What is GASS?

The German Australian Students' Society (GASS) is the student branch of the Society for Australian-German Student Exchange (SAGSE). There are branches in Victoria, NSW and Germany, each comprising of students from the respective regions who have previously completed the SAGSE Exchange. We assist SAGSE in the annual search for Host Families, organise social events for the German students throughout their exchange, and provide support for the Australian students who travel to Germany later in the year.

The exchange is through a scholarship which covers a return flight to Germany for Australian students as well as a week long camp in Berlin. Scholarships are provided by sponsor organisations from both Australia and Germany. Every year, GASS Victoria provides a scholarship for a Victorian student as well as a scholarship for a German student every second year. SAGSE's role is primarily to liaise with sponsor companies as well as handling the travel arrangements for the students. Each year approximately 30 students in years 11 and 12 from Australia are selected by SAGSE through an application and interview process to participate in the 10-week exchange.

Students leave Australia in late November and return in February having experienced a German winter and life in a German family. Whilst in Germany they are expected to attend school regularly, and also participate in other activites organised by GASS-Germany. These include a five-day camp, and a trip to Berlin.

SAGSE was founded in Melbourne in 1967 by the late Fritz von Einem Joosten, a German businessman who had been seriously wounded while fighting on the Russian Front and who emigrated to Australia soon after the war. He believed such conflicts could be avoided if young people from different countries could meet and learn to understand each other. The Society has now sent more than 1000 students on exchange.