Experience at the Excellence Center

My name is Sam and I am from the United States. I spent two months this summer in Palestine at the Excellence Center partaking in the Teach English Study Arabic program. My daily activities consisted of leading classes in a local village, assisting an Arabic teacher at the New Center in Hebron, studying and practicing Arabic in personal lessons, and writing an occasional article for the Center’s website.
My time as a teacher and teacher’s assistant in Hebron was certainly the most rewarding experience over the course of these two months. I was given a great range of liberty to construct my classes to best suit my style and the needs of the students, and the strong relationships I made with the students created an extremely engaging and productive atmosphere. The students that come to the Center are eager to learn, and the successes found in these lessons are due to their diligence and motivation that they bring everyday. The conversationally-based lessons and diverse curriculum at the Excellence Center have been developed through the introduction and adaptation of ideas from volunteers all over the world, making it a stand-out institution within Hebron.
My experience with my Arabic lessons were equally as positive. Three times per week for a duration of one hour, I had personal Arabic conversation lessons with Marwa, who came everyday with new and engaging exercises that kept things interesting and challenging all at the same time. It was sometimes difficult to balance the coursework from the lessons with the preparation needed for my teaching obligations, but Marwa and the entire staff are beyond understanding and make sure you are working at a fair pace. Through the lessons and constant conversation with the staff and local Palestinians, I feel far more confident, speaking with near-fluency with native speakers. The main focus of the lessons were to develop listening and speaking skills while gaining a far more robust set of vocabulary. I am beyond grateful for my lessons with Marwa and the opportunity to engage in conversations with the open and welcoming staff.
The environment of the Center is truly one of a kind. Within a matter of a few days you truly feel like family with the Palestinian staff and international volunteers. The Arab-influenced sense of community and diverse mix of international cultures blends together to create a unique environment that I’ve never experienced before. I have made relationships here with volunteers, staff, and local people that will last a lifetime, and I am already planning my next stay at the Excellence Center. If you are considering a place in the Middle East to study, intern, or visit to learn Arabic, work with eager and underrepresented people, or experience a lovely, rich culture and society, the Excellence Center is the perfect place to go. I had high hopes about how my time would be here in Hebron, and in every way my experience was better than I could have imagined. Thank you to the Excellence Center and lovely people of Hebron.