The John F. Kennedy School
is a primary and secondary school in Berlin, Germany
. It was established in 1960 under the name "German-American Community School" as a school offering integrated, bilingual education
for both German and American pupils, to foster cultural exchange between young natives of West Berlin
and children from U.S. Armed Forces
families. The school received its current name in December 1963, in honor of United States President John F. Kennedy
. After Germany's reunification
in 1990 and the withdrawal of the Allied forces, the mission of the school was redefined. Originally the focus was primarily on the reconciliation after the Second World War
; today, the school is a model for bilingual
schools in Europe.
The John F. Kennedy School includes all grades from kindergarten
through 13th grade. Students can choose to graduate after grade 12 (U.S. high school diploma
) or continue to complete grade 13 (German Abitur
). A student's eligibility to enter the Abitur program is determined based on an assessment of their German abilities in grade 10.
The school has a modern campus with 135 classrooms, 9 science labs, 3 computer labs, 2 library centers, two gymnasiums, and a fine arts annex, spread out in and around its 6 main buildings. Situated in the locality of Zehlendorf
in Southwestern Berlin, the school is conveniently close to bus routes, the S-Bahn, and a quaint shopping/residential area.
The majority of the more than 1700 students (57%) are German... Read More