Springfield, IL – A group of 18 German exchange students will call Springfield High School home for the next few weeks.

The foreign exchange students are taking part in the German-American Partnership Program (GAPP) and will live with other Springfield High School German students until October 19. Their host families and school officials greeted the group during a welcome reception held last night at Springfield High School.

The visiting students will be required to attend school and maintain academic achievement as if they were at their home schools. The group will also have the opportunity to explore the culture of the city and parts of the Midwest with planned field trips to Chicago, St. Louis and area Lincoln sites.

The GAPP is a non-profit high school exchange program between schools in Germany and the United States, sponsored by the German Foreign Office and by the US Department of State. The main objective of the Program is the integration of students into the everyday life of host families and into the classroom activities of host schools to provide them with a coherent intercultural experience.