About Us
The parents saw the writing on the wall. After several consecutive years of budget cutbacks for their children's school, they decided to take action. A handful of committed parents joined together in 2001 to form the German Immersion Foundation, an entity that would raise funds to support two Milwaukee education treasures - Milwaukee German Immersion School and Milwaukee School of Languages. The foundation exists to ensure the high quality of these two Milwaukee Public Schools, where students test scores rival those of students from the top performing school districts and private schools.
Although the foundation funds cannot be used to support school operations, the foundation has been instrumental in funding crucial professional development for teachers, much needed equipment in classrooms, and intern programs that bring native German speakers to the classrooms as part-time aides.
These initiatives enable the school to maintain their high quality, and focus their budgets on employing high-caliber staff. The foundation is led by a board composed of parents of current students and former students, staff members from both schools, alumni, and committed community partners.
The German Immersion Foundation, Inc. is not affiliated with either school or the Milwaukee Public Schools. Nor with the PTA or Governance Council of either school. By being an independent corporation, the Foundation is unencumbered by any limits in raising or dispersing funs that will help our schools.
The German Immersion Foundation, Inc. (GIF) is a 501c3 organization that has raised nearly $302,000 over more than 20 years to further its mission of supporting German Immersion Schools in the Milwaukee area.
Our Mission
The GIF supports the Milwaukee German Immersion School (MGIS) and the Milwaukee School of Languages (MSL) by providing the additional resources to fully fund programs needed to prepare children to excel in the competitive global marketplace.
Our Purpose
The GIF aims to ensure that children participating in Milwaukee's German language immersion programs, benefit from high quality education, and to maintain and enhance the level of educational excellence those schools provide. Our objective is to provide the means to supplement both schools' programs to give their students a solid cultural awareness and understanding.