German American Partnership Program
50 Years of transatlantic friendships

Through five decades and over 400,000 participants, GAPP has faced many challenges: Its humble beginnings in the early 1970s, the Fall of the Berlin Wall, and more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the adversity, GAPP has continually provided a life-changing experience to thousands of students, teachers, and hosts. We have selected several eras that defined the program and highlight how resilient GAPP has been to the test of time.

Germans are usually not famous for being overly outgoing. However, quite the contrary can be the case. Salim Fayeq shares his viewpoints on German personality and the power of language from his exchange experience in 2015.

When Lynn Wood settled down in rural Minnesota, she told her children stories about one of her favorite countries to visit: Germany. When her daughters signed up to participate in a GAPP exchange, the Wood family volunteered their home to host German students. 

To say Miles Johnson has a gift for languages would be an understatement. The young engineer speaks multiple languages. We sat down with him and talked about trust in teenagers, eating habits and why keeping an open mind can only be of personal advantage.

In an Ask me Anything, students across the U.S. are invited to join authors Fatma Aydemir and Mohamed Amjahid as they discuss identity, belonging and what it means to come of age in Germany and the U.S.

On Wednesday night, April 6, GAPP alumni, coordinators and hosts gathered for the first get-together in 2022. GAPP is celebrating its 50th birthday this year. Implemented in 1972, it grew to be the biggest bilateral exchange program between Germany and the U.S.