Dear German Teacher,
The letter below was designed to provide a “comfort level” to administrators regarding our visitation program.
Our visitation program is divided into two distinct phases:
1. The hosting of Germans in the American schools in the spring and allowing them to observe in the classroom for what amounts to 2 weeks. (This is the only phase that involves any American High School, just the granting of “visitation privileges.”)
2. If a U.S. participant, with approval from his/her parent, decides to return the visit in the summer to the German partner whom he/she hosted in the spring, that decision would not involve the American school whatsoever.
School Year 2025-2026
Dear Administrator,
The Friendship Connection, Inc. is an affordable, three week, home-to-home visitation program for high school students in the United States and Germany. Last year 54 administrators across the country gave permission for their school to participate on our program. We are extremely grateful for the cooperation and support our program receives from administrators and German teachers throughout the U.S.
The three week visit usually occurs over spring break, so once you subtract the two travel days, weekends and spring break, the German visitors are only observing in the U.S. school for what amounts to 10 days or so. The German participants will be in the U.S. this year from March 23rd – April 15th, 2026. The participating schools simply grant visitation privileges to the Germans in the spring; that is the extent of any school’s involvement in our program! The German visitors are not required to enroll in the school, do not receive or transfer any grades, observe in the classrooms and participate in class when appropriate.
If parents decide to allow their children to visit Germany in the summer, when the U.S. school is out of session, that is strictly a matter between the participating families and The Friendship Connection, Inc.
We are extremely proud of the fact that The Friendship Connection has been in existence since 1981 and has had nearly 33,850 participants from Germany and the United States during the last 44 years.
If any administrator has questions concerning our program, please call or email me.
Sincerely,
Krista Winzer-Lee, Coordinator
The Friendship Connection, Inc.