Award "WiR! School" & "WiR! Kindergarten"
Many local schools located near U.S. military installations consider themselves independent actors to promote the German-American (intercultural) communication among young people by maintaining partnerships with Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Schools. We honor the schools’ commitments to facilitate encounters between German and American students to promote the mutual understanding by awarding the certificate “WiR!-Schule“ (“WiR! School“), with WiR! (we in English) standing for our state program “Willkommen in Rheinland-Pfalz!".
The certificate was initiated in 2019 and is bound to the duration of one school year. It is tied to an active cooperation, a minimum number of joint activities, as well as the mutual fulfilment of certain criteria. Many schools and kindergartens already met the requirements and have received the award in the past.
We proudly present our "WiR! Schools" and "WiR! Kindergarten" with a brief description of their exchange projects!
BurgGymnasium Kaiserslautern - Kaiserslautern High School
In the course of both schools' development, a school delegation from the BurgGymnasium Kaiserslautern visited the Kaiserslautern High School (KHS), which was followed by a return visit of a school executive delegation from the KHS to the BurgGymnasium. During these visits, the delegations were informed about the educational structural and the pedagogical concepts of their respective partner school. The school management also used the opportunity for personal exchange and discussed a variety of cooperation opportunities.
In order to further develop the pedagogical and professional competence of the teachers, evaluation and feedback from the other side proved a useful supplement to individual training. Given this context and considering that colleagues from different school types and school systems can learn from each other, teachers sat in on each other's classes. For instance, teachers from KHS attended biology classes at the BurgGymnasium after a colleague from the BurgGymnasium gained insight into the science class at KHS. Further reciprocal visits in other subjects are being coordinated for each school year.
Realschule plus Birkenfeld - Baumholder Middle/High School
The partnership between the Baumholder Middle & High School and the Realschule Plus Birkenfeld has existed since 2001. Mutual visits and projects are carried out several times (usually 4 times) in each school year. Each school attends the partner school for a day and observes a class. Student partners are assigned in advance with the help of an introductory letter exchange. The partners welcome their guest students on the day of the visit. They exchange presents, attend classes & eat lunch together and engage in conversations. Cooperative teaching projects take place with mixed student groups. Evaluation discussions conclude the visits. Photos are taken and addresses exchanged.
They visit each other several times a year to observe foreign-language lectures and presentations, followed by feedback and joint assessment by "native speakers". Intercultural days were held several times during the summer: barbecues at Birkenfeld Castle and at Birkenfeld/Brücken fish pond including games and sports, Birkenfeld city rally (questions, explorations and location-based assignments in mixed groups with a subsequent award ceremony and social gathering). Events from other cultures were attended (sporting events, acrobatic musicals, school parties).
First, letters of introduction are exchanged and the first visits to the secondary school in Birkenfeld take place. Usually, a total of around 20 American and 20 German students take part, cook, bake German Christmas cookies and create "German gingerbread houses" in mixed groups, which are voted on and placed in a challenge. Contacts and meetings outside of class are made. This is more than just a partnership for all participants. Students and teachers LIVE this friendship!
Reichswald-Gymnasium Ramstein-Miesenbach - Ramstein Middle School
The exchange program between the Reichswald-Gymnasium Ramstein-Miesenbach and the Ramstein Middle School first took place in 2008. Here's a short introduction to the activities: 8th grade students from the Reichswald-Gymnasium and 7th/8th grade students from the Ramstein Middle School create profiles in their respective foreign language which are exchanged with their counterparts. Great care is taken to find pairs that have common interests and may even live nearby. After the students receive their partner's profile, they get in touch by email.
Besides that, there are also icebreaker events like a bowling afternoon at the bowling alley on Ramstein Air Base. The participating students are accompanied by their parents as well as the teachers.
Students from the Reichswald-Gymnasium visit their partners at the Ramstein Middle School and spend a school day with them. The day starts with a short group breakfast and at lunch break, the parents of the American students serve a delicious buffet of typical American dishes before the German students take part in class with their partner. The German teachers sit in on classes and observe the various subjects. This way, they are able to get their own impression of the American way of teaching as well as seeing their students being in class with their partners. Afterward, the American students show their partners around and explain everything about their school day.
There have been return visits of the American students of Ramstein Middle School to the Reichswald-Gymnasium starting with a joint breakfast. American students then attend classes with their German partners and take an active part in them. The DoDEA teachers and the accompanying American parents also observe the lessons in which the American students take part. German students and their parents then organize a lunch of typical German dishes to share. The German students then show their partners the school building during the breaks and explain them everything.
St.-Willibrord-Gymnasium Bitburg & St. Matthias-Schule Bitburg - Spangdahlem High School
For the kick-off on February 4, 2025, the German students from grades 10 and 11 of the St.-Willibrord-High School and St. Matthias-School visited the High School in Spangdahlem.
On February 21, 2025, American students visited the St. Matthias-School and the St.-Willibrord-High School; in both cases they did a tour of the school, went to class together, did sports, and had lunch together.
On March 24, 2025, students participated in a “Volunteer Day” at the airbase, beginning with a visit to the post station where they gained insight into logistical processes and the importance of communication for soldiers and their families. They then toured the Air Force control rooms and tower with views over the Eifel and departing fighter jets, observed a working dog training session, and concluded the day with a shared meal at the high school.
On May 19, 2025, students celebrated “Community Day” in Biersdorf am See with a traditional German hiking day and an excursion to Lake Bitburg, starting with a relaxed walk around the reservoir followed by a shared breakfast. The highlight was pedal boating in small German-American groups, and the trip marked the perfect conclusion to a wonderful exchange year. Overall, the exchange was an exciting and impressive experience.
Genossenschaftliches Gymnasium Speicher - Spangdahlem Middle School
In the 2025–26 school year, the Genossenschaftliches Gymnasium Speicher was in the very fortunate position to engage in a close exchange with Spangdahlem Middle School on Spangdahlem Air Base.
Under the experienced leadership of Ms. Evelyn Hettler (GGS) and Ms. Diane Schottler (SMS), the eighth-grade classes of both schools developed a meaningful connection, which culminated in three visits and a pen pal program. On September 18, 2025, students from the Gymnasium visited the Middle School and enjoyed a guided tour of both the school and the air base. A particular highlight was the visit to the control tower at the airfield, where students were given insight into the technology and operations behind airport management.
Students wrote several letters to one another, introducing themselves, their hobbies, and their everyday lives. These letters deepened their connection and made the reunion on March 5, 2026, at the Middle School even more meaningful. After participating in warm-up activities and brain teaser games, the German students were invited to attend classes alongside their American pen pals, experiencing firsthand the differences between the two school systems. Meanwhile, the accompanying new teachers, Mr. Holger Steven-Lewen and Ms. Ina Wester, were given a guided tour of the school.
The return visit of the American group to the Gymnasium took place on March 19, 2026. During their stay, the German students showed their American pen pals around their school and invited them to participate in lessons, including chemistry and performing arts.
At the same time, this exchange and the pen pal program have led to a further opportunity: the Gymnasium has been invited to take part in a soccer tournament on base, and preparations for this event are already well underway.
