In Dortmund, the Auslandsgesellschaft.de (Foreign Institute) is responsible for fostering the sister city relationship and receives funding from the city to do so. In contrast, in Buffalo, it is individual volunteers from the Buffalo-Dortmund Sister City Committee who work on a voluntary basis to support the exchange programs.
Contact in Buffalo: Amy Lynn Hardy
Amy Lynn serves as the American program director and the primary contact for cooperation partners, interested participants, host families, and German exchange students in Buffalo. Her responsibilities include recruiting host families, organizing weekend excursion programs, and coordinating with Buffalo high schools that host German exchange students.
Amy understands the value of international experiences firsthand. At age 18, she spent a year in Germany on a scholarship. A few years later, she lived in Bremerhaven for 11 years, teaching at a local school.Today, Amy works as a German and Spanish teacher at St. Joe’s Collegiate Institute. She is also a writer and educational content creator.
Since 2024, she has served as the program coordinator for the Buffalo-Dortmund student exchange.
Contact Information
buffalodortmundexchanges@gmail.com
716-399-0262 (weekdays after 3:00 p.m.)
Contact at Auslandsgesellschaft (Foreign Institute)
Margarethe Thomas and Norena Kunter are the primary contacts at the Auslandsgesellschaft in Dortmund. They communicate with parents in Germany and coordinate all necessary arrangements to ensure the program runs smoothly. Their responsibilities include managing applications from potential guest students, arranging necessary insurance and vaccinations, organizing the group’s travel, and planning the pre-program activities in New York.
Our services
To help exchange students prepare for their upcoming experience, we organize an annual preparation weekend in May focused on cultural and linguistic readiness before departure.
Students will participate in workshops and activities designed to deepen their understanding of German or American customs, traditions, and everyday life.
This preparation not only enhances their ability to navigate daily interactions but also helps them connect more meaningfully with their host families and the local community.