Forty years of youth exchanges with the US

The exchange program also includes a visit to Hampton University, one of the first universities to open its doors to African Americans after the abolition of slavery, and a tour of one of Virginia Beach’s biggest employers, the German company Stihl, which shows young visitors the various career opportunities it offers. Virginia Beach is home to the First Landing State Park, where the colonization of the North American continent first began. Jamestown on the Elizabeth River was the first permanent European settlement. Colonial Williamsburg, the largest living history museum in the US, and the American Revolution Museum offer visitors an immersive north American history experience.

Lifelong friendship

But it is contact with peers from the other country that makes this exchange so special for the young participants. “My daughter Meret met Maggie through the exchange. It was a meeting of soulmates. Since they met five years ago, barely a day has gone by when they haven’t been in touch,” reports one mother enthusiastically. “The two young women, now both college students, recently met halfway in Iceland,” adds Axel Wiese, who has been organizing and supporting the German side of the exchange program for DAG for several years. “Any student over 15 who has a sufficient command of English can participate. Students stay with host families, so they’re supposed to communicate a lot. It’s a concept that benefits everyone,” explains DAG President Imke Oltmanns.

Give and take for the transatlantic exchange

Organizing the youth exchange involves a lot of voluntary work. This is why the organization expects participants to be members of the DAG for at least two years and also to host US students, since it is a reciprocal exchange that takes place on an annually rotating basis. Alongside the youth exchange, the young members can also join in networking activities or take part in events such as the traditional Thanksgiving dinner in late November. Turkey, sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, and cranberry sauce, with brownies and ice-cream for dessert – the festive meal is celebrated just as it is on the other side of the pond. This is where current exchange participants can meet former program participants and share stories. “And at every Thanksgiving dinner, something special is organized. Last year, for example, members of the Wilhelmshaven baseball club explained the complex rules of the game in a really striking and interesting way," adds Imke Oltmanns.

A reunion on the East Coast

In addition to the youth exchange, an adult exchange is also being planned for 2023 under the direction of well-known USA specialist Dr Wolfgang Grams of Oldenburg. For many years now, Dr Grams has organized trips to the United States that follow the trail of German immigrants, especially those from north-western Germany. The current itinerary for the next trip to the East Coast is New York City via Washington, Norfolk, and Charleston to Atlanta, including a three-day stay with friends in Norfolk.