After the end of World War II, much of Europe was reeling from the devastation wrought by the hostilities. Aside from the physical damage done to cities across the continent, there was a rift between different nations around the globe that was in desperate need of repair. The governments of the United States and Germany sought to bridge the gap between their countries' cultures by creating the German American Partnership Program (GAPP).

GAPP, which was officially founded in 1972, allows opportunities for schools in the United States to partner with schools in Germany. The partnered schools facilitate student exchanges; American students spend a couple weeks staying with their German counterparts, and vice versa. While studying abroad, the students have an opportunity to attend classes at their hosts' school, take field trips to historically significant sites and embrace a new culture.

Hempfield High School joined GAPP in 1990. In 1999, the school partnered with Paul-Gerhardt-Gymnasium, located in German town of Luebben. Groups of students from both schools took turns visiting their foreign counterparts every other year until 2020, when the German class canceled its visit due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. On Oct. 6, after a hiatus that lasted five years, German exchange students once again arrived in Lancaster, eager to spend the next three weeks experiencing a new culture.

During their stay, the visiting students are required to attend their host's school for 10 days. The visiting Germans attended classes with their GAPP partners, and they received a warm welcome from students and teachers alike. Certain exchange students visited preschool classrooms to learn more about early education; others received instructions on welding in the school's workshop. Students in the communications technology class gave their guests an opportunity to read the morning announcements.

In addition to the academic portion of GAPP, the visiting group traditionally travels to culturally significant locations with their hosts. In October, the German students took trips to Harrisburg; Washington, D.C.; and Philadelphia, where they saw the Liberty Bell and climbed the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in tribute to Rocky Balboa. Before the German students embarked on a long flight home on Oct. 27, the visiting group traveled to New York City.

"Hempfield students gave our visitors a tour on the first day, and a lot of them came up to me and said, 'I didn't realize that Germans did this just like me,'" said Stephanie Henrich, a German teacher at Hempfield. "It's eye opening for them to see we're not that different; we all live on the same Earth."

"We see lifelong friendships being formed before our eyes," said Lauren Klein, who teaches German at the school and serves as a chaperone for the program. "It's the tears at the end of the trip that tell you how successful it is - and there were a lot of tears."