The Intern Program at TCGIS

The Intern Program  serves a fundamental part of our mission: to provide an innovative education of the whole child through German immersion.  Interns are native-German-speaking young adults training to become teachers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. They are integrated into every grade level at TCGIS and provide over 6,000+ additional hours of classroom support for our students each semester.

​The positive impact and intercultural engagement of interns extends even further into our community because interns are hosted by TCGIS families. The opportunity for interns to be immersed into every day life in the U.S. is an exciting cultural exchange that benefits both the intern and our families.
The Intern Program is only possible through the generous support of our community: through donations, host families, and mentor teachers. Please support this invaluable program at TCGIS that brings the German language to life and expands our students' understanding of our world. 

Quote from teacher

“I believe that the Intern program in our school significantly enriches the learning opportunities for our students and in the greater community. I feel very fortunate to have interns who bring a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm to class each day. Interns participate in a wide variety of capacities including classroom management, student supervision, team teaching and eventual curriculum development and implementation. My current intern has made significant contributions to our curriculum,  introducing students to new games and activities that are common in Germany, but are new in Minnesota."

Quote from host-family

“Living with our intern has been a wonderful
experience for us. Maybe it’s because she is very adaptable and appreciative, but we got along with her right away. It has been so nice for us to have a friendly, upbeat adult in the house, for chatting, for getting updated about my old home country. Both kids are noticeably speaking more German since she is living with us. I can tell how it broadens their horizons to have her in the house, and how it shows them that there is a whole new, fun and interesting world behind that big Atlantic Ocean.”

Quote from an intern

“I’m 23 years old, and from Berlin. I have a Bachelor's degree in German as a Foreign Language and Scandinavian Studies. I live with my host-parents and their two sons (Kindergarten & 2nd grade). My host-family opened their home for me, and I try my best to return the favor by helping in the house as a part of the family. I slowly start talking more and more German to the boys every day and let them have as much insight into my German heritage and culture as possible. With an intern at your home you get a walking, talking, and interacting German dictionary all day!