Excellence Center in Europe

I came to the Excellence Center for two weeks at the start of December to take part in their media programme. Immediately when I arrived, I was welcomed warmly by Rafat who made a lovely home cooked breakfast for me and the rest of the volunteers. The atmosphere at the center is incredible: welcoming, supportive and friendly, so it is very easy to settle in at the start of your time in Halle. In my time here I met loads of amazing new people, and learned so much as a person and about the language. During my time in Halle the center ran their first Erasmus project, welcoming a huge number of people from 6 different countries for a workshop on diversity and discrimination. I was initially nervous at the prospect of meeting so many new people, but but there was so much support from the center and regular check ins to make sure I was doing well. I ended up having an amazing time, learning a lot and meeting lots of amazing new people to the point where the project was the highlight of my trip. At the excellence center there is an amazing atmosphere where you will meet lots of amazing new people from many different places, incredible language support and teaching from Muaz who is an amazing teacher and the opportunity to be a part of a community doing incredible work all across the world and help so many people.

I was initially anxious going into the program since I didn’t have any previous experience teaching English, but my experience turned out to be truly amazing! The program is very flexible and open-ended, which allowed me to develop a teaching style that suited me and adapt to the needs of the students. I really appreciated how supportive and welcoming everyone at the Center was — from the teachers to the students, everyone made me feel at home from day one. Halle itself is a charming city with beautiful streets and a relaxed atmosphere, making it a joy to explore in my free time. I also had the opportunity to take beginner Arabic lessons for two weeks, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I learned in such a short time. It was a fun and rewarding challenge, and it added another layer to my experience. I would highly recommend this program to anyone interested in teaching or learning a language, immersing themselves in a friendly and supportive community, and discovering a unique part of Germany. Whether you’re a first-time volunteer or an experienced teacher, there is so much to gain from this program.

As a Japanese, I was very anxious about volunteering in Germany. However, the members of the Excellence Centre dispelled my anxiety within a minute of meeting them! They are so cheerful and friendly. I had a wonderful time with my friendly colleagues and cheerful, hard-working students. And I could also go on a wonderful city tour and Arabic Course. Regarding the Arabic Course, they teach us with the first step of learning new language step by steps. I have finally could introduce myself and make a small talk in Arabic. From above, I highly recommend this programme to anyone who wants to volunteer in Europe for a short period of time!