriminated against?
How does the American election system work?
When does an American school day start, and when does it end?
How many of the 50 states in the U.S. have you visited?
What languages do Americans learn at school?
Do you drive to school or work?
Who is your favorite actor, singer, group?
Americans only eat fast food and everybody is overweight.
Americans are very superficial.

These are some typical questions  and preconceptions that young Germans have about the United States.  This program is designed to help clarify the picture by bringing Americans  – U.S. citizens from all backgrounds of life resident or visiting Germany, as well as U.S. Embassy/Consulate staff – together with secondary school students in Germany to engage them in dialogue about everyday life in the United States.  The speakers meet with the students at their schools to talk about anything that helps give the students an impression on “how the Americans tick”.  The intention is not to focus primarily on current policy issues, but rather to offer a dialogue on social, historical or cultural aspects of the United States and the interests and aspirations of Americans.

The visits are not structured as formal lectures, but rather an open and direct dialogue between the guest speakers and the students.  The speakers usually present a short overview of a particular subject relating to American society and culture or talk more generally about their lives (their jobs or job goals, the schools and universities they attended, their hometowns) and then open the floor to discussion and questions. In some cases, they may even have some questions of their own!  The discussions may be conducted in either English or German.

The Public Affairs Sections and Information Resource Centers of the U.S. Embassy Berlin and the U.S. Consulates in Germany coordinate the program.  They receive the requests from the schools, recruit the speakers and coordinate all administrative and logistical details.  They also have a whole range of support material available which the speakers may use in preparation for their visit, or as hand-outs to the students.

How to Request a School Visit

Speaker requests from interested schools should include

• desired date (requests should be made well in advance; please give alternate dates)

• Name, address and information about the school (type of school, special profiles, etc)

• the grade of the class

• number of participating students

• desired language (English or German)

• suggested or likely discussion topics

• the name and telephone number/email of a contact person at the school

The Embassy or Consulate will make travel arrangements for the speaker. There is no charge to the requesting school or institution.

Any interested American living in or visiting Germany is invited to volunteer as a speaker.  The only “requirement” is an open mind and the desire to give young Germans an impression of their life, customs and experiences.  While this program relies on volunteers willing to spare some of their time visiting the schools within their region, the embassy or respective consulate covers the travel cost for these visits.  Americans interested in volunteering as a speaker should contact the embassy or consulate in their area for more information and to sign up.

Requests and inquiries should be directed to the following addresses:

Berlin and Brandenburg
U.S. Embassy Berlin - Public Affairs Section
Ms. Heike Mead
Clayallee 170
14195 Berlin
Email: MeetUS-berlin@usembassy.de

Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland
U.S. Consulate General Frankfurt - Public Affairs Section
Mr. Gerhard Wiesinger
Gießener Str. 30
60435 Frankfurt am Main
Email: MeetUS-frankfurt@usconsulate.de

Bavaria
U.S. Consulate General Munich - Public Affairs Section
Ms. Nina Gartz