St. Augustine Preparatory School signed onto the PASCH initiative in May of 2009 and the program for German as a third language was implemented in the fall semester of the 2009-2010 school year. Already, the school has sent one teacher and one high school senior to programs in Germany. Our German teacher is receiving constant training and support. From September 2009 to February 2010, a German volunteer is at school to make sure the program gets off on the right start and our students learn first-hand about Germany and German culture.

(PASCH) stands for “Schools: Partners for the Future” and is a worldwide project of the German government to promote learning of German and German culture. Its aim is to establish a network of at least 1,000 partner schools spanning the globe and in so doing encourage young people to take an interest in and have an enthusiasm for modern Germany and its society. In 2008, additional funds amounting to 45 million Euros were made available to support the initiative. It is being coordinated by the German Foreign Office and implemented jointly with the Central Agency for Schools Abroad, the Goethe-Institut, the Educational Exchange Service of the Conference of State Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs, and the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (German Academic Exchange Service).

The network of German schools abroad and schools which offer the German Language Diploma is being strengthened and expanded. In addition, the working relationship between schools is being enhanced to ensure that German continues to be firmly established as a foreign language in national education systems. We want to build up active and long-term links to Germany and encourage the schools, their teaching staff and pupils to engage in an open exchange of ideas and work together. The initiative will therefore support many schools by offering a diversified program.

Along with additional educational measures, the initiative will help to ensure qualifications on a sustainable basis for both pupils and teachers. The initiative will therefore expand the capabilities of young people to study in Germany and in their subsequent professional careers. For alumni of German schools abroad and partner schools, the number of full scholarships to study in Germany will be doubled. The International Award Winners Program will enable even more foreign students to spend several weeks in Germany to experience the country for themselves in person.