Our History

In the beginning, GIPA (German International Parent Association) created and ran a Saturday school for German language classes open to the local community. It then worked with Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) to expand the foreign language instruction concept into an International Studies magnet program. It evolved into the IS magnet programs offered today at public schools throughout the Miami-Dade county.

Parents first united in 1986 to provide German language and culture programs for their children growing up in Miami. They established the German School of South Florida Inc. as a non-profit parent organization. These days the parent organization is commonly known as the German International Parent Association (GIPA).
 
While the organization’s mission remains the same, its efforts today primarily focus on supporting and expanding the German international language magnets, GIPA helped the development at Sunset Elementary, G.W. Carver Middle and Coral Reef Senior High schools.

A top priority is to ensure a continued high academic standard and quality German instruction. To accomplish this, GIPA works directly with the M-DCPS, the German government and school administrators. Fundraisers, such as Oktoberfest, bolster its financial ability to provide instructional materials, classroom resources, education seminars for German language teachers, and teacher salary support.

In addition, it organizes German cultural events. Always in focus, the education of children in the German language.