The German School of Connecticut or GSC is a private, non-profit

Saturday Saturday is the day of the week between Friday and Sunday. No later than the 2nd century, the Romans named Saturday ("Saturn's Day") for the planet Saturn, which controlled the first hour of that day, according to Vettius Valens. The day ...

school founded in 1978 with a student body of 350. A professional teaching staff, most of whom are native

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

speakers, provide three contact hours on each of thirty Saturdays during the traditional September - May school year. Classes are held on two campuses: Stamford and

West Hartford West Hartford is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, west of downtown Hartford. The population was 64,083 at the 2020 census. The town's popular downtown area is colloquially known as "West Hartford Center," or simply "The ...

, for ages ranging from

preschool A preschool, also known as nursery school, pre-primary school, or play school or creche, is an educational establishment or learning space offering early childhood education to children before they begin compulsory education at primary sch ...

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

as well as adults. Students learn, improve or maintain German language skills while celebrating

Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...

and Swiss cultures. In 1982, it was the first German language school in the United States to be selected by the

Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs and Central Agency for Schools Abroad (Zentralstelle für das Auslandsschulwesen) to administer the official Sprachdiplom I examination, and the following year added the Sprachdiplom II. These annual exams test the equivalence of ten and twelve years of German language study, equalling proficiency on the B1/A2 and C1/B2 levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, respectively. The school receives support from the German government, as well as local businesses and donors. In 2009, the school became one of the 66 US partner schools with the German government in the PASCH program. It is a member of the World Association of German Schools Abroad and also a founding member of the German Language School Conference.

High school credits

As of July 1, 2008, Connecticut students studying World languages in community schools such as the German School of Connecticut are eligible to receive high school foreign language credit for their studies. This is a real benefit to the students, who put in many hours of study to master speaking, writing, listening and reading skills, as well as cultural information.

Target market

Many students and graduates of German School of Connecticut realize the advantage of studying one of Europe's leading languages. Some plan to study in a German speaking country of Europe, others on splitting their future studies between universities in the US and a German-speaking country. Some study to gain a professional advantage. Certain high school students have the opportunity to take a special German language exam, the " Sprachdiplom", which fulfills the language requirements for direct entry at a German university. High school students can also prepare for the American Association of the Teacher of German exam, or the Advanced Placement German Language exam, earning one or more US college credits.

References

External links

* {{Coord, 41.08417, -73.54662, type:edu_region:US-CT, display=title Private schools in Connecticut German-language schools 1978 establishments in Connecticut Educational institutions established in 1978