Short-Term Volunteer Projects In Palestine In 2025 (1-13 Weeks)

My name is Mats, I’m a Belgian teacher who volunteered as an English language teacher in Hebron, Palestine.
It’s weird to think that it has been 3 months since I last wrote about my experience in Palestine. Back in September I knew very little about this little place called Hebron, apart from what I’ve read in the little research I did.
It’s no secret that the political climate during my stay has greatly changed. For the most part during my stay, there had been no reason for concern and keeping myself to the same guidelines as I follow in all ‘big cities’ has worked out well. What is important to note for future volunteers is that cultural awareness and respect take priority, as well as heeding the advice of the locals and your host family.
Spending my time here as an English language teacher has been a great experience for me personally. In the past 3 months I worked with many of the staff member (although with some not as extensively as I would have liked) and have come to respect them greatly. These are Palestinian teachers who arrive after their regular hours to supplement their already busy schedule in order to help students improve their English, as well as going out of their way to make the various volunteer that come and go feel welcome. Special thanks should go out to Marwa, who not only leads the center but also has taken up the valiant task of trying to teach me Arabic. It did not matter if I failed to do my homework, forgot everything that she fought tooth and nail to teach me or if I had to bug her with another one of my questions, she always went out of her way to offer help with a smile.
The students have, for the most part, been nothing but welcoming and eager. Classes have been hectic at times, especially for the volunteers with little teaching experience, but that’s part of the experience and the regular staff members have always gone out of their way to offer assistance. After my second month I was given my own personal Intermediate 1 class and – while I’ll never say this in the classroom itself – all of them have been such incredible students that I feel proud and privileged to have been their teacher.
As a teacher-volunteer, part of your job will also be to take private classes with 1 or 2 (adult) student. These classes are the ones that are most memorable to me. Khaled and Eiman, the government officials who were always ready with a joke and a story (and the occasional cheating attempt when I was playing some games with them) and Wa’el, the traveling doctor with whom I had countless conversations about life and who taught me so much about Hebron and Palestine, I’ll miss them a lot.
Most of all though, I’ll miss ‘the Sheikh’. He started off as our landlord, since the male volunteers rent out his old parental home, but Sheikh, as well as his entire family, have become friends and companions during my stay.

First of all I would like to say that I was the first Latvian visiting the Excellence Center and usually any Palestinian heard nothing about my country and sometimes it started to be very funny to explain where I am from. Nonetheless, I felt some kind of responsibility and honour to bring the part of my culture to the new place and I really hope that I left a good memories and brought a value for these wonderful people in Excellence Center and Palestine.
I would like to start to write my review with a proverb which says: “Better to see something once, than to hear it thousand times.” I consider that these words absolutely applicable for my trip to Palestine.
Now I understand that I did not have any clue about life in Palestine and people living there. Before my arrival to Palestine I had some vague information about the situation in region. The Mass Media usually provides us with uncertain information about Palestine and creates an impression of a dangerous place. Upon my arrival I realized how far away from reality it is.
During my stay in Palestine and Excellence Center I participated in volunteer program “Teach English - Study Arabic”. Part of my job was to assist teachers in English classes, doing the teaching for students of Intermediate level and private lessons.
I got a lot of pleasure working as an English teacher and volunteer. It was a new experience for me and I would like to thank Excellence Center for providing such an opportunity to enrich my experience. As a reward I had Arabic lessons. My Arabic teacher Maryam made the study process especially jouful and fruitful.
The atmosphere in the Center was very joyful and relaxing. The staff is super supportive and welcoming, always ready to help you with everything. Speaking about the Center I can’t not to mention Marwa who is responsible for organization and who cares about every student and volunteer very deeply.
I suppose that every student and volunteer before coming to Palestine asks him or herself about the safety in this country. I can retell only my experience and it was very positive. I did not experience any dangerous situation. I was walking alone by myself along the street of Hebron and I was traveling alone around Palestine and Israel and did not face any problems. Of course, as a foreigner, you have to be ready for an extra attention to your personality from the local Palestinians and sometimes it can seem annoying, but you have to realize that people are just curious or really welcoming.
In conclusion I can add that Palestine is just as any other normal country where people live and just try to be happy and Palestine is a place where you can experience the highest level of hospitality.

After finishing my undergraduate degree in History and Politics, I decided to complete an internship in writing articles for the Excellence Center in Hebron. I thought it would be a good opportunity to gain some experience writing articles, and I was excited to explore more of the West Bank, and to be able to learn some Arabic.

My daily life at the Excellence Center involved writing two articles a day for their website, on topics such as the safety of Palestine, the history of Palestine, and place of interest to visit. I also had two Arabic lessons every week, and I helped to teach two lessons of English a week. Although it wasn’t the focus of my internship, and I hadn’t expected to like it, I especially enjoyed teaching English, so I am grateful for having been given the opportunity to try something new and step out of my comfort zone. I also enjoyed my Arabic lessons. As I knew no Arabic before I arrived, I started from scratch, but I quickly got to grips with the basics, thanks to my teacher, Marwa.

In general, I found the staff, teachers, students and volunteers at the Excellence Center extremely friendly and welcoming. The students were very respectful, and I had a lot of fun hanging out with the other interns and volunteers. We often organised fun things for the evenings, including dinners, smoking shisha and sometimes trips. With the Excellence Center I visited some local factories, and also Farwa refugee camp, which was very eye opening.

The other interns were definitely my support system during my time in Hebron. I did enjoy living in Hebron, but I did experience some culture shock when I first arrived. Unfortunately, I did also experience some harassment as a woman, but in general I felt safe as long as I stuck to common sense rules, such as not walking alone after dark, and dressing conservatively.

I also really liked my host family, and felt extremely safe with them. They were incredibly generous, and always offering me food. They even gave me a ring as a gift before I left, and I’d definitely like to stay in touch with them. The amenities at their house were a bit basic, but the family was so warm and welcoming, I really felt at home there.

While I was staying in Hebron, I visited the sites of Hebron, including the Ibrahimi Mosque, and the local glass and ceramics factory. I also managed to go to Bethlehem, the Dead Sea and Jericho for a couple of days. Jericho was definitely a highlight for me, and I really enjoyed visiting the desert and St. George’s Monastery. I also plan on visiting Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Masada before I get my flight home. One of my favourite parts of living in Hebron was living so close to so many interesting historical sites.

MY EXPERIENCE IN PALESTINE
My name is Priscilla, I’m 23 years old and I’m from Italy. Two months ago I graduated in interpreting and communication and after that I decided to come to Palestine. I have always had a huge passion for the Middle East and for the Arab culture, (plus my bachelor thesis was about Palestinian refugees after 1948) so I decided to combine all my passions in one trip and the Excellence Centre seemed to be the most appropriate choice. Here I participated at the program ‘teach English and learn Arabic’ and I can say that ithas been a great experience: most of my students were kids and they were so respectful and nice with me. Every time that we had a lesson together they were asking me a lot of questions about my culture and about my country and I was really happy to see that they were really interested in knowing me better. I also had the opportunity to teach in the Palestinian village of Beit Ummar, that was really nice because it was an opportunity to see how Palestinian people live outside the city and to discover more things about the Palestinian culture. I loved going to Beit Ummar, and after the last class one of the students invited me to eat in his house with his family, it was great! Since he knew that I was a vegetarian he cooked everything without meat and at the end of the day his mother gave me a present. We had a really good time together!
At the Excellence Centre I also had the opportunity to learn the Palestinian dialect, and I can say that this was the greatest experience of my journey here. Before coming here I had studied Arabic at university for one year but I wasn’t able to speak it at all, but aftera few weeks of classesI made great progress. Now I can actually speak and talk to people, and that was one of my main goals before coming here. During my stay here, I have lived with a Palestinian family and it has been a great experience. My host mum was great, and her husband and the children as well. Living in a host family is a great experience because you can actually learn more about Palestinian culture, plus it is a great way to improve the Arabic language.
Since I had two days off from the centre I was able to travel a lot around the country: Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Ramallah, the Dead Seaand Nablus. Palestine is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever been to, the landscape is amazing and the people even more.Before coming here, I was a bit scared;this maybe because I’m a girl, ormaybe because in Europe there is a lot of misinformation about Palestine, but after a few weeks I realized I had nothing to worry about! Palestine is completely safe, people are so friendlyand if they notice that you need help they would do everything possible in order to solve your problem.
The hospitality and kindness of the Palestinian people are one of the things that I have loved,despite the conflict with Israel not being easy, they never lose their happiness and glee and that is one of the things that Ireally admire about them.
In the end, I can say that my experience at the Excellence Centre has been completely positive. I have had the opportunity to learn more about this great country and to meet a lot of people that I will forever remember in my heart.

I am Julia, 28, from Berlin, Germany. I participated in the trip to Palestine that was organized by the Excellence Center in August 2017 and spent one week with a host family in Hebron during which I could experience the local culture and explore a lot of sites in Palestine.

We visited many places, starting with the university and nativity church in Bethlehem, as well as the terraces of Battir, the old city and Ibrahimi mosque in Hebron as well as the local factories for shoes, ceramics and kaffeah and the tomb and museum of Arafat in Ramallah. The Excellence Center included me and the other participants of the trip in their mutual activities, like the shared breakfast in the mornings and enabled us to spend time with the other volunteers and locals.

The highlight was the trip to Jericho and the dead sea. Floating in the dead sea is a unique experience that can't be compared to anything else. You have to experience it yourself! On this day we visited also a spring that was one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. I could have spend the whole day there.

We could also learn a lot about the current living conditions and the circumstances of the conflict, that you can hardly overlook while in Palestine. We were invited to a refugee camp and to the Shuhada street in Hebron and got the chance to talk with people who suffer from abuse by settlers and the army on an almost daily basis. It was heart breaking!

Aside from these very sad problem areas, the general living conditions are good. Even the heat was not as bad as expected as the buildings are cool from the inside and it is usually possible to find places in the shade. As a respectful visitor you have to adapt your clothing and behavior to the local standards and will find yourself very welcome by the open minded Palestinian people.

Staying with a host family is the best way to immerse in the culture and learn about the daily life in this area. I felt very welcome, appreciated and taken care of. My host family even invited me to a family party which was a great experience that taught me a lot about the culture. I enjoyed it very much.

Security was never an issue! Even the controls through Israelis were fewer than expected and although still an unpleasant experience, nothing to be afraid of. In Hebron, I could pass freely although I was only very few times on my own. The Excellence Center staff, my host family and strangers were all very friendly and helpful. I made a lot of new friends and am really happy that I took the chance of this trip. It was an amazing experience that changed the way I see the world.

My name is Saloua, from France, I have a Master's degree in Human Resources. During my stay, I taught English in several places next to Hebron, often in pair with McKayla, an American volunteer. We went to different cities/villages such as: a center at Beit Omer, a school in Seir and at the Chamber of Commerce of al-Dahrya. We noticed that in the schools in which we taught, the students already had notions of English.
The staff from the center is very nice, for all of the courses inside the center like the summer camps, we had Palestinian assistants who were there to help us to translate the hard words which the students couldn’t understand. That was very helpful. The staff is also here to help you when you need some information about different topics. For example if you want to know how to go to a different city or if you want to buy something special, you can ask them. They will help you with pleasure.
The Center organizes some visits for the internationals. We had a schedule displayed in the kitchen of the center with all of the visits. For example, we went to a sandal and a Koffieh factory, to the old city of Hebron, in a camp… That was amazing to visit these places with the other volunteers.
During my stay, I had the chance to visit several important cities as Bethlehem, Ramallah, Nablus and Jerusalem. It’s really easy to travel inside the West-Bank, you just have to walk or go by taxi at the city center (taxi station), and then ask for the place you want to go. You can easily organize day-trips with other volunteers or members of staff.
Living with a host family is a good way to discover Palestinian culture. If you stay more than four weeks it can be good to change host family for having the chance to discover different ways of life.
Palestinian food is different from food we eat in France. Here they eat lot of chicken and rice, these are the principal food you will eat with your host family. I really loved the food here. The mothers of the host families take time to cook, so you will have the chance to eat several Palestinian dishes. You will see that people here are really welcoming, in addition of the host family you will be invited by others family to have dinner.
I volunteered in July and August, the weather was hot: from 28 to 33 Celsius degrees in Hebron in the afternoon. It’s easily bearable; you just have to bring adequate cloths.
To conclude about my volunteering, I am very happy to have travelled in Palestine

Would you like to volunteer in Palestine? Would you like to make an impact in the education of Palestinian children? The Excellence Center in Hebron is the place to be!
I have spent two months Teaching English and Learning Arabic in the Excellence Center, and it has been one of the best choices I have ever made. The working environment is really good, and the staff in the Center are nice and loving. I was teaching various groups of children at regular lessons, summer camps and villages near Hebron. Moreover, I also prepared workshops on academic writing, and gave private lessons on IELTS or conversational skills to University students. Apart from this unique experience of engaging with the Palestinian youth, I also learnt Arabic in the best imaginable atmosphere. I had three hours of Arabic lessons a week, and learnt how to read and write! I will definitely continue developing the skills that the Excellence Center gave me the opportunity to learn in the future!
My period in Hebron is filled with beautiful experiences and friendships, and it will always be in my memory and heart. If you are willing to volunteer or learn Arabic I highly recommend you to come to the Excellence Center in Hebron!

My name is Valentina and I come from Italy. I have a degree in law and I participated in a voluntary programme with the Excellence Centre for 2 weeks. I was an assistant during English lessons for children and I underwent a few Arabic lessons with Teacher Dua’a. The environment in the centre is brilliant - the teachers are amazing and the students are both motivated and polite. My colleagues are really helpful and funny!

In Palestine I visited Bethlehem, and the old city in Hebron, which included visiting the Ibrahimi mosque. Whenever I visit these places alone, I felt safe and did not have any problems regarding the locals or the military presence. I can travel freely around these areas. I really love the hospitality of the Palestinian people because I have experienced help and offers everywhere and at anytime here in Palestine. Each in place that I visited, I found some people - children or adults, that offered services to be my guide around when I was visiting. After this short period, I will go back home with great lessons in humanity and how people living in such predicaments can still be hospitable and open to others. I will definitely recommend having an experience in Palestine with the Excellence Centre. Special thanks to my host family for such an amazing and homely experience staying here in Hebron - I sincerely felt like a daughter to the family!