FAQ – Questions and Answers about Partnerschulnetz

What is Partnerschulnetz.de?
Partnerschulnetz.de is a virtual partner exchange developed in the context of the initiative "Schools: Partners for the Future" of the Federal Foreign Office. It provides German schools and schools outside Germany with the opportunity to approach international long-lasting partnerships.

Who is Partnerschulnetz.de for?
German schools as well as foreign schools from all over the world (no matter which school type) can register on Partnerschulnetz.de and start developing a long-lasting school partnership. It is open to anyone, not only to the network of schools of the initiative “Schools: Partners for the Future”.

How does Partnerschulnetz work?
The partner exchange will help you to: 

• get an overview of the schools already registered;
• register your school and create a school profile where you briefly introduce your school and describe your suggestions for school projects as well as your requirements concerning the partner school;
• find a partner school after you have registered – there are two ways: you either choose a suitable school from the list of schools on the page ‘School search’ and then contact the school, or you obtain a contact request from a school and answer it;   
  
• after that, you can discuss a partnership with the school you contacted and work on the partnership together.

Do I have to pay for the use of Partnerschulnetz.de?
No, the use of Partnerschulnetz.de is free of charge.

How can I find a school that will suit my needs? 
You can view the number of schools already registered by moving the cursor across continents on the page ‘School search’. If you want to look for a potential school partner, you can make use of the search engine that includes all schools registered. For that you either click on one of the continents or you fill in search criteria such as “school type”, “country” etc. You will obtain a list of schools according to your criteria. By double clicking on the name of the listed schools, you will obtain some information about them.

How can I get in contact with a school that I am interested in?
If you wish to contact one of the schools you will have to register on Partnerschulnetz.de first. Only then will you be able to access further school related information as well as personal data of the potential partner school, enabling you to get in contact.

I have not registered yet, but I still want to know something more about the schools that are in the school database already.

Every visitor of  Partnerschulnetz.de has got access to a brief introduction of each school. However, the detailed school profiles and the possibility to contact a school is only reserved for registered users. 

What is the purpose of the school profile?
Through the school profile, you introduce your school and at the same time enable other schools to get an accurate picture of your school and your ideas as to a future partnership. The more precise and up-to-date your data is, the greater is your prospect to find a new partner school!

Who is responsible for the contents in the school profiles?
The users themselves are responsible for what appears in their school profiles. The PAD does not verify the information given by the schools.  

How will I find a partner school?
You have to register first. For that, you will need a username and a password. After you have sent your registration, you will automatically obtain an e-mail from the Partnerschulnetz system. Please do not forget to confirm the link you will find in the e-mail. You will then be able to log in to Partnerschulnetz.de, create your school profile and find a suitable school which you wish to contact.

How do I register as a school searching a new partner school?
If you want to use the complete service of Partnerschulnetz.de, you have to open your own user account. You will find a registration form under ‘Registration’. As soon as you have filled in the form and clicked the ‘SEND’ button you will obtain an e-mail. You will find a link in the e-mail which you have to confirm in order to finally activate your account. The whole procedure is described in a users manual (link) step by step. After that you can log in with a username and a password and complete your profile with a picture and some additional information.