Meet US
- Translation:
- Deutsche Version
An American Meet US speaker at a High School in Berlin-Koepenick
Meet US - Americans in Dialogue with Young Germans about Life in the U.S.A.
What is the American Dream?
What do Americans think about Germany?
How does the U.S. election system work?
What does a typical school day in the U.S. look like?
Americans only eat fast food.
Americans are very superficial.
Americans don't care about the environment.
These are some typical questions and preconceptions that young Germans have about the United States. The Meet US program is designed to help clarify the picture by bringing Americans – U.S. citizens from all backgrounds of life residing in Germany, as well as U.S. Embassy/Consulate staff – together with secondary school students in Germany to engage them in a dialogue about everyday life in the United States. The goal is to answer questions and clear up misconceptions German youth have about the U.S.
The program is an important part of the cultural outreach activities of the U.S. Embassy and Consulates. It reaches out to all secondary schools in Germany. This program is free of cost to the schools.
How Does the Program Work?
The American guest speakers meet with the students at their schools to talk about anything that helps give them an impression on “how the Americans tick”. The intention is not to focus primarily on current policy issues, but rather to offer a first-hand, personal look on social, historical or cultural aspects of the United States and the interests and aspirations of Americans. While the discussions can be tailored to complement the school curriculum, the visits are not structured as formal lectures, but rather offer the opportunity for an open and direct dialogue between the guest speakers and the students. The speakers usually start with a short introduction and then open the floor to discussion and questions. The discussions may be conducted in either English or German.
How to Request Guest Speaker for a School Visit
The Public Affairs Sections of the U.S. Embassy Berlin and the U.S. Consulates in Germany coordinate the program. Interested schools should contact the below listed program coordinator at the Embassy or Consulate responsible for their region using the request form (in German) to request a visit by an American guest speaker.
American Speaker Volunteers Welcome!
Any interested American living or studying in 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 program coordinator at the embassy or the consulate in their area listed below for more information and to sign up.
Meet US Program Coordinators
Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia
U.S. Embassy Berlin - Public Affairs
Section
Ms. Heike Mead
Pariser Platz 2
14191 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
Dr. Nina Gartz
Königinstraße 5
80539 Munich
Email: MeetUS-munich@usconsulate.de
Bremen,
Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein
U.S. Consulate General Hamburg - Public
Affairs Section
Meet US Coordinator
Alsterufer 27-28
20354 Hamburg
Email: MeetUS-hamburg@usconsulate.de
North Rhine-Westphalia
U.S. Consulate General Düsseldorf - Public
Affairs Section
Ms. Jutta Tatzelt
Willi-Becker-Allee 10
40227 Düsseldorf