I’ve had an absolutely incredible time at the Excellence Centre in Europe! Throughout my time in Halle, I’ve had so many incredible opportunities and such a huge variety of invaluable experiences. After initially enjoying the sociability of the shared accommodation, I have more recently had the opportunity to stay with a wonderful host family for my final two weeks, through which I think my spoken German has improved considerably! Combining German lessons with teaching English has also been incredibly rewarding, while also leaving me with lots of free time to explore, both locally and further afield (the public transport is excellent!!!). Weekend trips to Berlin and Dresden were particular highlights, and with Leipzig just a 20 minute train journey away, I’ve had lots of opportunities to explore the region’s various Christmas markets and football stadia! As a keen musician, it was also amazing to spend long enough here to persuade the organist of the Marktkirche (Market church) to entrust me with the key to Handel’s original organ- not a bad place to do some practice! Overall, I’ve had an absolutely fantastic time and am so grateful to Rafat, Muaz, Dusan, Enrico and everyone at the Excellence Centre for their warm welcome and incredible generosity, not to mention fantastic food both every morning at breakfast and in the evenings when we all gather to say goodbye to departing volunteers!

My experience has been absolutely amazing. I didn’t just learn a lot about Germany, but also about the experiences of refugees here, which gave me such an important perspective. Big thanks to Muaz—he’s an awesome teacher and mentor, and he really helped me improve my German.

Life in Halle was great. There’s so much to do, and the schedule gives you plenty of time to enjoy it all. Weekends are free, and I highly recommend traveling whenever you can—it’s encouraged and totally worth it!

One of the best parts was meeting so many new people and making great friends along the way. It’s such a unique experience to connect and bond with people from all over the world, and those relationships make the whole experience even more special.

The accommodation was comfortable overall, though it could be a bit better when it comes to space. That said, it was still a nice place to live.

Teaching English was a bit tricky at first since there wasn’t much guidance on how to go about it. It took me a little time to find my rhythm, but once I did, it became a really rewarding part of the experience.

All in all, this was an incredible journey, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking to grow, learn, and connect with amazing people.

My experience has been absolutely amazing. I didn’t just learn a lot about Germany, but also about the experiences of refugees here, which gave me such an important perspective. Big thanks to Muaz—he’s an awesome teacher and mentor, and he really helped me improve my German.

Life in Halle was great. There’s so much to do, and the schedule gives you plenty of time to enjoy it all. Weekends are free, and I highly recommend traveling whenever you can—it’s encouraged and totally worth it!

One of the best parts was meeting so many new people and making great friends along the way. It’s such a unique experience to connect and bond with people from all over the world, and those relationships make the whole experience even more special.

The accommodation was comfortable overall, though it could be a bit better when it comes to space. That said, it was still a nice place to live.

Teaching English was a bit tricky at first since there wasn’t much guidance on how to go about it. It took me a little time to find my rhythm, but once I did, it became a really rewarding part of the experience.

All in all, this was an incredible journey, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking to grow, learn, and connect with amazing people.

I had a fantastic time volunteering to learn German and teach English at the Excellence Centre in Europe (Halle, Germany).

Each weekday started with a delicious communal breakfast prepared by our hosts, creating the perfect setting to connect with fellow volunteers and staff. The breakfast was followed by a mix of teaching English, learning German, and plenty of free time to explore the charming city of Halle. The supportive community atmosphere at the Centre was balanced with a great deal of independence, allowing me to develop my own lessons and explore local culture.

German lessons with Muaz were a highlight — his engaging and clear teaching style is truly magical. On the other hand, teaching students at the centre was very rewarding. It was wonderful to build people-to-people connections and see people come out of their shells as their confidence in communicating in English increased.

The sense of camaraderie with my fellow volunteers was strong, especially during farewell meals and group outings. I also really appreciated that, as a solo female traveller, I felt not only safe but also supported and inspired by the other volunteers I stayed in the dorms with. Rafat has built something truly special here, and I would wholeheartedly recommend this program!

I was looking for an in-country German course to improve my language skills but found much much more at the Excellence Centre. As a retiree amongst mostly gap year overseas students, I was welcomed with open arms and made to feel part of the extended family. I had the opportunity to teach conversational English to a young refugee school student, which was a pleasure and we had many laughs! My German lessons were also made entertaining by Moaz and the other students, in my mind the best way to learn and improve! The support provided by the centre went over and beyond. I felt really well cared for and appreciated by everyone. It is a place and experience I now hold close to my heart. If chance comes my way again, I would love to return for more.

I wasn't sure what to exactly expect when I signed up for 2 weeks of learning German and Teaching English at the Excellence Center in Halle. Being a slower season, the program wasn't as intensive as I had anticipated in either learning or teaching, but what I hadn't anticipated was how enriching it turned out to be in other ways. I did love the German lessons with Muaz and the other volunteers, knowing what I know now I definitely would have signed up for extra hours. I also absolutely loved working one-on-one with the students teaching English and wish I could have continued to see their progress!

Most surprising was how I was able to bond with the other volunteers, even with such an age difference, I found getting to know them, and sharing my stories, as well as the connections we made with Rafat and the staff at the Excellence Center helped to make me feel like a part of something special and in such a short amount of time!

And, Halle! What a beautiful city! Great people, food and culture. It is a warm and diverse city, with many great museums and historical sights to fill any extra time I may have had.

The program and the city have a special place in my heart and I hope to return one day.

I had a wonderful time at the Excellence Center in Halle! I experienced something not only of German culture, but also of cultures from around the world, hearing the stories of staff, volunteers and students. It's a place where everyone is made to feel welcome.

A typical weekday begins with a tasty communal breakfast, providing a chance to get to know other volunteers and staff at the centre, then perhaps one or two teaching sessions and a German lesson. This leaves plenty of time to explore Halle, as well as to prepare for lessons. We would also go out for lunch or dinner together to say farewell to anyone leaving! There's a real sense of community, but you also have a lot of independence.

It is largely up to you to organise your own teaching once you've been allocated pupils. I had 4 (including a pair of siblings, so 3 classes), each of whom I saw 2-4 times a week. Having no prior experience, I was a bit daunted by the prospect of teaching, but soon found myself really enjoying it! I did feel that the centre could provide more teaching resources, guidance and records of what pupils have covered, but I picked things up from talking to other volunteers and Rafat was always more than happy to answer any questions! Teaching one-to-one also made things a lot easier and I planned a range of activities according to age and ability, as well as simply conversing with students. Overall, I really enjoyed teaching, and felt I learnt a lot in return!

German lessons with Muaz were also great. They were fun and relaxed whilst teaching me a lot and helping to increase my confidence speaking. Mine were one-to-one, though they could also be in a small group. Muaz was very creative and activities ranged from discussing issues in Germany to a mock job interview, and from reading and writing exercises to a walk around town!

My accommodation was an apartment shared with other volunteers, just 10 mins' walk from the Excellence Center. I'd hoped to be with a host family so that I could practise more German, but was actually happy that I ended up in the apartment as it meant I had more freedom and time to socialise with other volunteers. The apartment itself was quite nice, with plenty of space and a view right across the city from the balcony!

The city of Halle definitely exceeded my expectations. It's really beautiful, with lots of historic buildings and interesting shops and museums, as well as green areas by the river. Its relatively small size means you can easily get around on foot. I also went on a trip to Leipzig (only a 30 min train ride away) at the weekend.

In conclusion, I have no regrets about having come to Halle! It's definitely worth doing at least two weeks, or longer, so you have time to settle in and develop more meaningful relationships with your students and other volunteers. I would thoroughly recommend this program to anyone who'd like to meet some amazing people from many different backgrounds, get involved with the local and immigrant community and explore a beautiful part of Germany!

I recall the moment when I first walked upstairs into the Excellence Center, having just arrived from Berlin. An incredibly friendly, long-haired man by the name of Muaz welcomed me to the center, followed by Rafat himself.

How should I describe Rafat? If I had to use a singular word I would use unique. Unique in the sense that he’s a Palestinian living in Germany, unique in that he had a dream to create a center where English speakers could teach their mother tongue to refugees. However, what is most unique about him is his unbridled and unrestricted kindness. Rafat is the type of guy who, never having met you before, will offer you tea the moment you step into the center. Personally, I had to split up my stay into two separate segments due to unforeseen circumstances, and Rafat assured me that he would accomodate my needs.

As for Muaz, he’s a teacher whose talents know no limits. I am half-German myself and therefore I know the elementary components of the language. Muaz, within our first lesson, grasped my proficiency level. From then on, he continued to teach me parts of the language related to my desire to study at a German university. We talked about anything and everything within our lessons, and it was honestly the first time I had fun while learning a language.

A small shoutout to Dušan, who is the one of the workers at the center. He’s from Serbia and the conversations we had in Serbo-Croatian made me feel at home. He’s an incredibly affectionate and intelligent individual whose presence lightens up the place.

Ali, one of the Arabic teachers at the center, is someone who intrigues you upon first sight. His outfits will convince you that you’re in Paris rather than Halle, and his fluency in 4+ languages will always serve as an example for the volunteers and students alike.

At first, I felt very frightened by the prospect of teaching given my lack of experience. However, I would say at this point that teaching English was my favorite part of the whole experience, as not only did it improve my German (most of the students speak at least some German), but it allowed me to have a deeper glimpse into the struggles that Ukrainian and Syrian refugees go through in their desire to live a better life in Germany. My students were excellent and I would say that the learning was reciprocal. They learned from me as well as vice versa.

There are several living quarters. I stayed at the “dream house,” where there are three bedrooms and six beds total (two per each). There’s two bathrooms (only one with a toilet, though), a kitchen, and a living room. It’s quite nice and I would say it allowed me not only to see Halle from above (it’s on the fourth floor of an apartment building), but also socialize with the other volunteers.

The only thing that I want to put out a notice for is the organization of one’s stay here. Depending on whether one is doing an intensive learning course will determine whether one also teaches. The methodology and scheduling of teaching are entirely up to the volunteers, although just ask the workers for a little help and they will certainly give it.

Overall, Halle beat all of my expectations and I would highly recommend my stay here. I would particularly like to thank everyone I volunteered with.

P.S. You’re my brother Hugh (I like this guy) !!!