PRESS RELEASE

AWARD OF EXCELLENCE FOR CLEMENTS STUDENT

http://www.goethe.de/ins/us/lp/lhr/aoe

Winner of Goethe-Institut contest will travel to Germany

Sugar Land, February 14, 2013Clements High School student Madison Maddy Reese is one of ten winners of the Goethe-Instituts Award of Excellence contest. The prize includes a scholarship to study German this summer at a Goethe-Institut course in Germany. Each year, the Goethe-Institut, in its role as international German cultural center with six locations in the United States, produces a short video on a specific theme about contemporary life in Germany. Reese was one of altogether 15,000 high school students from the U.S. and Canada who participated in the contest, now in its 21st year. The 2012 film, Beyond Autobahn, was centered on German automotive culture. Using as its starting point the invention of the modern car by Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler 125 years ago, it covered the history of the automobile as well as contemporary challenges faced by our world today, such as labor laws and environmental issues. Reese not only solved the contests quiz questions but also correctly listed the exact number of teenagers in Germany who had earned their drivers license in 2010, an additional bonus question in the contest. Offered a choice of several Goethe-Institut courses at different times and in different locations, Reese has chosen a course in Freiburg in the southwest of Germany from July 7 to 27 (see accompanying photo). "I'm so excited and surprised to have won this scholarship, and I'm very thankful for getting this opportunity! Planning the trip has been so fun, and I have already learned so much about Germany. I can't wait to submerge myself in the culture and meet many new friends who share the same love of Germany." Regardless of whether they won a prize, feedback on the GoetheInstitut contest from teachers and students demonstrated great enthusiasm for using Beyond Autobahn to engage in the topic and learn about a foreign country and its people. My students and I enjoyed this video very much, said Clements German teacher Rustin Buck, and I was completely surprised when Maddy told me that she had won. Our school won the Award of Excellence several years ago, and I didnt think that lightning would strike twice, but it did! For more information on the Award of Excellence 2012 or the upcoming Award of Excellence 2013, call (212) 439-8719 or visit the GoetheInstitut New York online at www.goethe.de/newyork.

Goethe-Institut New York 72 Spring Street, 11th Floor New York, NY 10012 Bjrn Technau (Mr.) Language Consultant Tel. (212) 439-8719 technau@newyork.goethe.o rg Dustin Cosentino Public Relations Officer Tel. (212) 439-8713 cosentino@newyork.goethe. org

Founded in 1959, the Goethe-Institut promotes German language learning and fosters international cultural cooperation between the United States and Germany. We convey a comprehensive picture of Germany by providing information on its cultural, social, and political life. Our three downtown locations offer a broad spectrum of cultural events and programs to our local audience, providing a stage in the Big Apple for the German art scene and intercultural exchange.

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