Thirteen students and three faculty members will travel to Dusseldorf, Germany, at the end of the month, marking the first-ever cultural exchange between Darlington School and St. Ursula Gymnasium. In October, 13 German students will visit Darlington.
“We’ll stay with families, go to classes, teach a few lessons and take lots of field trips to museums and other sites like the United Nationals, the American Consulate and the Parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia,” said English teacher Mitchell Maddox, coordinator of the exchange program. “When the German students come here, they will stay with families, attend classes, visit the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Ala., and take a couple of trips to Atlanta.”
The Darlington group will leave Atlanta May 29 and arrive in Dusseldorf on May 30. They will spend the afternoon with host students and their families before enjoying a Welcome Dinner at St. Ursula Gymnasium to officially launch the Global Classroom program. They will spend Monday morning at school with host students and have lunch at the Art Academy. Afterwards, they will tour the Old Town and learn about Dusseldorf’s history.
Tuesday will begin the same way with morning classes and lunch at the Art Academy. Then, the group will participate in photo scavenger hunt led by Maddox and fellow Darlington chaperone Bailey Duncan (’98), who teaches history. Upon finishing, they will have a barbeque at the River in Oberkassel and enjoy a jazz concert at the school.
On Wednesday, students will tour the Parliament of North Rhine-Westfalia, participate in a political discussion with a German American Parlimentarian Group, and learn about the country’s economy. They will have lunch at the Parliament before taking a boat tour to Kaiserswerth, Barbarossa’s Castle.
Thursday will be a free day to spend with host families. An optional tour of Wachtendonk and a bicycle tour along the River Rhine will be offered. On Friday, the group will travel to Bonn to visit the Haus der Geschichte Museum. They will then go to Boppard, where they will take a boat tour along the Rhine. They will also stop in Rudensheim on their way back to Dusseldorf.
Saturday will be a day to shop and explore Dusseldorf on foot. In the evening, the group will have the option to attend movies or go to the theater. The following day, students will attend church with their host families and have a free day.
On Monday, it’s back to school in the morning with lunch at the Art Academy. Afterwards, the group will travel to Cologne where they will visit the Cathedral of Cologne and take a walk along the Rhine through the Old Town. In the evening, the American Women’s Club of Dusseldorf and students there will host a barbeque for the group.
On Tuesday, they will travel back to Bonn where they will visit the United Nations and have lunch at the University of Bonn. After lunch, the group will take a walk through the Old Town and visit Beethoven House. Then, they will go back to Dusseldorf and participate in sports activities including beach volleyball and bowling.
Students will travel to Solingen on Wednesday to visit Schloss Burg Castle. They will then go to Neanderthal, where they will have a picnic lunch and visit the Museum Neanderthal and walk around the wildlife park. Afterwards, it’s back to Dusseldorf. On Thursday, students will start the day at school and have lunch at the Art Academy. That evening, the host families will throw a garden party at their homes in honor of their guests.
Friday will be the last full day in Dusseldorf. Students will begin the day at school, where the headmaster will bid them farewell. They will have free time in the afternoon, followed by a goodbye dinner with host students. The group will depart Dusseldorf on Saturday.
The idea for the exchange originated with Maddox, who built it from the ground up. When he first came to Darlington, Maddox taught a German student named Luca Schmidt-Bleibtreu (’08). The two kept in touch after Schmidt-Bleibtreu returned to Germany, and Maddox visited him during a trip to Europe. While there, he inquired about starting an exchange program between Darlington and St. Ursula Gymnasium, Schmidt-Bleibtreu’s alma mater in Germany.
“I met with the assistant headmaster and spoke with parents and student there,” Maddox said. “I soon realized that I had found a great school to start an exchange. They already do several exchanges with other countries including Brazil and France, and they had been looking for a program like this in the United States. This is also new for Darlington and unique in the State of Georgia, according to the Consulate General in Atlanta.”
Darlington students participating in the program are Cam Collins, Keenan Freyberg, Robert Kuckhoff, Harbin Peek, Rashard Perry, Melissa Picon, Avani Reddy, Bonnie Rowland, Theodore Summer, Jonathan Tierney, Rosie White, John Wilhoite and Mary Morgan Yancey.
