Ceremony dedicates special outdoor sculpture honoring partnership with Homburg, Germany

Mills E. Godwin High School commemorated 30 years of Henrico County’s participation in a German student exchange program Tuesday, with a dedication ceremony unveiling a special outdoor sculpture honoring the county’s longtime exchange partnership with Homburg, Germany.

The 16-foot-tall sculpture, made of thin wooden slats, represents five sails of a ship that connects Godwin High School across the ocean with another sculpture at Christian von Mannlich Gymnasium, a public secondary school in Homburg, Germany, that represents the waves of the Atlantic Ocean. It was created with the help of world-renowned German sculptor Martin Steinert, Godwin’s Advanced Placement art and German-language students and 14 German exchange students who visited the school over the past two weeks.

Once the sculpture was assembled, students wrote messages of hope and unity on the wooden slats.

“I wish everyone of our residents could see the words that the students have put into this project, because I think there are words that we can actually guide a county through, which is basically kindness, love and caring for others,” said Henrico County Manager John Vithoulkas, who was once a German-language student when he attended J.R. Tucker High School. He noted that Henrico County contributes roughly $20,000 every year to the program. “When I see it come out of an exchange program, it’s encouraging.” Vithoulkas noted that he would like to see the program grow.

Joe Ungerleider, Godwin’s German-language teacher and organizer of the exchange, said he is pleased with the outcomes of this year’s exchange.

“It’s about giving us hope and optimism for the future, and you have done that very well,” he told the gathering. He said he gets goosebumps every time he reads their messages on the sculpture. “It really gives me, as an educator, hope for our future and for what you all are capable of doing.”

Godwin art teacher Catie Bare worked with Steinert over several months to plan the design concept.

“A year ago I was offered this opportunity and I ran home to type the proposal out on how we would interconnect,” she said. “And over the last year it’s been a lot of Zoom calls back and forth.”

Bare’s students made small models to build the concept for the sculpture and worked with the English classes to pre-write their messages to put on the sculpture.

The artist then traveled from Germany to work with the students to help build the final product. Steinert told those gathered that the sculpture is more than just an art project.

“It’s a project of great friendship,” Steinert said. “A partnership between these two schools. The exchange of friendship of these young people and their teachers from thousands of miles across the ocean.”

Steinert hopes the sculpture will symbolize the movement of students between the two countries for years to come.

The ceremony was attended by Vithoulkas, Tuckahoe Supervisor Jody Rogish and Henrico School Board representative Marcie Shea. Godwin principal Leigh Dunavant said she feels very fortunate to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience for Godwin students to connect with German students through language, art and culture.

“I am grateful to Martin Steinert, the teachers from Germany and our Godwin teachers for making this possible for the students,” she said.” It’s been a valuable experience.”

Stephan Leonhartt, a teacher and leader of the exchange program in Germany, said that he too hopes to see the program expand, by networking teachers in other subject areas - not just by language-based programs. “We would like to see more pillars that the program could be built on,” he said.

The 14 German exchange students and teachers have spent two weeks staying with host families and experiencing American culture through the high school experience. The delegation attended classes, went to the homecoming game and dance, traveled to Washington, D.C., and experienced things they don’t ordinarily see in their hometown.

Student Ida Leiner said the highlight of her experience was going to the mall and having fun with her host family. “Everyone was really open and glad to meet me, and I was very glad to meet them. I was really fortunate.” She found the milkshakes from Cook Out to be one of her favorite fast foods.