Haltern am See, 9th March 2016: Under the motto “The French are here!” the Alexander-Lebenstein-Realschule (Secondary Modern School) in Haltern am See reports on the school exchange with the twin town of Roost-Warendin: “From 9^th to 17^th March 25 French pupils are visitors to the Secondary Modern School. They are accompanied by their teachers Monique Keuenhof, Sylvie Bienaimé and Pierre-Marie Bar. They were already impatiently waited for by their German exchange partners and their families. During the week of exchange joint excursions to Düsseldorf and Bremen und numerous additional activities are on the programme. The exchange is generously financially supported by our sponsor organization and the Elena-Bless-Foundation.

Münster, 28^th February 2016. From the 20^th of March the fifteen-year-old Jacqueline will visit a host family in Reims and go to school there for almost two months. Her teacher at Pascal-Gymnasium in Münster has drawn Jacqueline’s mother’s attention to the possibilities of support by the Elena-Bleß Foundation. Pascal-Gymnasium, which also supports pupils’ work placements abroad, now belongs to the schools co-operating with the Foundation.

Lihus, 20th February 2016. Just back home in Lihus, between Amiens and Rouen, the sixteen-year-old French pupil Maellis enthusiastically writes about her two weeks work placement in Groß Reken. She lived with a host family with two children, one of them sixteen years old, too. Maellis and her host family were supported by the Elena-Bleß Foundation. The Foundation supports pupils’ work placements abroad with scholarships for travelling and staying. Maellis was informed about the work of the Foundation by her teacher in France.

Reken, 1st December 2015. Some schools do not only make a pupils‘ exchange possible for school classes, but also for individual pupils. The grammar school of the Mariannhiller Missionaries in Maria Veen, Reken, reports about an exchange of 13-year-old Leandra, who – with the help of her school and the Partnership Association Lette-Pierguer – spent three weeks with a host family in France. Leandra, visiting class 8, summarized her enthusiasm as follows: “I had a very nice and instructive stay, especially due to the extraordinarily hearty family. I was completely integrated into the school day as well as the family life and got to know country and language.” An individual exchange, however, is mostly more expensive than a class tour. A teacher from her school suggested Leandra for a travelling expenses scholarship of the Elena Bleß Foundation. “I was delighted by this support and my family and I were relieved,” says Leandra.