German forum discussion a success!

Last week the MHS Global Certificate Program hosted its first "guest speaker" event to help assist students toward the Global Citizenship requirement. With the help of Mr. Webber, a Global Team member, who helped set up a partnership with Hollenberg Gymnasium in Waldbrol, Germany, we were able to host an opportunity for our local Mukwonago students to interact and ask questions of the seventeen visiting German students. This was the first attempt at a sponsored event by the Global Certificate and first attempts at a forum discussion with our guests.

For over the past decade our teachers have established a positive relationship with the teachers in Waldbrol, Germany and we have participated in an exchange program. Every other year we have students from Mukwonago travel to Germany for a period of 2-3 weeks and stay with families in Germany. Likewise, German students travel with their teachers to the United States and spend two weeks here in Mukwonago staying with our families and attending classes at MHS. In the process they give presentations, have informal discussions and participate in the Mukwonago experience with our students.

Last week all seventeen German students agreed to participate in a forum discussion on the open topic of "Understanding other perspectives through education." 42 Mukwonago students attended, 16 of those being from the Global Certificate program. The rest of the attendees were members of the MHS International Club and History club that also helped sponsor and publicize the event.

Students quickly took control of the conversation discussing views on History, the German Chancellor, Term limits for political leaders, having a multi-party system v. a two party political system, Syrian Refugee settlements, cultural conflicts and assimilation, media and news sources, portrayal of Germany and its citizens during WWII, pop culture and others. A lot of topics for an hour and a half and all coming from high schoolers. As a Global Certificate Team we were enthusiastic about our first "sponsored event."

The Global Certificate team plans on hosting future events to help bring global experiences and understanding to Mukwonago students and the community. Please keep us in mind and stay tuned to what we are preparing next.