David W. Smith/ Daily NewsWarren Central Junior Edith Guzman, 16, left, and exchange student Frederike Thone, 15, from Werne, Germany walk down the hallways between classes at the school Friday.

Sixteen-year-old Carolin Hermes had never stepped foot in an American high school before Friday, but was surprised to see it “does look like ‘High School Musical.’ ”

The Werne, Germany, student from Anne Frank Gymnasium is one of 18 students visiting Warren Central High School for nearly two weeks as the first leg of exchange between the two schools.

For about a year and a half, students from the schools have been e-mailing and communicating through Facebook after a relationship was established between two teachers.

Last year, Heike Ambrust, an English teacher from the foreign school, visited Warren Central after one of her students came to WCHS through an exchange program and stayed with Suzanne Cecil White, a former Warren Central math teacher.

Ambrust and Cecil White began exchanging e-mails and arranged for several teachers to partner together to teach classes across the globe using the video conferencing Internet program SKYPE.

Ambrust, who has arranged multiple exchange programs with schools in Poland and Switzerland, said she sees the perspective gained by the students.

“It gives them a chance to have a glimpse beyond the horizon of their own country,” she said. “In terms of globalization, it’s what we have to do, is begin getting these young people together … (by) making friends all over the world, it is our contribution to creating peace and understanding between nations more than any political contract can work out.”

Ambrust said helping break down American stereotypes that her students see on TV doesn’t hurt either.

“They see that in high school, students meet at lockers and go to the hallways and have fun,” she said of the TV perception versus “real American life.”

That is a far cry from what the German students said they experience at home. Carolin, who is staying with Warren Central sophomore Lindsey Noltkamper, said schools in Germany don’t have lockers. Rather than students changing classes in the hallways, teachers come to them.

After her first day attending classes with Lindsey, 15, Carolin said she enjoyed seeing how different the environments are.

“I notice in contrast to German students, they get to talk very much and listen to music,” she said. “They don’t allow us to talk to each other (often).”

Warren Central is much larger than the Anne Frank Gymnasium, which has about 830 students serving “year five,” (10-year-olds) through “year 13,” according to Ambrust.

Carolin said she noticed the interaction teachers have with students at Warren Central as they handed out worksheets and allowed students to work in groups. “In Germany, the teacher teaches everything and writes on the board,” she said.

But the German students aren’t the only ones getting a lesson in culture. Lindsey said she learned that her German peers mostly use bikes for transportation.

Breann Sundell, 16, a Warren Central junior, said she was surprised by how much she has in common with Ricarda Rinschede, 16, who is staying with her.

“We have the same style and like the same music,” Breann said. “I didn’t expect her to be as much like me. She’s really cool and I’m glad she’s staying with me.”

Dalissa Haas, curriculum coordinator, and Tracey Norman, world civilization teacher at Warren Central, helped organize the visit, which will include Western Kentucky University Homecoming activities this weekend.

The German students will attend all their host students’ classes and will receive a tour of downtown Bowling Green from Mayor Elaine Walker as well as a visit to the National Corvette Museum.

Haas said the teachers are working to make the exchange an annual process, which may involve some of Warren Central’s students traveling across the globe next year.

“I think they are seeing a lot of interesting things and a balance of cliches,” Haas said.