Orientation Pt II: Stuttgart

The second part of the orientation occurred in Stuttgart and served as our introduction to the GIZ and all of our contacts for our time in Germany.  Day 1 we had introductions, and did activities to adjust for jetlag (soccer, meditation-esque activities, and eating).  

We were lucky and stayed at the Schloss Waldthausen, which is essentially a converted castle/estate that is used for training and seminars (banking specifically).  We stayed in individual rooms at the guest dorms.

Meeting GIZ and learning about PPP (hopefully you can see on the slide what that means)

a game of soccer to stay active and awake until the evening

at night we could hear the music escaping from a violin and piano duo's concert. The audience was in suits and nice dresses; the performance was filmed for German TV.

The "castle" had a basement filled with ping-pong, pool, and German bowling.

Another view

In the morning we will cover more program details and then bus to our language school sites. My host, Manuel, will pick me up at some point and show me my new home and Cologne.  It is 5 minutes from school and in the heart of downtown.

Program Overview

Schedule:
3 days in DC - US orientation
3 days in Stuttgart - German-led orientation
2 months in Carl Duisberg Centren language school
  - In Cologne, Saarbrucken, or Radolfzell
  - I will be in Cologne
4 months in University
  - Anywhere in Germany, varies based on interest
  - I will be somewhere in the Saarland
  - must complete 40hrs of volunteering
3 day Mid-year seminar
5 months working an internship
  - German GIZ can help, but it is up to individual to find a job in their field
2 weeks travel time
1 day in NYC -debrief


Basic Info:
I am participating in the Congress-Bundestag Young Exchange for Young Professionals Fellowship.  The program aims to strengthen German and US relations through an exchange of individuals between 18-24 years of age.  It is funded by Congress and the German Parliament (Bundestag).  75 people participate from American and Germany in an 11.5 month experience aimed at developing professional opportunities, friendships and understanding between Germany and America.

Who Operates:
The US side of the program (interviews through DC) is handled by Cultural Vistas and CBYX.  This team selects and prepares american participants and sees them on their way until they reach Germany.  Once the Americans are in Germany, they work on preparing experiences for the 75 selected Germans who visit the US.

The German side of the program is handled by the GIZ (German equivalent of State Department in this case) and the PPP program. PPP essentially ends up meaning parliamentary godparent program, because parliamentary representatives play a more direct role in selecting German participants and meeting with American visitors.

Who is Eligible:
Individuals between 18-24 who have clear career goals and have enrolled in a form of secondary education. There are accountants, engineers, agricultural researchers, chefs, mechanics, public policy majors, and a whole host of other professions/interests represented.

Seminar / Orientation Part I: Washington DC Farewell

Learned German Words: ~100

The 75 participants of the 31st class of CBYX Young Professionals met in DC for 2.5 days to meet one another, prepare for our trip, and express our gratitude to our Congressional Representatives for supporting people-to-people exchanges.

cool lecture hall we didn't get to use at Georgetown

While at our dorm in Georgetown  we heard from Dr. Gary Weaver of American University concerning culture shock and cultural awareness, as well as a State Department German Desk Officer concerning US-German relations and key issues.  Dr. Weaver was an excellent lecturer and made interesting connections between German and American culture and additionally outlined successful attitudes and behaviors to follow while abroad to maximize the experience you have.  His lecture stated that culture shock was unavoidable but manageable as long as we are able to address the root cause (not understanding different values between cultures) rather than the symptoms (food, language, etc.).  Below is a somewhat related graphic I found interesting showing happiness vs. time of previous CBYX participants:

They predict the first 3 months to be "the honeymoon", and then a brief period of confusion once we start University, followed by an upswing as participants make friends and begin to communicate in German.

An exciting part of our time in Germany was spent on Capitol Hill.  To celebrate 30 years of German-American cooperation through programs such as CBYX, all 75 participants were hosted for a talk at the Capital Visitor Center.  Ambassador Witig of Germany spoke to us about the importance of people-to-people exchanges and answered questions concerning our expectations for hot topics in Germany.  Ambassador Witig, and the following three Congressional Representatives who spoke, highlighted German interest and opinions on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), the NSA spying revelations, and the Ukrainian Crisis.  It was interesting to hear official opinions on these issues as well as what they perceived our role to be as cultural ambassadors in Germany. The following pictures were taken while strolling on Capital Hill:

library of congress

The last major experience in DC was meeting with my representative, Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham. Congresswoman Lujan Grisham was extremely friendly and interested in hearing about my background, the program, and my upcoming year abroad. This was more than some participants could say- many were unable to meet with their representatives or experienced distracted conversations.  I was happy Congresswoman Lujan Grisham took the time to hear from me and grateful she shared her perspective on public service and life as a Congressional Representative.