Austausch, German for exchange, actually translates to swap out which is exactly what the cultural youth exchange seeks to do. Next summer the American host students will travel to Germany to spend time with this year's German guest.
The idea is for the youth exchange to give local students the opportunity not just to travel to Germany or learn about language and culture but to swap experiences and see how our sister city lives.
The inaugural group of German youth exchange students arrived in Fredericksburg Sunday evening. Five teenagers from Schwetzingen, Germany were met at the airport by Cynthia Kelly, president of the Schwetzingen Fredericksburg Alliance (SFA) and Nancy and Roger Moore, Vice President and Secretary of SFA.
Local host families met at Wegman's excited to begin the cultural exchange adventure. Awaiting the caravan's arrival from Dullas International Airport local families got to know each other a little better and then the guests arrived.
Fredericksburg Councilman Matt Kelly formally welcomed the students to Fredericksburg and thanked the host families who are from Spostylvania and Stafford County for making this exchange possible and the visiting teens were introduced to their host families.
The first scheduled event will take at Shannon Airport Monday evening when the students will take an aerial tour of Fredericksburg thanks to local pilot Kieth Harrington.
