JHS students head to Germany in summer of 2025
By Eric A Thomas
In 1984, students from Herzog Ernst Gymnasium, a school in Germany, came to Jacksonville to visit a college. When they returned the following year they started an exchange program with Jacksonville High School. That program is called German American Partnership Program (GAPP). GAPP just completed its 40th trip to this area.
On Sunday, September 22, eight girls and seven boys (who were accompanied by two chaperones) arrived in Jacksonville for a 17-day adventure into the heartland of America. They were welcomed by the JHS Marching Crimsons. Their first item of business upon arrival was to meet their host families and get settled into their American homes.
Laura and Tony Crowder were one of the host families this year. “Lynette Riggs asked if we would be willing to host a couple of the German students,” Laura Crowder said.
The Crowder family has hosted students twice before. “Having two students wasn’t much different than having one student. There were lots of activities that kept the boys busy. It was great getting to know Paul and Marion.” Laura Crowder is a paraprofessional for District 117 and looks forward to hosting more students in the future.
While here, the exchange students from Germany observed classes at JHS. “They attended classes in groups,” said Lynette Riggs, German teacher at JHS. “They have enjoyed especially attending the various vocational classes that are offered.” The classes visited included English, ASL, German, Choir, Pottery, History, Jazz Band, Small Engines, Foods, Metals and Woods. The exchange students took part in a welding activity of making keychains with Mr. Ater, the welding instructor at JHS.
The GAPP students presented about Germany to the freshman and sophomore English classes at JHS. They also did presentations at other district schools including Jacksonville Middle School, North Elementary, Washington Elementary, Eisenhower Elementary and Murrayville-Woodson Elementary.
During their stay, the exchange students took a bus tour of Jacksonville as well as a bicycle tour of downtown Jacksonville. They visited the downtown fire station, Jacksonville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Jacksonville Area Museum — and they had an opportunity to meet the City of Jacksonville Mayor Andy Ezard. They also toured Illinois College and Woodlawn Farm, had a science day at Happy Hollow (Pat Ward’s farm), enjoyed an American football game and carved pumpkins.
On their excursion to Springfield, they visited the Illinois State Capital, Lincoln’s Tomb, and Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library.
Visiting Central Illinois wouldn’t have been complete without a visit to Hannibal; while there, they visited Mark Twain Cave and took a riverboat ride on the Mississippi River. The students also went to St. Louis where they went to Grant’s Farm and the Gateway Arch.
Upon the end of their stay in Jacksonville, the GAPP students returned to Chicago to enjoy a few of the sites it has to offer before they boarded their flight out of O’Hare. These included eating Chicago style pizza at Gino’s East, visiting the Hancock Tower with the Tilt, visiting the Lincoln Park Zoo, taking an architectural boat tour, touring the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, plus visiting Navy Pier and Millennium Park.
This exchange program between the two schools is only open to 10th graders. “By limiting this to this age group, both schools are giving everyone who wants to a chance to be a part,” Riggs added. Both schools each have a total of 950-1,000 students. JHS covers 9th-12th grades while HEG includes 5th-13th grades.
Riggs has led this program for the last 15 years and appreciates everyone who has been involved. “From the many people who offer their homes to the students or loaned bicycles for the bike tour of downtown, Danke,” concluded Riggs. “We are always looking for people to volunteer homes and bicycles. It is never too early to sign up for future exchanges.” She will be leading the JHS group in Germany during the summer of 2025.
