American Corner Innsbruck
“Growing Up In America” Classroom Visit at BORG
Wednesday, March 15th 14:00, BORG Innsbruck
The American Corner Innsbruck was happy to send two of its interns to the Bundesoberrealgymnasium Innsbruck for a presentation about their experiences growing up in America. Andrew Williams and Keegan Kelly spoke to the 35 Austrian students and their teachers about the cultural cornerstones of American childhood such as sports, food, and summertime. The inquisitive students were especially interested in American traditions such as Halloween and Spring Break. Laughs resonated throughout the classroom as stereotypes were discussed and dispelled (although a few had to be admitted to). After the initial presentation, the rest of the hour was utilized for a question and answer session. Judging by reactions, the most impactful moment came when a student asked Andrew about the college experience in America. The students were surprised to learn how cost-centric the university path had become for young adults in America, a far cry from the low tuition rates experienced by Austrians. After the last few inquiries about American teenage life and “if it was really like all the movies”, Keegan and Andrew handed out literature for study abroad programs in America as well as information and resources from the American Corner Innsbruck. ACI student worker Oliver Steininger photographed the event. Everyone involved with the experience walked away with a fresh perspective on cultural differences and similarities, and the American Corner Innsbruck looks forward to furthering relations with the Bundesoberrealgymnasium in the future.
