Patronage of GLSC

Schriftliches Grußwort | Stephan Mayer, MdB
GLSC-Jahreskonferenz 2026

It is a great pleasure and honor for me to serve as patron of this year’s Annual Conference of the German Language School Conference in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The German language schools across the United States fulfill a role that extends far beyond teaching vocabulary and grammar. They provide young people with access to Germany, its culture, history and society, while at the same time creating places where German-American ties are formed and strengthened in everyday life. For many students, these schools are the first place where Germany becomes more than an idea or a family connection: it becomes a language they can speak, a culture they can explore and a country with which they can develop a lasting personal relationship.

This contribution is especially valuable because the close relationship between Germany and the United States is built not only on political and economic cooperation, but also on the many personal ties between our societies. Education, language and cultural exchange help create the understanding and familiarity on which such a friendship can grow over generations. They bring people into contact with one another, encourage curiosity about another country and help preserve a relationship that has developed over decades and continues to be enriched by new generations.

Language plays an essential part in this. It opens a direct path to another country and allows us to understand not only what people say, but also how they think and how they see the world.

The German Language School Conference has supported this mission for decades by connecting schools and educators, strengthening professional exchange and representing the interests of German language education in the United States. None of this would be possible without the commitment of teachers, school leaders, parents and countless volunteers who devote their time and energy to keeping the German language and German-American exchange alive.

I am very pleased to support this work as patron. I wish all participants an inspiring conference, fruitful discussions and many new ideas and encounters to take back to their schools and communities.

Ulla Schmidt, Member of the German Bundestag,

Assumes Patronage of the German Language School Conference

The GLSC is very pleased that Frau Ulla Schmidt, Member of the German Bundestag, is taking over the patronage of the German Language School Conference (GLSC). This is a special recognition of the significant work being done by GLSC and the German language schools in the US.

During her visit to the GLSC professional development conference last year, Frau Schmidt was able to gain an impression of the work and needs of the German language schools. We thank her very much for volunteering to serve as patron of GLSC following the conference as a sign of her appreciation for the work of the organization. Frau Schmidt was educated as a teacher of special education and has been a member of the German Bundestag since 1990. As a member of the Subcommittee on Foreign Cultural and Educational Policy, she deals with current developments in this area, which also includes the Central Agency for Schools Abroad (ZfA).

Frau Schmidt also plans to attend future GLSC conferences. This year’s conference will be held in New York City on November 9th, for the first time in conjunction with the ZfA, which is also hosting a conference for school leaders this same weekend.

Ulla Schmidt’s Statement on the Assumption of Patronage of the German Language School Conference:

 “The German language schools in the USA make an extraordinarily important contribution to the teaching of the German language in the USA and, thus, to the promotion of cultural exchange and to the strengthening of friendship between our countries. I have already been able to visit various language schools as well as last year’s GLSC Conference and am convinced of their outstanding commitment. The German Language School Conference has been performing important work in networking, further education, and advocacy for over 40 years—work which I would like to accompany in the future as a patron and for which I will advocate for the necessary support in Germany.”