Preschool-12 Dual Language Education in
Two Locations in the Bay Area

21st Century Schooling & Digitality

Digital Media Concept 

Our school-wide media concept aims at systematically integrating the use of media to foster learning processes throughout all school levels and subjects. Students acquire knowledge, insights, skills and abilities to meet the challenges of a media influenced world. The development and acquisition of the necessary skills for a life in a digital world go beyond basic IT knowledge, so they cannot be assigned to an isolated learning area, but are acquired, practiced and further developed in every subject and every school level. The school's media concept creates a common basis for the active design of the learning environment and lesson organization through an exchange between all those involved in the school.

 

 

Graphic: Phillipe Wampfler


 

Technology in the Classroom

  • Modern conferencing system, Interactive Whiteboards etc
     
  • Laptops and tablets:
    • Classroom computers (grades 1-3)
    • iPads (grades 4-7)
    • Personal laptops (grade 8-12)
       
  • Learning Management System:
    Google Classroom
     
  • Online learning programs / apps

The Virtual Classroom

  • Collaborations with other classes and/or schools or institutions
     
  • Experts visit classrooms​​​

Computer Science Classes & Afternoon Activities

  • Core curriculum of grades 5, 7, 10 and up
     
  • extracurricular programming
     
  • activities in grades 4,6,8,9

     

 


From the Classroom

Martin Lentzen at German AI Podcast

"Kreide, KI, Klartext" - a podcast at the intersection of education and future developments, exploring the fascinating world of Artificial Intelligence (AI = KI in German) in education.

Read More about Martin Lentzen at German AI Podcast
GISSV Shark Tank Event 2023

Our GISSV Entrepreneur Club headed by Martin Lentzen invited the school community to a Shark Tank event on Tuesday - with impressive student pitches, and fantastic speakers and panel.

Read More about GISSV Shark Tank Event 2023
GISSV Delegation Visits HPI in Germany

GISSV students and teachers visited HPI, discussing AI, education reinvention, and potential collaborations, with the students' startup pitches receiving enthusiasm for possible participation in the incubator program.

Read More about GISSV Delegation Visits HPI in Germany
AI Project Week 2022I23

Last week, our 10th graders explored the world of AI through an interdisciplinary project that combines ethics, economics, and IT.

Read More about AI Project Week 2022I23
GISSV Shark Tank Event 2022

Our GISSV Entrepreneur Club headed by Martin Lentzen invited the school community to a Shark Tank event last week - with impressive student pitches, and fantastic speakers and panel.

Read More about GISSV Shark Tank Event 2022
Transatlantic Media Literacy Project

GISSV's 11th graders and Ethics teacher Vera Kress took part in a conference on Media Literacy hosted by the Aspen Institute Germany.
They contributed to a Handbook and Podcast - Now available!

Read More about Transatlantic Media Literacy Project
MINT freundliche Schule

GISSV, together with five other German Schools Abroad, was honored as “MINT-friendly school” (MINT is the German equivalent for STEM) in 2021.

Read More about MINT freundliche Schule
A Special Year for the GISSV Entrepreneurs

At our Entrepreneurs club, students learn to iterate rapidly to develop their ideas. Rapid iteration and inventiveness were certainly needed in the last school year and in our club, too.

Read More about A Special Year for the GISSV Entrepreneurs
Juandalynn R. Abernathy at GISSV

The "first child of the civil rights movement”, daughter of Reverend Abernathy and godchild of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., visited us in our "virtual classroom(s)".

Read More about Juandalynn R. Abernathy at GISSV
GISSV Startup Day 2018

During a Startup Day right before the Christmas break the GISSV Entrepreneur Club worked on startup ideas, met real founders at a co-working space and went to a pitch event in Palo Alto.

Read More about GISSV Startup Day 2018
Shark Tank Event

The first GISSV Shark Tank event took place, featuring two amazing presentations from parents of our school, sharing their professional experiences.

Read More about Shark Tank Event
Eco-Startup

Grade 9-11 students are developing ideas for reducing the ecological footprint and producing less waste.

Read More about Eco-Startup

Accreditations & Awards

 

MINT (= STEM) / Digital School
GISSV has been an accredited MINT-friendly school since 2013 and Digital School since 2019, by the German initiative MINT Zukunft schaffen under the patronage of the Kultusministerkonferenz (KMK).
 

 

Smart School
In 2023 GISSV was awarded as a Smart School for the first time. Annually, 15 schools in Germany win this prestigious award. This makes us one of over 100 digital pioneering schools in Germany and the first German International School Abroad to belong to the nationwide Smart School network.
www.smart-school.de 

 

1st Prize
GISSV won in the "Students Building Bridges Worldwide" 2023 competition for German Schools Abroad, organized by the German Chamber of Commerce (DIHK). The prize, which was endowed with €60,000, is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students, teachers, and staff. Congratulations to all for this incredible accomplishment!
> Read on here

 

AP Course Computer Science Principles
The AP course Computer Science Principles, offered for the first time at GISSV by the Computer Science Department in the 2019-20 school year, was very successful in many ways. Among other things, GISSV received the AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award from the College Board. This award is given to schools where more than 50% female graduates complete the course.