By Erin Freeman | Erin.freeman@lynnwoodtimes.com
March 3- Meadowdale High School has been chosen as a German American Partnership Program (GAPP) School of Distinction, winning a nationwide award that celebrates schools in the United States for their long-term commitment and outstanding partnership in student exchange. Meadowdale is one of few to receive the school plaque award.
Meadowdale High School Principal, David Shockley, officially received the plaque from the school’s GAPP coordinator, Sean Griffin, Thursday, March 5.
“We are very proud to award our GAPP School of Distinction to Meadowdale High School,” said GAPP Executive Director, Molly Rowland, in a press release. “With this recognition we highlight and celebrate the school’s dedication to student growth, inclusion of global perspectives, and celebrate the endless work of everyone who is involved in the GAPP exchange.”
GAPP is an assistance program that supports schools and teachers by helping them organize and navigate the structure of student exchanges between the United States and Germany.
Meadowdale High School’s GAPP program started in 2003, partnering with Carl-Bantzer Schule High School in Schwalmstadt, Germany. In 2007 the school began working with their current sister school- Wilhelmsgymnasium, a secondary school focused on advanced education, in Kassel, Germany.
Meadowdale High School recently visited Kassel during the summer of 2019, following Wilhelmsgymnasium students’ visit to Edmonds/Lynnwood in 2018. Over the past 17 years, 300 German and American students have participated in exchanges between Meadowdale High School and sister schools.
Griffin says that the Meadowdale GAPP program builds powerful connections between the people and participating communities involved.
“The German American Partnership Program at Meadowdale High School allows so many students to have their perspective on the world and their own lives broadened, and many of the families that have participated have formed long-term friendships with their respective partner families,” said Griffin. “Some of our participants have also gone on to study in Germany and even work in Germany after college.” To learn more about GAPP, visit www.goethe.de/gapp.
Author: Mario Lotmore
