Program Reviews

The Excellence Center is, well, excellent! The atmosphere for students and for volunteers is laid-back and low stress, but you will still learn a lot of German or Arabic by the end of your program. Muaz is a great teaches with a conversational and friendly approach to teaching. Additionally, he teaches all of the lessons at the beginning of your session so you can use what you have learned throughout the rest of the trip. The students who come to the Center are very eager to learn. Most of them speak Arabic and German and want to practice conversational English, which also helps you with your language studies. The Center has the people in its local community, and it is great to be a part of that.

I was in Palestine for five weeks. It has been one of the most wonderful experiences of my lifetime. I have met some incredible people here and have learnt so much about the experiences in the West Bank.

I would thoroughly recommend the programme to anyone who wants to come here to see what it is like. It is incredibly safe here (provided you are sensible), even with everything that has been happening with Iran. It has been an absolute joy to teach English at Al Fawwar camp, the girls there are super special and so sweet. I would also recommend going to Masafer Yatta for a few nights and helping to do the night shifts at the villages (as well as give any donations possible).

A big big thank you to Marwa and Osama for being so hospitable and ensuring that we all had a wonderful experience. I cannot forget to thank my arabic teacher Duha. She truly is the best teacher on the planet. She makes it incredibly fun to come for my lessons.

I decided to travel to Palestine to become involved with community activities and learn about Palestinian culture first hand. It was an overwhelming experience to witness the struggle and beauty of the Palestinian people. Despite the occupation these people continue to stand strong in their spirt and heart. We visited many people who shared their story and how they continue to overcome the many obstacles that most people take for granted. Articulating this experience is extremely difficult. The Palestinian experience is an experience you will never forget. My life has been forever changed and I hope one day to return.

The Excellence Center provided me with a safe environment, advice, laughter and joy of which I will neve forget. I encourage anyone thinking of coming to Palestine to visit the Excellence Center where you will be welcomed like family. I have made many friends in Palestine, local and abroad who will remain in my heart forever.

Thank you to the Excellence Center for all your hard work and generosity and allowing me to experience Palestine in all its beauty. May god bless us all.

I was only able to come for one week but everyone in the program made that one week very worth it. I studied in Halle, and between my host family, cafes, classes, etc. I was totally immersed in a different culture with many opportunities to practice my german. The city is beautiful with lots to do for a student, I watched a german movie in the theater and went to a few of the many museums. Everything is quite affordable. The people in Halle don’t default to English as fast as I’ve heard they do elsewhere. My teacher was patient and attentive and the excellence center provided a sweet and supportive community to return to in a foreign city. I highly recommend this program for anyone looking to learn spoken german (or arabic!) in a very caring and beautiful environment

I had such a great time spending a month with the Excellence Center! Having just graduated from university, I came to volunteer for the Human Rights internship which has been really enriching. I have met so many people working in the field from Palestine, but also lawyers abroad. I got to work on small HR projects, visit refugee camps and have gotten very in touch with overall the situation in Palestine.

I was originally a bit nervous about coming here considering the current tensions but have had such an amazing experience. Everyone in town is so welcoming and the city of Hebron is wonderful and extremely safe. Marwa and Osama have also been so great at making me feel welcome and at home. I've had such a interesting and comfortable time, I truly recommend it!

Coming from Australia in this political climate was a big decision for me but I can safely say that this was the best experience i have ever had in m life. I have made life long friends and gotten everything i hoped for and more out of the program. Hebron feels like a second home for me and the people here are the absolute best, the staff locals and everyone I will never forget. As a law student and aspiring international lawyer i thought it was most important to learn about the places and people that laws effect before I try legislate upon them, this program assisted me in learning about an unbiased review of what the situation is like here and how people like myself can actually assist these amazing people. I hope to be back soon and I will miss this place and the people very very much.

This was my second visit to Halle and the Excellence center and this time I brought my brother with me to learn Arabic! The community is so welcoming and fun and it really is a LOW STRESS environment ;) I loved spending time getting to know Halle and the people at the center and I felt like I belonged even in a foreign country. Breakfasts with the group were my favorite part of the day as well as teaching and preparing my lessons for my students. Overall a fantastic experience and I look forward to returning!

I've enjoyed my time studying Arabic a lot! The classes were intensive which means we made a lot of progress in only four weeks. My teacher was the sweetest and I had a great time with her.

I fell in love with the city of Hebron which is so welcoming and safe. I felt right at home!

The apartment for women is very new and was a great place to live during my time in Hebron. Sometimes the power/water/wifi turns off, but that usually doesn't last long and has not been a problem for me at all.

Hopefully I'll be back in Hebron soon!

The Excellence Center provides such a fun, safe, and educational experience for all that volunteer. Through the experiences I’ve had with them, I can consider Palestine a 2nd home for me. Everyday I felt safe and excited as I looked forward to what new lessons to teach and activities to participate in. The teachers are amazing and the organizers are awesome. When I was here, I knew my safety was their utmost importance and my experience was ensured to be great. I have more trips here planned. This was my second. So excited

This was a really lovely opportunity to get a foot into the community with a supportive organization in order to branch out and learn more about the community. The Arabic classes were super helpful and informative. There were opportunities to talk to local community members to get a better understanding of the social-political situation from a local and global perspective.

In terms of safety, Israeli soldiers walk through the city sometimes. On Saturdays, the settlers walk through the Old City and the IDF will clear the streets during that time. It is best not to aggravate the soldiers as this can make things more difficult for those who live in the area in case retaliation occurs.