What do Canadians think about Germany? Find out for yourself when you start an intercultural dialogue with Canadian high school students.
Are you a student from Germany attending a Canadian university?
Would you love to meet some young Canadians to see how your host country really ticks? Want to look at Germany through other people’s eyes? Here is your chance! Visit a Canadian classroom. Junior high and high school students are thrilled to welcome you to their school. Talk about everyday life in Germany, your hobbies, interests and dreams. Start a dialogue about history and culture. Improve your cross-cultural communication skills. Play the role of a civic ambassador for your home country.
We won’t burden you with hours of planning for this project. You simply let us know how much time you have available -- we’ll hook you up with a school that fits your needs. You can visit a school for one period or stay the whole day. You can visit one school, you can visit many schools. It’s completely up to you!
We offer:
Travel fees for school visits
An introductory workshop covering topics like cross-cultural communication skills and the Canadian school system
A volunteer certificate.
Curious? Contact us and we’ll provide you with further information.
FAQ
Basically every German student enrolled at a Canadian university can participate. Teaching experience is not required. You’re only expected to have an interest in your host country and to be open to a cross-cultural exchange of ideas and perspectives. You should enjoy talking about everyday life in Germany or German politics, culture, and history.
You can freely determine the focus of the topic you’d like to share: you can report on your field of study, a hobby, or a specific experience. The only requirement is that you give qualified information, and enjoy meeting Canadian junior high or high school students. This also means you should be open to a Canadian perspective on the topic you’d like to talk about. The school lesson should not only inform, but also make a dialogue possible.
A Canadian teacher will consult you in regards to arranging the school visit. The structure of the lesson is open-ended. On the application form you can specify if you’d like to give a short talk, lead a discussion, or be interviewed. You could also offer a workshop on composing a piece of music, arrange a dance with them, or give a cooking demonstration – anything interactive is fine!
You can participate in the program as often as you like. One class usually takes approximately 75 minutes, so you can easily visit two classes in one day.
Students from Ontario (except Ottawa), Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, and Yukon should contact the Goethe-Institut Toronto. Students from Quebec, Ottawa, Nunavut, and the Atlantic provinces should contact the Goethe-Institut Montreal. The Goethe-Institut also offers an introductory workshop. Topics to be covered are methods of cross-cultural communication skills, the Canadian school system, and teaching techniques.
Go to the registration form for students on this page. Complete it online and send it off. We’ll try to find suitable classes/teachers for you who will then contact you via email.
Please fill out a feedback form. Upon completion of a visit participants will receive a volunteer certificate and be reimbursed for their travel expenses.
