New Collaboration between DSS and GIST
Toronto, September 20, 2025 – Deutsche Sprachschulen (Metro Toronto) Inc. (DSS) and the German International School Toronto (GIST) celebrated the beginning of a landmark cooperation today. Going forward, DSS will use the facilities of GIST – a step that further strengthens the German-speaking educational and cultural landscape in Toronto. The partnership was officially launched in a festive ceremony, symbolized by the cutting of a red ribbon.
German Consul General Anne Wagner-Mitchell emphasized that Germany’s strength is reflected above all through soft power, which becomes visible in education and cooperation.
Ilka Guttler, representing the GIST Board, stressed the importance of collaboration, noting that especially in times like these, cultural and educational institutions should not see themselves as competitors but as partners.
Florian Nestmann of the Central Agency for Schools Abroad (ZfA) referred to former Chancellor Willy Brandt’s words, “Now grows together what belongs together”. He highlighted that GIST and DSS have moved closer together over the past year, and that this process has now resulted in a sustainable partnership.
DSS Chair Lars Kasper noted that the cooperation is not only about learning the German language but also about creating a home, both linguistically and as a community.
With this new partnership, GIST and DSS are sending a strong signal for the future of the German language and culture in Toronto.