High School Friedrich II. is a co-educational secondary school that includes grades 5 through 12 and leads to the Abitur, the German diploma certificate for high schools, and prepares students for university study or for responsible positions in the workforce and society. The school has 560 students taught by 51 teachers in 24 classes. The school building, designed by architect Guenther Behnisch and his staff, is recognized as an architectural landmark. Lorch (Ostalbkreis) is a town of about 11,000 inhabitants situated at the foot of the Swabian Alb 40 kilometres east of Stuttgart, the capital of the federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, in Southwestern Germany. Most of the town’s residents work in the local industries, in commerce or in trade. Although the number of people working in agriculture has decreased in the last decades, Lorch is still a rural community. Lorch was founded in the 12th century by members of the imperial house of the Staufer. The monastery, located on a hill to the north of the city, still offers evidence of that era, as does the name of the school itself. High School Friedrich II. has been a GAPP school since 2011. It is an exemplary program, facilitating around 30 German and 30 American students every other year through the exchange. The program includes an exciting and educational experience for the American students and their teachers, e.g.:Trip to Lorch Monastery, trip to Schorndorf, all day trip to Stuttgart trip to Schwäbisch Gmünd with pool party, all day trip to Tübingen with Gondola Boat ride and Bear Cave tour, Sky Park adventure and a Farewell BBQ.