TOP_AnnualReport_1-28_2014

TOP | ANNUAL REPORT 2014 + OUTLOOK 2015 | 1
TOP TRANSATLANTIC
OUTREACH PROGRAM
TOP TRANSATLANTIC
OUTREACH PROGRAM
The Transatlantic Outreach Program is a Public/Private Partnership
ANNUAL REPORT 2014 + OUTLOOK 2015
E D U CAT I O N . D I A LO G U E . E X P E R I E N C E .

TOP | ANNUAL REPORT 2014 + OUTLOOK 2015 | 2 TOP | ANNUAL REPORT 2014 + OUTLOOK 2015 | 3
TOP TRANSATLANTIC
OUTREACH PROGRAM
The Transatlantic Outreach Program (TOP) -
a non-profit, public/private partnership - seeks
to communicate a contemporary and compre-
hensive image of present-day Germany to the
North American social studies educator com-
munity, to include key decision-makers,profes-
sors,authors, teachers and students,
via the program’s core offerings:
teaching materials, teacher-training
workshops, study tours to Germany,
and alumni outreach.
Press Release
Introduction
Mission Statement
In an exemplary move of public-private
partnership...the “Transatlantic Outreach
Program” (TOP) reaches out to studies teach-
ers active in America, providing up-to-date
information on Germany and offering a
selected number of teachers the opportunity
to gain a first-hand impression of Germany
through visits to the country.
“This is a great example of how the German
business community can work together with
government and NGOs in order to promote
better understanding and dialogue between
North America and Germany.”
Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger
Through the following information, photos and statements, we are excited to share
with you all that TOP does during the year to educate about modern Germany, to
promote intercultural dialogue, and to support social studies educators throughout
the United States and Canada.
The year began with the authorship of a Vision, Strategy and Structure frame-
work for the program until 2017. We are pleased to announce that the achieve-
ments for 2014 as documented in this report are a successful first step
towards fulfilling this vision for the future. Specific highlights include the
publication of a new Toolkit for professional development workshop leaders
as well as the publication of new PR video. TOP supported over 300 profession-
al development workshops in 2014, a 24% increase over the previous year. TOP
sent 101 educators to Germany in the summer of 2014. These study tour groups
were succeeded by a VIP study tour in October during which high-level decision-
makers were exposed to the details of Germany’s vocational education training
system. The number of TOP Fellow Alumni has now surpassed the 1,100 mark. And
coinciding with the departure of Klaus Brodersen in July, Jenny Windell joined Wood
Powell and Sarah Yabroff as the newest local staff member of the TOP Team. Before
joining TOP, Jenny was the Special Assistant to the Senior Vice President and General
Counsel at the George Washington University.
We wish to extend a special thanks to Klaus Brodersen. Klaus now serves as the Di-
rector of Language Programs for the Southwestern Region of Europe at the Goethe-
Institut in Brussels. We thank Klaus for his five all-too-quick years of leadership and
passion for TOP and we wish him and his family much success in Brussels.
Finally, we would like to add our thanks for the financial support, guidance, and con-
tributions of the TOP partners. More specifically, we thank Ms. Edith Pürschel and Mr.
Gary Hattem and their respective Deutsche Bank teams in Frankfurt/Main, Berlin and
New York City. We thank Mr. Christian Hänel and his Robert Bosch Stiftung colleagues
in Stuttgart. We thank Mr. David Etzwiler and his Siemens colleagues in Washington
D.C. and Erlangen. We thank Dr. Bertram von Moltke, Mr. Timo Goosmann and Mr.
Heinz Wirth at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin. Finally, we welcome Ambassador
Peter Wittig and Mr. Jan Patrick Eckendorf to the German Embassy Washington and
thank Mr. Carsten Rüpke for his continued support. We thank all of the TOP part-
ners for their leadership and critical feedback and for taking the time to open their
respective places of business to host our summer and VIP study tour groups.
The TOP Team
23 January 2015

TOP TRANSATLANTIC
OUTREACH PROGRAM
The Case for Social Studies
The social studies classroom invites the opportunity
to introduce modern Germany topics at all grade
levels. According to the National Center for Education
Statistics, the ratio of high school social studies to Ger-
man language educators is approximately 33:1 in high
school grades (9-12) alone, not to mention elementary
and middle school classrooms.
Education and Certification
Qualifications of Departmentalized
Public High School-Level Teachers
of Core Subjects:
Evidence from the 2003–04 Schools
and Staffing Survey (National Center
for Education Statistics, August 2008,
http://nces.ed.gov/)
The 2014 Study Tour Participant Profile
Female: 60%
Male: 40%
German is offered as a foreign language at their school: 28%
Germany is not offered as a foreign language at their school: 72%
City: 37%
Suburb: 32%
Rural: 21%
Small Town: 10%
High School Teachers: 50%
Middle School Teachers: 18%
Elementary School Teachers: 8%
VIP Guests: 9%
University Social Studies Professors: 9%
Curriculum Specialists: 4%
School Administrators/Principals: 2%
Top Highlights 2014
l Study Tour Participants: 101
l VIP Tour Participants: 12
l Standard Workshops
Supported: 270 (Goal: 275)
l Trainer (TNTS) Workshops
Supported: 37 (Goal: 21)
l Total Workshop Attendees:
3,684 (Goal: 3,300)
l Published: TOP Vision
Statement 2014-2017
l Published: TOP Toolkit for
Professional Development
l Published: Fall ‘Modern
Germany Update’ newsletter
l Published: TOP ‘PR Video’
(short and long versions)
l TOP in the classroom:
Initial results from Lesson
Plan Evaluations
l TOP continues to reach more
educators within a stable
budget

TOP TRANSATLANTIC
OUTREACH PROGRAM
Classroom Materials: Authorship & Production
Ideas for 2015
l 7.3% of Operating Budget
l Budget emphasis on pedagogical authorship and digital content creation
l TOP lacks an offering for Social Studies Theme 8: Science, Technology & Society
l TOP lacks an offering for the new ‘C3’ Social Studies Framework for Career & Civic Life
l Theme 8 and C3 have cross-curricular potential with STEM subjects
l TOP can be a ‘bridge’ to common needs from both VIPs and social studies educators
l TOP VIPs express a need for the ‘career & technical education’ message to be voiced in middle-
and high-school classrooms

l TOP can leverage a database of over 14,000 unique school addresses & access to VIPs
l Potential to use social studies / modern Germany as ‘narrative hook’ to establish context to – and
debate about - subjects such as vocational education training / career & technical education and
environmental issues

l TOP can promote knowledge, skills and abilities of high school pupils to strengthen academic
and workplace competence
l Broadens appeal of TOP social studies offerings
l Broadens appeal of Germany in STEM classrooms
In-Depth Highlight 2014
l TOP instructional manuals
reach an average classroom
size of 25 pupils
l Feedback from classroom
educators has been positive
(refer to commentary on next
page)
l Higher than anticipated
demand for new (2013) instruc-
tional manuals
l Germany In Focus (for high
school classrooms) 5K QTY
stock-out within 6 months
l Higher reliance on digital
distribution channels / online
product offerings
l Published the TOP Toolkit
for Professional Development:
instructs new – and experi-
enced – workshop leaders on
how to lead grassroots work-
shops with TOP materials
l Instructional manuals, Let’s
Explore Modern Germany &
Germany In Focus, edited and
updated
Budget Snapshot
As % of Operating Budget
l 2014: Orange + Red
l 2015: Orange
Budget Trends (2007-2015)
l Trend_materials
0
5
10
15
20
25
201520142013201220112010200920082007
i
i

TOP TRANSATLANTIC
OUTREACH PROGRAM
Sample Teacher Reaction to Specific Lessons
Germany in Focus Lesson 2.1:
Immigration and Demographic
Diversity
- The lesson did a very good job at look-
ing at different requirements for citizen-
ship, immigration waves, and impact of
new immigrants into another country.
Students were actively engaged through
the entire lesson. They were able to find
similarities and differences between citi-
zenship in the U.S. and Germany, immi-
gration patterns, and were able express
their opinions on whether or not Ger-
many had become an immigrant nation
for Turkish-Germans. I feel the handouts
had plenty of information and were for-
matted properly so students would not
be intimidated by them or get bored by
them easily. The teacher background in-
formation did a really good job of giving
me the necessary foundation to imple-
ment the lesson.

- Joseph Bara,
A.P. Human Geography,
Fayetteville, GA
Geography of Germany
- This lesson enhanced my existing cur-
riculum as we were beginning to discuss
the Berlin Wall and I thought that some
background knowledge of German geog-
raphy would help students to place the
wall in context. We also were fortunate
enough to have a German exchange stu-
dent who shared with his classmates.
The handouts on the resource disc are
wonderful - we explored the handouts
as a class using the Smartboard and a
whole class discussion format. Students
were very engaged and seemed to enjoy
completing the map activities. They re-
ally liked being able to ask our exchange
student questions as we worked. The
summary in the teacher background was
a great place to start for one who has
not really ever looked at the geography
of Germany before.

– Elizabeth LeBrun,
World History and U.S. History,
Poultney, VT
Transitioning from a Command to
a Market Economy
–We study Europe right after Russia, so I
use Germany as a segue to Europe. This
lesson was a good way to show the re-
sults of the end of the Cold War and to
contrast economic systems. I also tied it
to challenges related to possible Korean
reunification. The DBQ paper effectively
showed concepts and engaged students.
I loaded it onto my Android Tablets so
students could analyze the graphics in
color. I let them work in pairs on [their]
tablets to work on the DBQ document
questions and they stayed pretty focused.

– Janet Hall,
7th Grade Geography,
Bethany, OK
Let’s Explore Modern Germany
Lesson 2.2: Let’s Eat!
- Living in the Southern California Des-
ert, it is hot, and we focus on indoor ac-
tivities related to PE and Health. I have
taught out of a USDA program about
eating right, but it never took a global
perspective of diets. This enhanced that
program, and I will be using it again and
again. I felt that the students were able
to stay engaged because the PowerPoint
became interactive by using the Tally
chart and the rest of the project was
hands on activities. The PowerPoint was
great, and it was a wonderful idea to use
the tally chart, so students were really
looking at the photos on the presenta-
tion. The “extensions” activities were
great for getting conversations going
about all things related to eating. I was
impressed with some of the responses
to the focus questions. They put thought
in their answers and used what they
learned.

– Brian Phillips,
6th Grade Self-Contained,
Holtville, CA
Schwarzfahrer - A Case Study of
Human Rights
- In all of my classes, I focus on human
rights (whether throughout world his-
tory or within a specific event). This was
an amazing provided lesson that cor-
responded with my existing curriculum,
but also presented discrimination and
prejudice in a different perspective than
normally taught. The focus question
helped move the class discussion. The
questions provided within the lesson
got students to apply the lesson to their
own lives.

– Scott Thunstrom,
9th-12th Grade World History
and Holocaust and Human Rights,
Idaho Falls, ID
Germany – A Member of the Euro-
pean Union
– This lesson assisted with a teachable
moment in Civics involving the vote for
Scottish Independence. On the day of
the vote, 9/18, we looked at the major
implications of the referendum, includ-
ing joining the European Union. We ex-
amined the qualifications and process
for Scotland to join Germany and other
countries in the EU [using the] hand-
out on the Copenhagen Criteria and the
Treaty of Lisbon. The students loved the
discussion questions and looking at the
bigger picture of the future of the Euro-
pean Union. While the focus questions
were more intended to inform students
of how the E.U. works, we were able to
take the information to the next step by
using current examples in the news.

– Christian Spence,
11th and 12th Civics,
Greensboro, NC

TOP TRANSATLANTIC
OUTREACH PROGRAM
Public Relations & Alumni Outreach,Tracking & Engagement
l TOP Fellow Alumni network
increased to 1,180
l Celebrated the 10th Annual
‘TOP Fellow the Year Award’ re-
ception at the annual National
Council for the Social Studies
(NCSS) conference in Boston;
over 200 TOP Fellow Alumni
attended
l The 2014 ‘TOP Fellow of the
Year’ was awarded to Constance
Manter from East Boothbay,Maine
l Finished Short & Long versions
of the TOP PR Video
l First Regional Alumni Reception
l TOP Fellow Alumni & VIP
Alumni attended Goethe-Insti-
tut ‘Fall of the Wall’ events
l Added online reach to a total
of 5 social media platforms:
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube,
Pinterest, and Flickr
l 68% increase in Facebook
‘Likes’ vs. 2013
l Improved frequency, reach,
and quality of posts, resulting
in greater engagement with
followers
l #TOPteachGermany
l #TOPstudytour
Budget Snapshot
l 2014: Orange
l 2015: Orange+Green
0
1
2
3
4
5
201520142013201220112010200920082007
i
Ideas for 2015
l 5.4% of Operating Budget
l Cooperate with the American Council on Germany (ACG) and other Goethe-Institutes
(Chicago, LA, and Atlanta) to create a traveling lecture series for TOP Fellow Alumni
and ACG fellows
l Maintain dialogue with – and support events for – TOP Fellow VIP Alumni, perhaps in
cooperation with the German American Chamber of Commerce
l Increase the number of regional alumni receptions & events to include a traveling
lecture series featuring Point Alpha Stiftung director, Mr. Volker Bausch
l Maintain growth and quality of social media engagement
l Initiate photo/blog competitions
l Initiate mini-grant competitions
l Previous study tour alumni will no longer be permitted to re-apply for TOP study tours

TOP TRANSATLANTIC
OUTREACH PROGRAMi
Summer Study Tours
(Excludes VIP Tour)
l 101 study tour participants
in 8 groups
l One group comprised of STEM
+Social Studies teachers
l First cross-curricular lessons
produced from this study tour
l 100% of participants would
recommend a TOP study tour
to fellow educators
l 92% of participants want to
return to Germany for private
vacation
l 81% gave tour an ‘Amazing’
rating
l 19% gave tour a ‘Great’ rating
l 100% indicated that their
personal opinion of Germany
had improved as a result of
the tour (see pre vs. post
tour words)
l Unprecedented social media
activity during study tours
l All TOP Partners were visited
in Munich, Erlangen, Stutt-
gart, Frankfurt/Main, and
Berlin
l The Point Alpha Stiftung in
Geisa remains a popular fo
cal point for half of the tours
Budget Snapshot
l 2014: Orange+Red
l 2015: Orange
In-land (Germany) expenses per
person per day: 175,00 EUR.
(Excludes VIP Group)
Ideas for 2015
l 54% of Operating Budget
l Send ca. 100 study tour participants in 6 summer study tour groups
l One group (16 participants) will consist of curriculum authors with cross-curricular
Social Studies+STEM experience
l This group will reinforce new curriculum development goals
l Maintain cost/participant consistency
l Maintain quality of tours
l Maintain post-tour evaluation success
l Continue to work closely with the Goethe-Institut Visitors Programm
l Continue to work closely with TOP Partners in Munich, Erlangen, Stuttgart, Frankfurt/Main, Berlin
l Continue to work closely with the Point Alpha Stiftung in Geisa
l Continue to encourage high level of social media activity during tours: Facebook, Twitter,
Blogging, Video-Blogging
Previous study tour alumni will no longer be permitted to re-apply for TOP study tours
0
25
50
75
100
201520142013201220112010200920082007

TOP TRANSATLANTIC
OUTREACH PROGRAM
Vibrant
Castles
Beer
Global
Advanced
Strudel
Every year, TOP conducts pre- and post-study tour evaluations in which participants are asked
to list ‘three words that come to mind’ when they think about Germany.
This ‘three words’ theme also became the centerpiece of TOP’s new PR videos.
Below are sample results for 2014:
Pre -Departure Words
Castles
Nationalism
Organized
Heritage
Efficient
Strudel
Beer
Bavarian Countryside
Recovery
Holocaust
Manly
WWII
Brothers Grimm
World Power
Industrious
Strong
Proud
Nazis
Autos
Post-Tour Words
Forgiveness
Culture
Confidence
Diverse
Complex
Progressive
Vibrant
Innovative
Unified
Advanced
Technology
Sustainable
Global
Dynamic
Enduring
Rebuilt
Developed
Open
Focused
Linguistically, the differentiation between each set of words is significant.
Not only have the pre-departure impressions of Germany morphed from inactive and often nominal stereotypical
representations of the country to modern and fluid concepts, but the post-tour impressions are set in motion
to represent active understanding of how Germany functions as a diverse culture and country today.
Sample post-tour evaluation comments:
Thank you so much for this
opportunity. You helped me
answer some important
philosophical questions I had
pre-trip. I found quotes and
thoughts that I will use in my
book and in the classroom.
You opened my eyes and mind.
I appreciate your efforts.
I am so happy to be here. I feel
privileged to participate in his
program.
I am honored to have had the
privilege to travel to Germany,
learn more about their politics,
culture, and economy.
This was a wonderful experi-
ence that I know will continue
to impact my life in multiple,
unforeseen ways even beyond
the classroom. Having the op-
portunity to spend time in mul-
tiple, diverse locations across
the country gave me a much
more well-rounded understand-
ing of historical and contem-
porary Germany. I’m impressed
by this initiative undertaken by
the government, Goethe-Insti-
tut, and other partners. Thank
you so, so much!
Absolutely amazing and unique
experiences that every educator
in the US should be exposed
to. A+++

TOP TRANSATLANTIC
OUTREACH PROGRAM
VIP Study Tour
In-Depth Highlights 2014
l 12 ‘decision-maker’ participants
l Diverse group representing federal
and state labor and education policy mak-
ers, community colleges, industry partners,
career & vocational high schools, think-
tanks, and other NGOs
l Group included nominees from TOP
partners as well as TOP staff
l Program visits included Siemens,
Daimler, Bosch, the Robert Bosch Stiftung,
Deutsche Bank and John-Deere
l Program cities included Munich, Erlan-
gen, Stuttgart, Gaggenau, Frankfurt/Main,
Heidelberg and Mannheim
l Program not possible without support
of TOP partners
l Program was beneficial to all VIPs
in regards to learning about vocational
training (Dual System) in Germany
l TOP has become a ‘go-to’ source for
information on subject with daily e-mail/
phone inquiries
l TOP advised the U.S. Department of
Labor on tour program for Secretary Perez
Budget Snapshot
l 2014: Orange+Red
l 2015: Orange
In-land (Germany) expenses per person per
day: 395,00 EUR. VIPs receive enhanced
accommodations, meals, and transporta-
tion.
Ideas for 2015
l 5.5% of operating budget
l VET remains a ‘hot topic’ in Washing-
ton DC and on both sides of the Atlantic
l TOP and its Partners are providing a
valuable service to high-level decision-
makers on subject
l TOP will continue to ‘ride’ subject
momentum
l TOP will send minimum one VIP group
(12 participants) to Germany
l TOP will allocate same per-participant
budget for VIPs in 2015
l TOP will explore avenues as part of
its alumni strategy to maintain VIP Fellow
Alumni involvement and subject momen-
tum
i

TOP TRANSATLANTIC
OUTREACH PROGRAM
“The Transatlantic Outreach Program trip
to Germany in the fall of 2014 was an
amazing experience and gave me an op-
portunity to develop a deep understanding
of the dual apprenticeship program and
to have in-depth conversations with a ter-
rific group of professionals from a variety
of sectors. We heard first hand from busi-
ness and educational leaders working in
the dual apprenticeship program and also
talked with students in the program about
their experience and future plans. This trip
will help inform the work that we are un-
dertaking in NYC to create stronger career
pathways for all our career and technical
education students.”
-Tom Pendleton,
TOP VIP 2014,
Deputy Executive Director, Career
& Work Readiness, New York City
Department of Education
“The travel experience organized by TOP
was an invaluable way to get oriented
with the vocational education system in
Germany. The itinerary was thoughtfully
developed and the group was organized
in a way that brought multiple perspec-
tives from the table. I’m convinced we
have some momentum to follow through
on some next steps that were inspired by
the trip.”
-Anu Malipatil,
TOP VIP 2014, Foundation Officer,
Siegel Family Endowment &
Overdeck Family Foundation
“My TOP trip to Germany was a wonderful
experience. As a long-time student of the
German apprenticeship system, I thought
I knew much of what there was to know –
thought I understood it pretty thoroughly.
But there’s no substitute for real exposure
of the kind provided on the TOP trip. Vis-
its were eye-opening, the people we met
were informative, TOP staff were ever
helpful – and it was a terrific group. The
article I wrote when I returned to the U.S.
appeared in The Atlantic – one of the best
read articles on the site for more than 24
hours.”
-Tamar Jacoby,
TOP VIP 2014, President/CEO,
Opportunity America
“This is truly an out of the country experi-
ence that school officials need to see in or-
der to restore the American working class,
along with revitalizing the local econo-
mies of America.”
-Romules Durant,
TOP VIP 2014, Superintendent/CEO,
Toledo Public Schools
“As the Chair of the State Board Policy
making arm of Washington community
and technical 34 colleges, this was a
remarkable educational experience. Not
only will be it shared with the colleges as
an all-day Study Session at our February
State Board Meeting, we will also be invit-
ing Dr. Ed Brewster to share the vocation-
al education concept of Germany. As you
know, Washington State is considered A
First in the Nation in educational leader-
ship. I plan to add your accomplishments
to our list!”
-Beth Willis,
TOP VIP 2014, Board Chair
Washington State Board for
Community & Technical Colleges
“The scheduling TOP did was phenomenal,
the participating companies were exciting,
well prepared and provided us with excel-
lent material. I have already began shar-
ing the material with other manufactures,
Community Colleges and want to present it
to the local school systems.It has provided
me with some insight on how to improve
our current apprentice program and even
improve on the training of the mentors. I’m
not finished with how many more different
ways that I can use this experience. Thank
you for an amazing opportunity!”
-William Weier,
TOP VIP 2014,
Director Human Resources,
Fives Machining Systems, Inc.
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxx
i

TOP TRANSATLANTIC
OUTREACH PROGRAM
The TOP Team
In-Depth Highlights 2014
l May 2005 – May 2014: 2
contract staff members (annual
contract)
l May 2014–Future: 3 contract
staff members (annual contract)
l October 2002 – July 2014: 1
director paid by Goethe-Institut
NA infrastructure funds with
defined 80/20 function split
(TOP/DaF)
l Goethe-Institut Washington
transitioning to become the
Regional Headquarters by July
2016
l July 1, 2014: Klaus Brod-
ersen transferred away from
Washington DC
l July 2014 – July 2015:
Wilfried Eckstein as TOP director
l July 2015 – Future: Christoph
Veldhues as TOP director
l Wood Powell (with TOP since
December 2003) manages day-
to-day operations & budget
l Sarah Yabroff (with TOP
since April 2009) manages
alumni and educator outreach
projects
l Jenny Windell (with TOP
since May 2014) manages
social media and database
Budget Snapshot
l 2014: Orange
l 2015: Orange+Green
As % of Total Budget
(Total = Operating + Infrastructure)
l Total Personnel Expenses: Green+Blue
l Goethe-Institut Infrastructure Contribution Towards
Personnel: Green
Ideas for 2015
l Personnel expenses (for 3 contract staff members) will be 19% of 750.000 EUR
operating budget (vs. 18% for 2014)
l Historically between 13-19% of operating budget, depending on exchange rate
l Personnel expenses (for 3 contract staff members) will be 16% of total 900.000 EUR
budget (operating + infrastructure)
l Historically between 11-16% of total budget, depending on exchange rate
l Wilfried Eckstein as TOP director until July 1, 2015
l Christoph Veldhues as TOP director after July 1, 2015
l Anticipated departure of Sarah Yabroff after February 2015; she will continue to
contribute to the TOP Team as an hourly contractor on an interim basis
l Jenny Windell will assume many of Ms. Yabroff’s responsibilities
l May 2015: Start date for third TOP Team member
l Contract staff count will remain stable at 3
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
201520142013201220112010200920082007

TOP TRANSATLANTIC
OUTREACH PROGRAM
2014 Operating Budget & Expenses: Graphical
Total Operating Budget 2014: 745.000 EUR

l Federal Foreign Office of Germany: 150.000 EUR
l Goethe-Institut North America: 150.000 EUR
l Deutsche Bank: 150.000 EUR
l Siemens: 150.000 EUR
l Robert Bosch Stiftung: 145.000 EUR
Expenses: 2014
l Classroom Materials Authorship & Production: 64.012 EUR
l Professional Development Workshop Support: 62.124 EUR
l Public Relations & Alumni Engagement: 32.882 EUR
l Summer Study Tours: 407.920 EUR
l VIP Study Tour: 41.348 EUR
l Personnel: 136.714 EUR
Expenses 2014 & Forecast 2015: Itemized
FY 2014 | Itemized Expenses FY 2015 (Forecast) | Itemized Expenses

TOP TRANSATLANTIC
OUTREACH PROGRAM
SWOT Analysis: Update
TOP is leveraging its strengths…
A comprehensive network (K-12, University, VIP Decision-Makers)
A dedicated network of teacher-trainers
Curriculum development competency
Study tour program development competency
An evaluated strategy for effectiveness
The relevancy of modern Germany to so many topics
Engaged public & private partners
A dedicated team
To confront weaknesses…
Increased local staff count of three is adding momentum where needed:
More comprehensive Fellow Alumni strategy going forward (2H 2014+)
TOP trainers conducting more workshops in Canada (2H 2014+)
Significantly improved internal database (2H 2014+)
Database: more efficient collection of evaluation & client profile data
Significantly improved social media engagement
across multiple platforms
To seize opportunities…
To offer new curriculum for social studies Theme 8 and C3 Framework
Leverage German relevancy to vocational education & ‘Green’ tech
Remains on track as of 2014 to achieve Key Performance (KPI) goals
Selecting engaged alumni to expand trainer network (TNTS)
Preparing for a second external evaluation to take place in 2016-2017
And mitigating external challenges…
Despite better-funded ‘competitors’ representing more nations, TOP is
highly regarded particularly for the quality of its materials & study tour
offerings
The study of Germany remains particularly relevant to educators
Common Core not yet a universal de facto standard; TOP has already
aligned its newest materials with some of these standards

TOP TRANSATLANTIC
OUTREACH PROGRAM
General
l Is the TOP Board pleased with the program’s overall prog
ress in 2014 within the context of its Vision for 2014-2017?
Budget
l TOP will operate with the same 750.000 EUR operating
budget for FY2015. All projects for 2015 will receive similar
budgetary allocations as 2014 with only slight variation.
Does the TOP Board agree with stated budgetary allocations?
l The TOP fiscal year must align with that of the Goethe-
Institut. As this aligns with the calendar year (1 Jan – 31
Dec), TOP recommends the annual board meeting continue
to take place in January. TOP’s budget for the succeeding
year is prepared by September 1 of the current year. Does
the TOP Board agree with the January meeting date?
Classroom Materials: Autorship & Production
l Does the TOP Board approve of the following curriculum
development strategy?
TOP will begin the development, specifically with regards to
pedagogical authorship and online content design, of curriculum de-
signed to align with Social Studies Theme 8 (Science, Technology &
Society) and C3 Framework standards for Career & Civic Life. Such a
project could have cross-curricular application with STEM subjects.
Study Tours To Germany
l Does the TOP Board approve of the following study tour
strategy?
TOP will send a total of ca. 100 educators to Germany in the sum-
mer of 2015. One group may consist of social studies educators who
have authorship experience and familiarity with instructional strate-
gies in the STEM fields.
TOP will send one VIP group of high-level decision-makers to Ger-
many in the fall of 2015. This group will be comprised of ca. 10 par-
ticipants. The theme for this tour will remain pertinent to vocational
education topics in Germany.
l Do TOP partners remain open to nominating participants
for this VIP group?
l When would TOP partners be willing and able to host
groups in Germany?
l Would the Federal Foreign Office (in cooperation with the
Federal Chancellery) be willing to discuss the feasibility of one
group meeting with the Federal Chancellor? Such meetings took
place in 2005 and 2006 and were of course well-received by all
TOP partners as well as beneficial for public relations initiatives.
TOP Team / Personnel
l Does the TOP Board approve of the following personnel
strategy?
The local staff count will remain at three (3) for the foreseeable fu-
ture. These local staff members will continue to receive their annual
contract status.
Outlook for 2015 & Questions For The Top Board
Professional Development Workshop Support
l Does the TOP Board approve of the following professional
development strategy?
Emphasis will continue to remain on TOP’s network of trainer spe-
cialists. These specialists will continue to work to present TOP in un-
derrepresented school districts and regions. TOP staff will continue
to attend larger national conferences. TOP will continue to work
with its Fellow Alumni and new network entrants to host more TOP
workshops in line with Key Performance goals for 2015 and beyond.
Public Relations & Alumni Outreach,Tracking, Engagement
l Does the TOP Board approve of the following alumni
engagement strategy?
TOP will continue to host its ‘Fellow of the Year’ reception during the
annual National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) conference
for over 200 alumni. Similarly, TOP will support smaller, regional
alumni events in cooperation with other Goethe-Institutes, Ger-
man Consulates, the ACG (American Council on Germany) and GACC
(German American Chamber of Commerce). As part of these events,
TOP may support a guest-lecturer who can speak to social studies
relevant topics in Germany. Additionally, TOP will continue to foster
an active social media presence across several key platforms as well
as promote photo- blog- and mini-grant competitions.
TOP study tour alumni may no longer re-apply to travel to Germany.
The TOP Board of Directors
l President of the TOP Board:
Ambassador Peter Wittig – German Embassy Washington
l Dr. Christoph Bartmann,
Goethe-Institut Regional Director for North America,New York,N.Y.
l David Etzwiler, CEO,
Siemens Foundation, Washington, D.C.
l Christian Hänel,
Head of Department International Relations America and Asia,
Robert Bosch Stiftung, Stuttgart, Germany
l Gary Hattem,
Director, Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation, New York, N.Y.
l Edith Pürschel,
Director, Head of Brand & Corporate Citizenship Strategy,
Deutsche Bank, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
l Klaus P. Stegemann,
Chief Financial Officer, Siemens Corporation, New York, N.Y.
The TOP Team
l Wilfried Eckstein,
TOP Director, Goethe-Institut Washington Director
l Christoph Veldhues,
TOP Director, Director Language Programs North America,
Goethe-Institut Washington (July 2015)
l Wood Powell,
TOP Managing Director, local D.C. staff / annual contract.
With TOP since December 2003.
l Sarah Yabroff,
TOP Coordinator, local D.C. staff / annual contract.
With TOP since April 2009.
l Jenny Windell,
TOP Administrator, local D.C. staff / annual contract.
With TOP since May 2014.

TOP | ANNUAL REPORT 2014 + OUTLOOK 2015 | 28

TOP_AnnualReport_1-28_2014

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (7)

Similar to TOP_AnnualReport_1-28_2014

Similar to TOP_AnnualReport_1-28_2014 (20)

TOP_AnnualReport_1-28_2014