Welcome to Berlin!

Global Entrepreneurship Session 1 is off to an epic start! Students arrived Sunday morning and wasted no time getting to know each another over icebreakers, card games, and a pizza party at the CIEE Berlin Center. After getting settled in, students enjoyed exploring their new neighborhood and getting acquainted with the local cuisine. There is much excitement about visiting and trying all of the diverse eateries Gneisenaustraße has to offer!

After a Monday morning team breakfast, students learned the ins and outs of their program during orientation, followed by an epic city tour where we explored the heart of Berlin and dived into the history of this famous city. Visiting the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, and the remnants of the Berlin Wall gave students time to reflect on the history and what life would be like growing up on either side of the Wall. Students visited the evocative Holocaust Memorial and the Topography of Terror open-air museum, also using the Berlin Wall as a backdrop.

In the evening, students enjoyed pairing up into small groups and navigating the local supermarket, choosing fresh ingredients to cook and prepare dinner together in the Center. Tuesday morning ushered in the start of Entrepreneurship classes, followed by a visit to Humana, Second Hand & Vintage, a start-up recycle that redistributes apparel for a social purpose. Students did a fabulous job of navigating the U-Bahn, Berlin's rapid transit system, and enjoyed their free time exploring the Berlin Mall and/or the diverse neighborhood cuisine for dinner.