American Association of Teachers of German

The American Association of Teachers of German is a professional organisation for teachers of German in the United States and Europe. Teachers may be involved in primary, secondary, or university education. Additionally, retired and student teachers are welcome.

The National German Exam is administered each year to over 25,000 high school students of German. The exam provides individual diagnostic feedback, rewards students through an extensive regional and national prize program, and creates a sense of accomplishment. Exam results provide teachers a means of comparing students in all regions of the country, as well as programmatic data provided to help inform curricular decisions. The Exam is administered in December and January and results are provided directly to teachers in February.

For over 50 years, the Federal Republic of Germany, through the German Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt) and its Pedagogical Exchange Service (Pädagogischer Austauschdienst), has provided the AATG/PAD Study Trip Awards, a 3-4 week trip to Germany in the summer following the Exam. Students attend classes at an academic high school, stay in homestays, and participate in various excursions to places of cultural significance. The initial selection process takes place through the AATG National German Exam: Those students who score at or above the 90th percentile and meet eligibility requirements are informed that they can apply for the Study Trip Award. Of those who apply, two candidates are selected from each state by the AATG Chapter committee: Award 1, a sophomore or junior, and award 2, a senior. These candidates' applications are then sent to the National AATG Selection Committee, which makes the final decisions.

Each year up to four recipients of this scholarship are selected from the applicants for the National German Exam Study Trip Award. Endowed Scholarship recipients receive a full scholarship to participate in the AATG Summer Study Program. This scholarship has existed since 1997 and is funded by generous donations of AATG Members and friends.

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