Germany

The Goethe-Institut PASCH Initiative

The 'Schools: Partners for the Future' (PASCH) initiative creates a global network of more than 2,000 PASCH schools with particular ties to Germany. The Goethe-Institut supports around 600 PASCH schools in the national education systems of over 100 countries.

The Goethe-Institut support schools worldwide to provide quality German tuition and promote the advanced professional training and qualification of teachers of German. The Goethe-Institut offers language courses ranging from general German courses to prevocational language courses that include online courses and autonomous learning programs.

Guiding Principles and Goals

PASCH is organized according to four guiding principles:

Prospects through education
Broadened horizons through multilingualism
Access to language and education, and
Joint tackling of future problems as an international community of learners

Lynfield College has been part of the PASCH initiative for several years. Students have the opportunity to apply for scholarships to travel to Germany (a three-week language course) or Wellington (a three-day immersion course) as well as receiving language certificates across levels A1-B1.

EXCHANGE STORIES
Deevya Shah | Year 12

June / July 2023, I and six others from New Zealand were told we had received the awesome opportunity to visit Bremen, Germany, on a fully funded scholarship known as the PASCH Scholarship. We set out on our journey in late June, excited to open new doors.

Bremen was indeed a wonderful time where I met people from many different countries and also had the chance to improve my German through daily German classes. I made so many new friends and experienced German culture first hand. The best part was visiting the city with my friends. We visited many local shops and tried typical German sweets/dishes like Döner kebab, Stracciatella ice cream, authentic Bremen chocolates and Spätzele. We also talked to the locals and visited art galleries, the immigration museum, local shops, the Bremen Cathedral, Bremer Stadtmusikanten, Bremerhaven and Cuxhaven.

Oh yeah, I also learned some cool German expressions like "digga" and "paßt scho" as well as different dance styles like Cha Cha Cha, Salsa and Rumba after classes! Bremen was really the highlight of 2023, and honestly, it felt way too short! I would love to do it all again.

Michael Shand | Year 12

It was an incredible honour to receive the PASCH-Jugendkurs Scholarship, which allowed me to study German in Germany for three weeks alongside six other students from New Zealand.

We were assigned roommates from different countries. Mine were from Mongolia and Brazil. Classes ran from 9.00 am to 3.00 pm on weekdays, but we also enjoyed a variety of activities, such as a scavenger hunt, visiting a sky tower, bowling, making a German music video, and exploring Germany’s stunning architecture.

While the events were exciting, my favourite memories stemmed from the friendships I formed. They hosted themed parties and cultural evenings, showcasing our countries through singing and dancing. If you ask me what my favourite part of the trip was, I’d say it was the amazing people I met.

If you’re studying German, I highly recommend applying for this scholarship. It's a life-changing experience!

GERMAN IMMERSION DAYS

Saima Rao | Year 13

The German Immersion days in Wellington took place over the weekend, where I got to meet many other German learning students from all over New Zealand.

The weekend consisted of various activities, such as learning German songs, traditional dances, and getting to prepare a classic German dinner. This was such an amazing opportunity for me to enhance my language skills, make new friends from across the country, and gain new experiences with the language itself!

I really enjoyed this trip as I got the chance to immerse myself in German culture and learn so much about it. To anyone studying German, I would highly recommend applying for this scholarship next year!

GERMAN LANGUAGE WEEK

This year was the first time that Lynfield College has celebrated German language week. During this week the year 10 students made word posters about common phrases, numbers, places, foods and colors in German. We also had workshops during break, games for students and quizzes for the staff. Some of the year 12 and 13 students gave presentations to Lynfield College staff.