Blake Peters

I am continually excited and inspired by the positive effect learning another language and culture has on a child. 

My dedication to bilingual education dates to my days as a camper, counselor, and dean with Concordia Language Villages in Minnesota.

I joined GIS in 2003 and have devoted my efforts to increasing the school’s support from the local community and the German government, improving the program, and promoting sustainability. The school has become a model for German Schools Abroad in North America and around the world. I am actively involved with the American Association of Teachers of German and have served on its Executive Council. 

I co-authored Gute Idee: A Handbook of Good Ideas for Teachers of German from the Waldsee German Language Village. Born in Michigan, I graduated with degrees in German, Education, and Human Development and Social Relations from Kalamazoo College. I also earned a Master of Arts in German Languages and Literature from Ohio State University. During my undergraduate studies and later as a Fulbright Scholar, I had the opportunity to live and work throughout Germany. 

My wife, Sharon, and I enjoy living in Portland with our two sons, Nathan and Jeffrey, both GIS graduates.