Short Term Volunteer Projects In Germany (1-13 Weeks)

During my time at the Excellence Center, I was able to meet incredible people with unbelievable stories in Halle while travelling all over Europe in my free time. Spending three months at the Center allowed me to get comfortable with my host family in Halle and gave me the chance to meet many incredible international volunteers. I would wholeheartedly recommend the program to anyone who values travel and cultural exchange as I struggle to imagine anywhere else where you could meet so many people from all over the world.

The Center itself is never empty, with students, volunteers and teachers moving in and out and making conversation. The day begins with breakfast where volunteers can prepare and chat before classes begin. The rest of the day is spent teaching or helping around the center; however, schedules are incredibly flexible and largely at the discretion of individual volunteers. I received German lessons every week and had between three and five classes that I taught during the week. Each student at the center is looking for something different so it was important for me to be attentive to what they were asking of me instead of what I wanted to be teaching. I am glad that I spent several months in Halle because initially I struggled to find a good balance for all my lessons but after a few weeks with each student I was much more comfortable and really felt like what I was doing was productive and helpful.

While the Center itself is in a great location, its biggest strength is by far the people working there, from the Host families to the students themselves. The community in Halle is made up of some of the most diligent and kind people I have ever met, and despite my lack of knowledge of both Arabic and German, I was still comfortable around everyone, and they were incredibly welcoming. My host family in particular were incredibly helpful and accommodating, always offering to help with my travel plans or spending the weekends with me going into town or on hikes. Beyond the local community, the center attracts the most incredible people from all over the world. In my three months I saw more than ten volunteers come and go, all of whom had interesting stories and incredible characters. The focus of the Center is on community service and thus attracts kindhearted people, but it was still shocking every time to meet a new person from a different part of the world so devoted to helping a community that they had not been a part of.

One of my personal goals while I was in Germany was to travel as much as possible. Halle is very centrally located and the railroads in Germany allowed me to visit cities all over the continent. After I took a few weeks to get settled and explore Halle, I was able to spend almost every weekend abroad. The volunteer program provides a three-day weekend and with overnight trains and busses, I was able to spend the better part of three days in a new city every weekend. Halle is only a few hours from Berlin, Dresden, and Munich, all of which have massive train stations that can take you to any part of the continent. Before coming to Germany, I had spent very little time travelling in Europe and this program turned out to be the perfect decision, allowing me to see as much as possible.

Deciding when to begin your program in Halle is very important. I did not have a proper understanding of the German winter and began my program in February, expecting to have mostly spring weather by the middle of March. In reality it was still winter up until mid-April this year so if I were to go back, I would have started my program a bit later in the year. I was able to experience easter in Germany and Austria however, as I spent the holiday with my host family and the easter markets in Halle and Vienna were filled with food and souvenirs. If possible it would also be helpful to start when you know others will be at the center. There are many more volunteers in the Summer and it is a great time to go, but when I arrived I was the only volunteer for the first week and it made it a bit harder to get accustomed to the new environment.

Ultimately my most valuable memories from the center are all the incredible people that I met and the stories that I heard. Hearing about the journeys of refugees is a sobering experience but one that I think is important for people like me, who have little exposure to it in America, to have. The refugee community in Halle continues to look forward though and is made up of some of the happiest and most positive people I have ever met. People like my teacher Muaz, the head of the Center Rafat, and volunteers like Salma Lamsaouri make the Excellence Center in Halle one of the most incredible places I have ever been.

I am so glad I had this experience. Everyone at the centre was so welcoming in sharing their culture with anyone who was interested. Teaching English was so rewarding and I felt like I really made a strong bond with all of my students. My German lessons were fun, useful and I had the loveliest teacher. I came to the centre during Ramadan and was so surprised how open people were in inviting into their homes for Iftar. Halle is such a pretty city with a lot to offer being so close to Leipzig and Berlin, there was so much to explore

When I first arrived at the EC, I was nervous that I would not know where to go or what to do, but Salma quickly introduced me to everyone. I felt welcomed and I got instructions as to where I would stay, what I would do and I even got a nice tour of the city! As a volunteer teaching English, my days were busy but not too busy to have time to visit other cities on the weekend. I was able to fix my own schedule with my students and decide on what would fit best for both of us. We have a nice breakfast every morning with other volunteers or students or people who work at the center and we exchange our thoughts, our cultures and our hobbies! So many people come and go, but you get to share memorable times with them :) I really recommend coming here, Halle is a nice city, so beautiful and full of lively people! My experience has been awesome and I felt like I made a difference by teaching English !

During my 2 weeks in the Excellence Center everyone I have met has been welcoming and incredibly generous. The atmosphere in the centre perfectly mixes the work and social lives of the volunteers. Teaching my students was incredibly rewarding and I have learnt so much about other cultures and experiences. As I am on my gap year I would definitely recommend this program to anyone else doing one. The city of Halle is great for sight seeing and there is always something going on. The centre is located in central Halle so the location is perfect for transport to and from the whole city.

This center has the most wonderful bunch of people who work and volunteer. Everyone at the center is welcoming and helpful. I was a little nervous about not having enough experience because I was joining the "Teaching English" program, but the center provides you with all the resources and information you need to teach. I learned a lot about teaching during my stay at the excellence center. I definitely recommend The Excellence Center to everyone who is interested. The center welcomes everyone, from solo travelers to families, experienced and inexperienced!

We were only able to come assist and be in Halle for a week but the staff were very accommodating and welcoming of our circumstances. Every person here has built a tight-knit but friendly community and you will have an amazing experience learning, teaching and eating with volunteers, staff and students alike!

Halle is also a wonderful city and public transport is very straightforward to use and get around with! We were able to go between Berlin and the Center for a good price! You will also have no shortage of people who are willing to help you here, but I would recommend at least teensy bit of German to get around!

I have loved my experience at the Excellence Center, I have learned so much about the refugee experience in Halle, and German/Syrian culture. I stayed with a host family, who were extremely welcoming and generous, and I felt well supported by everyone at the Center. There were lots of opportunities to socialise with the other volunteers and colleagues. I would recommend the program to anyone who wants to learn German/Arabic, teach motivated students, try delicious food, and travel - Halle is well situated for visiting European cities at the weekends.

My experience at the Excellence Centre in Halle was fantastic. I was very impressed by the way Rafat and Radwan manage the centre. They are extremely welcoming and caring.

I have enjoyed every part of my stay in Halle :
I had never taught English to people not speaking my native language, especially children but the students are so motivated that it is a real pleasure. As we teach 1 to 1 or very small group I have been able to get to know my students and their aspirations.
I have learned so much about the refugees' situation in Halle and more broadly in Germany thanks to all the discussions with the students, team members and presentations made by other volunteers on internship programmes.

My host mum was also extremely nice and shared a lot with me and the other volunteer she hosted. She included us to her life so naturally. We have met her friends and family, cooked together, spent hours talking and watching movies.. and all in German, it was just perfect !

I cannot believe how many friends I made in such a short period of time. I will definitely come back and hope to see my little students in France one day.

My recommendation: do not waste any minute. Time flies. Be proactive and do not wait for things to happen. People here have so much to offer !