Hamburg Exchange

We have been running a very successful exchange programme with the Immanuel-Kant-Gymnasium in Hamburg since 1987. Every year about 20-25 of our Transition Year students participate in a three-week exchange programme during which they will stay in their exchange partners’ homes. They complete two weeks of work experience in placements provided by the Rotary Club in Hamburg and will also go on various day trips to places of interest around Hamburg, as well as to Berlin. Their German partners (boys and girls, aged 14/15 years) also complete two weeks of work experience in placements during their stay in Ireland. This programme offers an excellent opportunity both to obtain work experience and to improve language skills.

A student exchange programme with an inner-German school is something every German School Abroad strives for. It offers students the opportunity to put into practice their learned skills in the foreign language, to further personal development and to get to know everyday life in a foreign country. The exchange with the Immanuel-Kant-Gymnasium in Hamburg has been in place for over 30 years.

Around 600 students attend the Immanuel-Kant-Gymnasium, which is located in the Hamburg-Harburg district. It is a European school with a bilingual offering in English and it is also has a strong focus on STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). As a European school, exchanges are very important to the Immanuel-Kant-Gymnasium and they run student exchanges with Barcelona and Prague, as well as with Dublin. https://immanuel-kant-gymnasium.de

A large component of the exchange is the two-week internship in the respective other country. These internship positions give students an insight into the economy and working life of the other country.

In addition to the internship that all students complete, the programme for the Hamburg and Dublin stays include numerous day trips to sights in the region.

Here are some impressions of Ireland and Germany from students and teachers over the years.