Before I came to the Excellence Center, I was somewhat concerned. It was the first solo trip I would take, the first time I would be alone in a country, and many other ‘firsts’ of an anxiety provoking nature. Nearly all of this anxiety was done away with the moment I entered
my shared accommodation and met my fellow volunteers, and it was fully put to bed the next morning, when I walked into the Center for the first time.
My time at The Excellence Center has been a real joy, a sentiment originating from every part of the program. The Center’s staff are all super. They were incredibly kind and welcoming to me from before I even got to Halle, to when I landed in Germany and Rafat reached out to help me get to my flat (even on an early Sunday morning), and then every subsequent day. The Excellence Center does not suffer from a large gap between the volunteers and the staff; we all eat breakfast together every morning, we talk throughout the day, and we have regular group activities, like lunches, trips, and even music lessons. These activities are a wonder for
developing an incredibly close community; even though many of the volunteers before me had
known each other for weeks or months, within fifteen minutes I was talking to them as though I had not just gotten off the airplane. The Center feels incredibly intertwined with the community; people from in and around Halle regularly come in to receive (or in some cases, give) lessons. The staff are all remarkably well connected and seem to know the entire city by name, always giving a wave or a hello when they walk by.
Teaching at the Center was a great experience. All of my students were kind, intelligent, engaged, funny, and happy to be there. The Center provides a very nice balance between structure and freedom: on the one hand, we have endless resources in the form of the
experienced teachers at the center who can always give advice when it is requested. On the other hand, we have the freedom to build and run our own lessons, a task that, while daunting, was
interesting and fun.
The relationships built with the other volunteers really held the program together. We all became very close: many hours were spent playing card games or trying riddles or magic tricks
to fool each other. We ate meals together all the time; once a week, we would do a meal swap, where one apartment would cook a meal for the other. The extreme closeness made for a certain amount of sadness when inevitably someone would have to leave; but the constant arrivals made sure that there was always a steady stream of wonderful people to meet.
The Excellence Center has truly been a wonderful experience; from the staff to the students to the volunteers to the city itself, I have enjoyed every moment of my time here.

I spent 2 of the best months of my life at the Excellence Centre in Halle. Firstly, the centre is such a wonderful and welcoming place - everyone is made to feel so valued and loved and it’s such a joy eating together, making jokes or playing games. Teaching English is such a genuinely rewarding experience, even with no prior experience, and you really do get out of it what you put in. Secondly, I have had the privilege to get to know some of the kindest and most interesting people I’ve ever met. From the staff at the centre to the other volunteers to local uni students, I never would have imagined forming such strong bonds in such a short amount of time, but I am leaving Halle with lifelong friends and memories. I would highly recommend this program to absolutely anyone, it will easily be one of the best experiences of your life! Thank you for everything habibis, I miss you all and I hope with all my heart that we will meet again!

I had an absolutely amazing time teaching English and learning German at my time here at the Excellence Center. I did the 3 week program and wish I would have stayed for longer. I usually taught 3 or 4 English lessons a weeks and had 3 hours of German class. I loved my German lessons with Muaz because he made them very interactive and fun. Everyone I met at the Center is so incredibly nice and care about all the people involved in the programs. My favorite part of the program was connecting and hanging out with the other volunteers. We really bonded together and had a great time sharing our cultures. I 100% recommend this program to anyone!

The Excellence Centre is a welcoming place to volunteer and leave a lasting, meaningful impact on your students. From the moment you arrive, the kind and attentive staff make you feel instantly at home. While the volunteer experience itself is unparalleled, the connections you make with fellow volunteers and the dedicated team are what truly make it worthwhile. Every morning, we shared breakfast and discuss our teaching schedules, bond, and share a few laughs. I also had the opportunity to study German with Muaz, who was an outstanding and patient teacher. A longer stay will greatly improve your language skills, but even a short visit equips you with the conversational basics. Rafat, the Centre’s manager, is incredibly helpful in organizing your teaching schedule and always fun to chat with. Ultimately, a journey here is a fantastic opportunity to help others learn English while becoming part of a caring, tight-knit community.

I am Costa Rican and I was at The Excellence Center for one month, which was an overall great experience. I’m so glad to have found it, because there are not many options of an internship in Germany for people over 50. I was able to improve my German and to help others learn English, along with other volunteers that became dear friends. Rafat, Dušan and Muaz help you in those first days, when everything is new. They are wonderful, kind people, who want to help others. During each of the 3-day-long weekends, I visited other cities: Berlin, Leipzig, Erfurt, Munich, Postdam, Merseburg and others. Plus, Halle is a beautiful city as well. Germany has amazing places that are all worth visiting. The shared accommodation was very convenient and nice. I fully recommend coming to The Excellence Center in Europe.

It has been a genuinely unforgettable experience. I have loved the communal and familial environment around the Excellence Center, especially the shared breakfasts with Rafat, Muaz, and the other volunteers (ex: Meghan and Sam). It gives you a beautiful opportunity to get to know new people, learn about each others' culture and always start the day with a smile.

Teaching English has also been a great experience as through one to one lessons, and greater proximity to the student, enables you to create a more personal connection, tailor the lesson to their likings, get to know a new culture through their perspective, and make a more impactful difference.

Learning German with Enrico has also been great, moving the lesson focus to a topic I was personally interested in: history.

It has truly been a culturally enriching experience that I entirely recommend and am grateful for the kindness of the people I have met. I hope that if you're reading this you also have the opportunity to experience what I have experienced.

I stayed at the Excellence Center in Halle for almost three months and it has been a wonderful experience. Each morning, the center eats breakfast together, where you get to know the other volunteers, Rafat, and Muaz. I taught one on one English and German classes to the most amazing students, all of whom I will miss dearly. Watching your students gain confidence in a new language is amazing to see, and their hard work and enthusiasm is contagious. I also took Arabic classes with Muaz, who is hands down one of the best Arabic teachers I have ever met. He is an incredible story teller and makes every lesson engaging and memorable. Learning another language can be intimidating, but he is so supportive and will become your biggest cheerleader. Outside of classes, volunteers participate in many events such as youth programs hosted by the center, dinners, and cooking. I was encouraged to participate in a week long program on diversity, discrimination, and integration hosted for students from a Dutch college, where I learned a lot from the students, the staff at the center, and locals. I also learned how to make falafel and helped prepare food for Iftar a few times. Volunteers are free to explore Halle and the surrounding cities. The other volunteers and I often went on little trips on the weekends or explored Halle. I made some wonderful friends both inside and outside of the center and I am so grateful that I found the Excellence Center. Not only have I found a family in Halle and with the center, but it has also helped provide me with clarity in what I want to do in the future. I'm sad to be leaving the center, and will remember my time here fondly. To anyone debating volunteering here – do it!

I have had a great time during my 8 weeks at the Excellence Centre. The breakfasts in the morning are a great opportunity to start the day & helped to build a sense of friendship & community amongst the volunteers. Moaz is an excellent Arabic teacher who is both knowledgeable about the Arabic language & Middle Eastern culture making the lessons fun & informative. The centre provides many opportunities to meet lots of people which has by far been the highlight of my time here. Halle is a friendly & diverse city with a variety of areas to explore whilst being well-connected to bigger cities such as Berlin and Leipzig. Overall, I cannot recommend working with the Excellence Centre enough. You will have lots of good experiences & meet some very kind people.