The Excellence Center

Why choose The Excellence Center?

The Excellence Center/Engage in Palestine was established in June 2011 to provide educational, cultural, social, and community services to its diverse group of international students, interns, and volunteers, as well as to Palestinian children, refugees, women and youth in Hebron, West Bank, Palestine.

The ongoing success of the center has pushed us to continue our work in Germany, specifically in the city of Halle. The Excellence Center in Germany started to offer educational and community programs to both locals and internationals in 2018. Both Centers have had a great impact on refugees, children, migrants and members of local communities as well as on the internationals who come from different countries and backgrounds.

The Excellence Center believes strongly in the fundamental role that education plays in the lives of the Palestinian and German communities. To this end, the center will continue to develop and create new programs and activities that further this role.

Website

excellencenter.org

Founded

2011

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Community Photos

Amazing food at the Good-Bye dinner for departing volunteers

With the lovely friends that I made here

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Impact

Ethical Impact

With all our Arabic courses and volunteer programs, we aim to make a long term difference for the Palestinian local community through the exchange of ideas and “walking in each other’s shoes”. Our programs and courses foster shared learning, for both our community and you. During your Arabic course, you will get to learn so much more than just the language. You will also get to learn a lot about Palestinian culture and customs and the political situation in Palestine. Additionally, you will have many opportunities while outside the classroom to practice your Arabic in a natural and authentic way while navigating your new life in Hebron. Your time with us in Hebron will also provide you with many opportunities of cultural exchange and mutual learning, both with local Palestinians as well as with our other international participants.

Reviews

I came to the Center not knowing exactly what to expect. I knew I would stay with a host family, that I would teach English, and that I would learn German, but I wasn't sure about much else. I also didn't know how much the experience would affect me.
I met volunteers and teachers from all over the world, and students with a broad range of experiences, ages, and backgrounds.
In four weeks, I learned more about history, people, and life than I had in more than 50 years prior.
The camaraderie among the volunteers and staff makes the Center a family rather than a group of individuals who work together. Each day starts with a shared breakfast, where conversations can be as simple as how well one slept or as deep as the meaning of culture or the role of language. We share ideas for teaching and learning around coffee or lunch. We play together, whether that means football in the park or D&D around a table.
I loved learning the language and having the opportunity to practice the lessons from my classroom in the real world, but my favorite classes were the field trips. We spent an afternoon in Leipzig at the DDR museum and several classes walking around the city of Halle, learning German vocabulary along with the history of the city.
This was an experience I will never forget, and I hope to be able to return.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?

Be flexible. Be adaptable. Be ready to go with the flow. The Center is constantly changing as are the lives of the people around it. The more you put into your experience, the more you will get from it. Make it what you want it to be and open your heart and your mind to what you can learn.

Pros

Gain friends that become family
Learn more than you can imagine
Eat amazing food

Response from The Excellence Center

Hi Emily,

Thank you for sharing your heartfelt experience, Emily! We're delighted to hear that your time at the Center in Halle, Germany exceeded your expectations and had such a profound impact on you.

It's wonderful that you enjoyed the camaraderie among volunteers and staff, making the Center feel like a family. We're glad you appreciated the shared breakfasts, teaching and learning together, and the fun activities.

It's great to know that the language lessons and field trips enriched your understanding of German and local history.

We're thrilled that you found the experience unforgettable and hope to welcome you back in the future, Emily!

With kind regards from Germany!

By The Excellence Center in Palestine and Europe on July 26, 2024

I spent 4 weeks at the excellence center and can honestly say it has been one of the best experiences of my life. I came to the center expecting to improve my German and teach some English, instead I was given the chance to meet and learn from some amazing people with different cultures and backgrounds.
The immediate environment in the center is warm and welcoming and you are thrown straight into the experience from the start, having breakfast at the center every morning, weekly football matches and spending time in Halle with other volunteers. It is an amazing way to meet new people and friendships are quickly formed.
Those working in the center, Ali, Muaz, Dusan and of course Rafat show their dedication, not only to the volunteers but also the wider community in Halle. My weekly German lessons with Muaz, were not only helpful and educational but always enjoyable and I looked forward to them each week.
Halle is a beautiful city and is in a great location, making other German cities accessible to travel to during the weekends. It is full of culture and amazing food (being a vegetarian here, I have had no issue with options, the falafel is 10/10).
I have loved every minute of my time here and my only recommendation to other people potentially looking to join the center, is to simply go for it. You wont regret it. Whether you speak german or not, have experience with teaching or not (I did not), it doesn't matter and those in the center are always available to help.
Thank you so much to everyone at the center! You have all made my time here unforgettable. The experience i've had here has truly been unique and I can only hope to have similar experiences in the future.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?

Be open minded and simply go for it. It can be daunting at first but everything will work out and you will end up having the most amazing experience!

Pros

Family enviroment
A great way to experience teaching
Relaxed atmosphere in the center with amazing staff

Response from The Excellence Center

Hi Aoibhinn,

Thank you for sharing your incredible experience at the Excellence Center in Europe! We're thrilled to hear that your 4 weeks at the Excellence Center have been one of the best experiences of your life. It's wonderful that you enjoyed improving your German, teaching English, and connecting with amazing people from diverse cultures and backgrounds.

We're glad you found the environment warm and welcoming, and that you enjoyed the activities, from breakfasts and football matches to exploring Halle. It's great to hear that your German lessons with Muaz were both helpful and enjoyable, and that Halle's culture and food made your stay even better.

Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we're happy to know that you felt supported regardless of your language skills or teaching experience. Thank you for your kind words about everyone at the center.

We're delighted that your time here was unforgettable, and we hope you continue to have unique and enriching experiences in the future, Aoibhinn!

Greetings from all of us :)

By The Excellence Center in Palestine and Europe on July 26, 2024

this is my second time visiting the excellence center, and it will not be my last. the first time i worked with the center I worked as an English teacher. I got to learn a lot about the education system and spend time with the local Palestinian kids and learn about their personalities and studying habits. my second time hear i participated in the human rights program. I missed teaching the kids, but with this program i got to learn a lot the history and day to day life of Palestinians. I got to hear stories and see for myself the struggles of the Palestinians suppression and occupation. I was able to visit multiple camps and family homes and learn about their future goals and optimism for a Palestine with no apartheid. The human rights program is a great way to make connections to local people and network with other volunteers to create plans to help the community. I loved my experience here and will be back very soon.

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?

If I was to plan this trip all over again I would only change my flight. One month was not enough time. I have really enjoyed my stay here and wish that I planned to stay here longer. The next time I come I will take this into consideration and plan to stay for the full visa time allotted.

Pros

learning the history of Palestine
the people are very welcoming
being on the right side of history

Cons

the sun!
seeing how the Palestinians are treated differently and worse then others
no one speaks fusha Arabic here

Response from The Excellence Center

Salam SAHNA,

Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience with us! We're thrilled to hear that you've visited the Excellence Center in Palestine twice and plan to return again. Your dedication to both teaching English and participating in the Human Rights Program is truly commendable.

It's great to know that you learned so much about the education system and enjoyed your time with the local Palestinian kids during your first visit. We're also glad that the Human Rights Program provided you with valuable insights into the history and daily life of Palestinians, and that you were able to connect with local people and fellow volunteers.

Your commitment to understanding and supporting the Palestinian community is inspiring, and we're delighted that you had such a positive experience. We look forward to welcoming you back very soon, SAHNA!

With kind regards from Palestine!

By The Excellence Center in Palestine and Europe on July 26, 2024

If you want to volunteer, learn new languages and make new friends, come visit the excellence centre! People here are amazing, friendly and really supportive. It’s the best when you are interested in volunteering with refugees, you’ll learn a lot and gain amazing experiences from the program. Also, the volunteering hours are flexible so you will also get much time to travel around! I would have chosen to stay more than two weeks for a more complete and immersive experience, but my volunteering experience this time is definitely one of the best experiences in my life!

What was your funniest moment?

Being able to teach kids and make new friends

Pros

Getting to know new cultures
Getting to know new people
Learning new languages

Cons

Few teaching opportunities

We met many volunteers from different backgrounds and had German class together. I am a totally beginner of German and the lessons aroused my interests in it. Also, we would have breakfast together almost every morning and it is a good chance to know more about each other. People here are friendly and helpful so they made the experience even nicer. It would be perfect if there are more volunteering opportunities for us. I strongly recommend future volunteers can plan to stay at least 3 weeks here to have more volunteering opportunities. Overall, the experience is unique and meaningful to me.

Response from The Excellence Center

Hi YITING,

Thank you for sharing your experience, YITING! We're thrilled to hear that your German classes sparked your interest in the language and that you enjoyed meeting volunteers from diverse backgrounds. The morning breakfasts sound like a wonderful way to connect and get to know each other better.

We're glad you found everyone friendly and helpful, enhancing your experience. We appreciate your suggestion about more volunteering opportunities and your recommendation for future volunteers to stay at least three weeks.

Your feedback is valuable, and we're delighted that your time here was unique and meaningful. We hope to see you again soon, YITING! Safe travels back home

With kind regards,

Multiple Countries

5.00 •4 reviews

Intensive & Non-Intensive German Courses: There is no finer place to...

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Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Interview

Why did you choose this program?

I wanted to gain experience tutoring, and I wanted to improve my German (which I have studied on and off for 5-6 years). I ended up selecting the Excellence Center in Halle, furthermore, because I wanted to base myself in a city/region of Germany that I had no experience with. The fact that Halle was in the former GDR, which is an area of academic and historical interest to me, made it a particularly appealing choice.

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

My program was not done via a university provider but by direct payment to the Center. In return, the Excellence Center's staff provided me with a place to stay for the duration of the program, as well as German lessons, and breakfast every Monday through Thursday. The other payments were down by cash I carried on hand or by card.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

I wish I had known to memorize some German phrases related to purchasing food or asking for directions ahead of time. More than once, I found myself not knowing how to phrase pretty basic questions and, in those circumstances where the person I was speaking with didn't know any English, it led to me feeling really lost.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

Because the volunteers set their own schedules vis a vis the lessons they teach, there is a lot of variability in the average week, but there are a couple of constants.

Breakfast began every day at 10:00 AM from Mondays to Thursdays.

For once a week for about 90 minutes, sometime between 8:30 AM and 9:30, the center held a communal soccer game.

Classes, be they the language courses that volunteers did in German or Arabic, or the courses that volunteers taught as tutors, almost always lasted 90 minutes.

On occasions when the Center wanted to bid farewell to a volunteer whose time with the program was coming to an end, we would do a communal breakfast or dinner to send them off.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

My biggest worries pertained to my ability to actually effectively teach English to lower-level speakers, as I lacked a language in common with any of my students that I felt I could comfortably default to without a ton of written prompts for guidance. I was, as such, very worried that nothing I taught would actually be conveyed sufficiently.

In truth, I don't think I ever fully "overcame" this worry, so much as that I accepted the fact that, given that the students kept coming to my lessons of their own volition, they were getting something out of their classes, and this helped me worry less about making sure that every single facet of a given lesson plan went perfectly.

Do you have any additional tips for our GO community?

-Be sure to have plenty of cash on hand when you travel. Many shops in Halle don't accept credit/debit card.

-The town's park is very nice, and regularly hosts small music festivals and the occasional street market.

-The Marktplatz near the big church also has various good lunch options.

-Halle is close to a variety of very good tourist spots (Leipzig, Erfurt, Weimar, Berlin, et.al) that are easily accessible by train. Be sure to invest in a membership pass with Deutsche Bahn if you can.

Rosalind Dyveke Dale

2019 Alum

Dana Visalli

Ellen Munk Ebbesen

2016 Alum

Jim Chandler

2015 Alum

Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Many people who come to the Excellence Center with the goal of volunteering to teach English are curious about the teachers.

We thought it would be a good idea to sit down with one of the English teachers at the Excellence Center and ask him a little bit about himself, in order to give those thinking about studying at the Excellence Center a chance to learn a little bit more about the teachers they will encounter and work with in Hebron.

Meet Ibrahim Zahda, who started teaching at the Excellence Center as an English teacher 3 years ago.

What’s your daily routine like?

I split my time between the Excellence Center and a local public school. I’m an English teacher at both locations. Once I finish at the public school, then I head over to the Excellence Center.

View Entire Interview

How do you like working with Palestinian students?

I really like working with them. These kids have something to tell the world. I want to give them the tools they need to deliver our message to the world. That message is simply that we are here and we believe in nonviolent resistance to the Israeli occupation.

How about foreign volunteers?

They help me a lot as teaching assistants. The help they provide basically falls under several levels. First, they empower the idea of volunteering to the students. Second, they help the students with their pronunciation and expose them to the way English is spoken by native speakers.

The cultural aspect of their presence is also important. Volunteers come from all over the world and bring new ideas and concepts to us. It helps the students learn about the ways other people think about problems and give them new perspectives with which to face their challenges. It’s not just the students, teachers also learn in this way from the volunteers.

What’s it like working with Marwa, Khitam, and the other staff members?

The working relationships at the Excellence Center are really great, everyone is kind and everyone is eager to help each other out. The people I work with feel more like family than coworkers.

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

You'll mostly find me playing football and computer games, I’m actually addicted to computer games (laughter).

What do you wish foreign volunteers knew before coming to Hebron?

I think the administration has provided a lot of good information for future and potential volunteers on their website. I would urge them (the volunteers) to learn about the center and its mission.

Most of the volunteers I’ve worked with have had a good idea of that part. Learning about the Palestinian culture beforehand would also be helpful.

What do you think are the biggest challenges for Palestinians trying to learn English?

There is this stereotype that English is an impossible language to learn. That really puts the students at a disadvantage so I try to break that stereotype and tell them that English is just like any other language. It is fun and can be learned.

Another challenge is that public schools in Palestine tend to focus on traditional teaching methods. In fact, newer methods which teach English in a practical way are needed. This is what the center is for, it emphasizes the students' speaking and listening abilities so that they can use English in the real world.

Website

Founded

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Community Awards

Response from The Excellence Center

Response from The Excellence Center

Response from The Excellence Center

Response from The Excellence Center

Alumni Interviews

Nicholas Lecchi

Interview

Why did you choose this program?

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

Do you have any additional tips for our GO community?

Staff Interviews

Ibrahim Zahda

What’s your daily routine like?

How do you like working with Palestinian students?

How about foreign volunteers?

What’s it like working with Marwa, Khitam, and the other staff members?

What do you like to do when you’re not working?

What do you wish foreign volunteers knew before coming to Hebron?

What do you think are the biggest challenges for Palestinians trying to learn English?