About Us
Our Founding
After enduring several consecutive years of budget cutbacks for their children's school, a group of parent volunteers decided to take action in 2001 to form the German Immersion Foundation. This independent, non-profit entity was created to raise funds to support two Milwaukee education treasures - Milwaukee German Immersion School and Milwaukee School of Languages.
Our Impact
The financial support provided by the foundation is not used for school operations and is directed specifically 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.
The foundation has been instrumental in funding crucial professional development for teachers, much needed equipment in classrooms, curriculum translation into German, and the signature Intern Program that brings native German speakers to the classrooms as teaching assistants.
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 and former students, staff members from both schools, alumni, and committed community partners.
The German Immersion Foundation, Inc. is a separate federally recognized 501(c)(3) organization that is not affiliated with either school, their respective PTA or Governance Councils, or the Milwaukee Public 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.