Review 3 Month Internship Excellence Centre Europe

My name is Antoine, I was a volunteer at the Excellence Center in Halle for 3 months from mid April to mid July of 2023. I completed the 3 month internship program in teaching English and learning German. During this time I completed around 60 hours of German lessons and taught 5 different students at the centre.

The German lessons were altogether very intensive and helped me greatly as a beginner in German to improve greatly over a short period of time with my brilliant German teacher Muaz. The time taken to teach students at the centre in English was greatly enriching and rewarding seeing students of all ages and backgrounds gradually progressing across my time at the centre and developing friendships with them.

Additionally the Centre organises many activities outside of the learning space such as weekly football games and brunches for leaving volunteers. All of these activities add to the friendly and welcoming atmosphere at the centre created by the staff: Rafat, Radwan, Ali and Muaz.

The city of Halle is an interesting look into the long lasting effects of both the impact of the Soviet Occupation and East German government. The city offers a surprising amount of cultural diversity with the large immigrant population coming largely from Syria and Turkey, and although the city is not a hub of activity or entertainment its position near Leipzig and large parks make it a great summer destination.

The city is particularly attractive to younger volunteers, with over 20 000 students calling Halle home with the large Martin Luther University having its roots in Halle. Consequently I have met and made many lovely friends from all different corners of the world.

The accommodation provided by the centre was clean and perfectly usable, although I would be aware that having at least 1-2 roommates is common and thus is something to note if you are staying for an extended period of time. My only comment to the centre would be to include more interactions and activities interacting with the refugee community and refugee integration in the city, such as more tours of the NeuStadt (refugee dominated section of the city) and more interviews, discussions or presentations on the topic.

Ultimately my time in Halle was extremely impactful and life changing for myself due to the people I met and interacted with, an experience I would recommend to any young person attempting to experience an exciting and vibrant atmosphere.