Program Reviews

The Excellence Centre in Europe was one of the most incredible opportunities I have and perhaps will ever have.

Arriving in Germany not really knowing what to expect, I found myself living with six other amazing roommates in what was already well known as "The Dream House". So many wonderful memories were made with those people in particular, especially chatting on the balcony and cooking together.
I was still unsure what to expect from the Centre itself when I arrived there the next morning, but the surprise was a pleasant one. Breakfast every morning was a great opportunity to try new food and meet more people... especially because the faces are always changing! My first Arabic lesson sparked a fire that will hopefully fuel me to reach fluency in a beautiful language, taught by amazing, patient, intelligent teachers.
Teaching English to a range of students with varying social and linguistic background was a great pleasure. I got to explore their culture as well as teaching them about my own, whilst testing my knowledge of English and the flexibility of my German and Russian. Teaching English from my second languages was a challenge I will never forget, especially because it took place in the friendliest environment in the world!

There is so much more to say, and I don't have the words to convey how incredible the Excellence Centre is. I feel so privileged to have been part of this amazing experience, and hope to return in the future, to rekindle friendships and reunite with people that have, in just a month, become like family.

I've been staying in Halle with the Excellence Center for the past ten weeks and can confidently say it has been one of the most memorable/fulfilling experiences of my life. This was my first time traveling abroad alone which was extremely intimidating, especially considering the significant amount of time I would be staying in Germany. Therefore, upon my initial arrival, I was somewhat shy, but because of the Excellence Center's warm and welcoming environment, my nerves subsided very fast. Through daily breakfasts, weekly football matches, and outside events, I got the opportunity to garner friendships with the staff, fellow volunteers, and students attending the local university.
If I could recommend a summer study program to anyone, it would be the Excellence Center. Whether you have experience speaking German/Arabic or not (I didn't)/experience teaching English or not. Ali and Muaz are extremely talented teachers with the flexibility to accommodate their lesson plans with whatever level of speaking.
All I can say is how grateful I am to everyone I have gotten to share this with and how crucial their role was throughout this entire experience. I can only hope to continue to meet as amazing people as I did this summer <3

My time in Palestine has been incredible. I rode horses at sunrise, interviewed the director of Al-Haq, and established lifelong friendships. I came here with a desire to spotlight Palestinian voices, gain journalism experience, and improve my knowledge of Islam as a Muslim. I have been able to make significant progress toward all of these goals.

It has been hard to get homesick during my time here because so much here reminds me of home. I'm from Virginia in the United States, and Khalil is in every way a Southern town. Nablus reminded me so much of New York City, and the lovely town of Dura is like the Arab sister to my hometown.

It is also much safer here in the West Bank than news reports would have you believe. I have never felt myself to be at risk in any way. The most dangerous thing that happened to me here was accidentally sparking a space heater. I have been content, comfortable, and calm during my time here.

I am very grateful for all I have learned and for all the wonderful people I have interacted with during the short time I volunteered with the Palestinian Excellence Center (PEC). It has been a privilege to work with an organization that is well respected locally and well connected to the community.
Because of my interest in women’s rights and based on listening to the requests of the women we met via the PEC, I was able to create two small projects while in Hebron. The first was to teach professional skills at the Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association. I ran a two-hour workshop on CV preparation and cover letter writing the Association's young volunteers.
My larger project is to help Palestinian women communicate their stories outside of Palestine. This project arose from hearing several women ask us as volunteers to share their stories. I am calling this project Amplifying Palestinian Women’s Voices. Through connections made for me by the PEC, I interviewed six inspiring women from the Old City, the Palestinian government, and the Al Fawwar Refugee Camp. I will translate and edit videos of the interviews into a short, cohesive documentary, allowing women to bring their stories to people across the world.
Fortunately, I have a lot of help with this project. Osama Hussein set-up the interviews and provided important conceptual guidance on the filming and production. Ghalya Abu Omar has been an excellent translator, both in this project and with the professional development course. She also learned to use a camera to record the interviews.
That leads me to reflect on one of my favorite parts of volunteering at the PEC, which is working with young local volunteers. I think the capacity building the center facilitates for young
Palestinians is a very important part of its work, and creating relationships between local and foreign volunteers helps foreign volunteers to better understand Palestinian culture.
I believe I made the most of my short amount of time here. Although I think all volunteers
would like to start working right away, the PEC’s method of scheduling the first week of a
volunteer’s stay with visits to local people and important sites creates perspective that informs further work.
I will miss Palestine very much. I have never interacted with people who are so welcoming, resilient, and kind, and I admire the Palestinian people deeply. I hope I will be able to return and to support people here from afar as well. I’d like to thank the PEC for this incredibly insightful opportunity

I spent a week taking cooking classes and Arabic lessons at the center. My teachers were patient and attentive, and all of the staff were incredibly warm and helpful, always checking in to see how I was doing. I feel like I'm coming away with a lot more Arabic knowledge than I expected in such a short time, and I'm very excited to attempt the delicious Palestinian dishes on my own back home! It was also wonderful to get to experience the city of Hebron, I stayed in an apartment about a 20 minute walk from the center and tried probably every falafel place along the way. Most people I encountered were very friendly and I always felt safe on my walks around the city!

I had an amazing two weeks at the center. I wish I had the time to stay longer, as it was one of the best experiences I've ever had. The people at the center were helpful and encouraging with me as I practiced my Arabic skills. My teacher, Saja, was always available to help and was very patient with my mistakes. She was the best teacher I've had. I learned more about Arabic culture, language and food in two weeks than I had expected to with her help. I got to see the old city of Hebron, and on the weekends had time to visit some of the nearby historical cities like Jericho and Bethlehem. The people in Palestine are some of the most welcoming and nice people I've ever met, and I never felt like I wasn't safe during my time here. Couldn't Recommend more.

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.

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.

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 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!