Becky Clause, a student at C. Milton Wright High School, jumped at the chance to have her face painted like a butterfly in the colors of the German flag.

“I’ve never had my face painted before, so this is awesome,” she said, as streaks of black, red and yellow were painted on her face.

Clause is one of nearly 950 middle and high school students from the Baltimore area who participated in the 13th annual German-American Day, organized by Foreign Languages Professor Mohamed Esa.

“I hope this will open students’ minds and hearts to other cultures, to those who are different, who speak another language or are an immigrant,” says Esa. “The most important thing in life is to have an open mind.”

The students attended workshops about life and culture in German-speaking countries – on subjects ranging from cheese making to Sigmund Freud. This year, as every year, a Holocaust survivor gave a lecture about his experiences. New courses included “Austria in the European Union,” “VW TV Commercials from 1988-Present,” “Mad King Ludwig’s Castles” and a course on face painting,

The ethnic celebration commemorating the achievements of German-Americans has been formally observed in the U.S. since 1987.