Why German?

German immersion curricula and materials are in place and are currently used in recently established German immersion programs such as Ashford Elementary in Georgia.
A Utah German immersion school will immediately join a nation-wide network with schools from Alaska, Oregon and California to Minnesota and Georgia. These schools are recognized for high achievement, and receive free materials and testing tools from the German government.
The German community has a well-established and close-knit infrastructure as well as a task force in place to support German programs and to help secure experienced highly qualified teachers.
Since German letters and sounds match up identically, and many English and German words are closely related, German is an ideal immersion language. Students are often able to achieve biliteracy at a fast rate, making it possible to reach high proficiency levels.

Why German in Utah?

Germany and German-speaking countries are the second largest trading partners with Utah after the UK. According to the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), Utah’s most active partnership is with the German state of Saarland, which helps Utah companies enter the lucrative European market.
Three cities in Utah have sister city relationships with Germany: Ogden/Hof, Sandy/Riesa, and Provo/Meissen. A number of high schools have partnerships for student exchanges with German schools, and Utah colleges and universities offer study abroad and internships all across Germany.
More than one in ten people in Utah have German ancestry (and one in five in the U.S.).
Utah has a strong connection to the rich German-speaking culture with traditions such as Oktoberfest at Brian Head and Snowbird, the Hof Winterfest in Ogden, and Swiss Days in Midway.

German is one of the three official languages of the European Union, and two of the UN’s headquarters are located in German-speaking countries.
Germany and China trade places with each other for the greatest share in travel, tourism and trade.
At a 2009 business and language summit, Utah companies listed German as one of the top five languages for Utah business and industry.
A wide variety of languages is vital for educating global citizens in Utah. Each language and culture has something unique to offer, and expands students’ opportunities for understanding different perspectives.

Germany is a world leader in green technologies, alternative energy and pharmaceuticals. These industries will grow considerably during the working lives of our current students.
Over 3000 German companies, and some of the most successful ones, are also located in the U.S. For example, Adidas, Siemens, T-Mobile, Trader Joe’s and Volkswagen all originate in Germany.
Knowledge of German benefits students in any university discipline and particularly enhances understanding of engineering math, science, history, literature and the arts.