The 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!

I wasn't sure what to expect with the Excellence Centre but I felt so welcomed as soon as I arrived. Rafat is wonderful, considerate, proudly Palestinian, and treats everyone like family. I loved getting to know him and hearing about Palestine. Rafat would also make breakfast for everyone every morning, it was very homey. Muaz was my teacher for intensive Arabic, as a result, I spent around 3 hours a day with him for 5 days a week and became very fond of him. He's known for being very funny, but he is also very very compassionate, and as a refugee from Syria incredibly strong. I learned more in 2 weeks with him than I had for an entire year of studying Arabic. I can't really put into words how incredible he is at teaching, he has a gift for it, and the 3-hour classes always felt like 5 minutes. There were times when I used to sit beside the heater because it was warm and he would come sit next to me on the floor and teach me there, no questions asked. Another time when I wanted to try cooking Ful, so he came early in the morning and taught me Arabic whilst cooking with me. He would also always offer to make me tea which is really sweet. The classes are tailored around you. Everyone who works here is so lovely, and I'm going to struggle to find a teacher like Muaz again. The classes aren't like being in school/university, they are a lot more relaxed and personal, and the time goes by quickly. We took a class going around Halle and meeting Muaz's friend's shop who speaks Arabic and is very funny, we also took a class whilst touring around Leipzig, which was a lot of fun. Rafat also takes everyone out to dinner the day someone is leaving, we went to a beautiful Yemeni restaurant that is hidden away and you can't find it online. I was really sad to leave the Excellence Centre, I've made so many core memories there.

The week I spent this summer at the Excellence Centre in Europe teaching English and studying German and Arabic was fulfilling from an both an academic and interpersonal perspective. Rafat and Muaz are wonderful mentors and helped me improve both my technical skills and confidence in my ability to speak German, and gave me a solid foundation to continue studying Arabic. In just a week, the different people I met and connections facilitated by the centre have made this a unique and special experience, which feels truly important.

It was an absolutely amazing and rewarding experience to teach English and Study German at the center. I really enjoyed being able to plan and tailor lessons to my students needs and abilities. It was great to meet people from all over the world and learn about each others cultures, language and traditions. I also enjoyed learning German and appreciated the mix between written lessons and interactive lessons out in the community. Sharing breakfast together every morning at the center was another highlight that made me feel supported and welcomed. Sincere thanks to Rafat, Muaz, Dusan and team for your meaningful work, friendly community and this fantastic experience. I will remember it fondly forever.

Going into this internship, I had no idea what to expect. However, it turned out to be one of the best learning experiences I could have had in Germany. I worked closely with refugees who were working to improve their English and/or German, many of which were from Arabic-speaking countries such as Syria and Palestine. Working with them and getting to know them improved not only my teaching skills, but also my understanding of the experiences and resilience of refugees. Additionally, I met many other interns from all over the world and learned about the cultural and social differences between us, and I hold these experiences close to my heart. I will mention that in order to thrive in this environment and really be able to take away the good things that the Excellence Center has to offer, you have to be flexible and willing to do things that are different than what you are likely used to. The scheduling is quite loose and spontaneity is commonplace, so adaptability is a must-have. It is, however, 100% worth it. The people at the Excellence Center are wonderfully welcoming, and I left Germany knowing that I have a family in Halle that I can come back to at any time.

The team is amazing! I spent two incredible weeks in Halle, where I had the chance to deeply explore Palestinian culture, traditions, and more. Everyone is extremely welcoming—you will feel at home from day one! The experience was truly enriching, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested. A huge thank you to Rafat, Muaz, Dusan, and the whole team for their kindness and support. 100% recommended! If you’re looking for an experience that combines learning, cultural exchange, and great people, this is the perfect place. Don’t hesitate to join—you won’t regret it!

I wasn't sure what to expect with the Excellence Centre but I felt so welcomed as soon as I arrived. Rafat is wonderful, considerate, proudly Palestinian, treats everyone like family. I loved getting to know him and hearing about Palestine. Rafat would also make breakfast for everyone every morning, it was very homey. Muaz was my teacher for intensive arabic, as a result I spent around 3hours a day with him for 5 days a week and became very fond of him. He's known for being very funny, but he is also very very compassionate, and as a refugee from Syria incredibly strong. I learnt more in 2 weeks with him than I had for an entire year of studying Arabic. I can't really put into words how incredible he is at teaching, he has a gift for it, and the 3 hour classes always felt like 5 minutes. There were times where I used to sit besides the heater because it was warm and he would come sit next to me on the floor and teach me there, no questions asked. Another time where I wanted to try cooking Ful, so he came early in the morning and taught me Arabic whilst cooking with me. He would also always offer to make me tea which is really sweet. The classes are tailored around you. Everyone who works here is so lovely, and I'm going to struggle to find a teacher like Muaz again. The classes aren't like being in school/university, they are a lot more relaxed and personal; the time goes by quick. We took a class going around Halle and meeting Muaz's friend's shop who speaks Arabic and is very funny, we also took a class whilst touring around Leipzig, which was a lot of fun. Rafat also takes everyone out to dinner the day someone is leaving, we went to a beautiful Yemeni restaurant that is hidden away and you can't find online. I was really sad to leave the Excellence Centre, I've made so many core memories there.

I spent about 5 weeks in Halle, teaching English and learning German at the Excellence Center. Overall, I had a great time there! I had little experience in teaching, but other volunteers and stuff in the center helped me out. The German lesson was also very effective to my view. I started as a complete beginner and got a lot of things through the lesson. I would choose the intermediate or even advanced lesson next time to learn more. The transportation system is Germany was pretty good as well, and I was able to travel around. Last but Least, the Center is very at-home like and you will meet good people there!

At first I was hesitant to commit to the program, since I had never traveled outside of the states. After experiencing two weeks in Halle, I wish I was had more time to stay. Everyone at the center has such kind hearts with nothing but positive intentions. Everyday I looked forward to having breakfast with the others at the center and laughing about our life experiences. I truly learned an immense amount about different cultures and myself during my two weeks at the center. If you are deciding whether or not to commit to the program, this is your sign to go to Halle and experience how amazing the Excellence Center truly is.

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 didn't know what to expect when I arrived at the ECE. I have studied abroad before, and while my previous experience was incredible, I was worried nothing could top it. I was wrong. It was everything I wanted and more. I stayed for five weeks, which unfortunately flew by much too fast. The Arabic language instruction was perfect, as the classes were small enough to accommodate my level. Every single member of the staff was incredibly kind. Rafat makes great choices in his staff. Breakfast every morning was amazing. Healthy and delicious. My teachers were not just my teachers; they quickly became my friends. They introduced me to the community in Halle, and I made even more friends. I became especially close to my teacher, Ali, and I have made a lifelong friend with him. To end my review, I must say, TRY SHAWARMA. It is one of the best dishes ever created.

Spending three months at the Excellence Center was an incredibly enriching experience. From the moment I arrived in Halle, I was struck by the warm and inclusive atmosphere that the center fosters. The combination of cultural exchange, language learning, and community involvement made this journey both educational and personally fulfilling. Immersive Language Learning: The Arabic language course was one of the standout aspects of my time at the center. The instructors were highly skilled and genuinely passionate about teaching. The immersive approach, which extended beyond the classroom, helped me quickly grasp the language and gain confidence in my speaking abilities. Initially, I found it nerve-wracking to speak with locals, but the patience shown by everyone—from my teachers to the local community—eased my fears. Over time, I became much more comfortable conversing in Arabic and even started looking forward to practicing with native speakers. Supportive Community and Personal Growth: The sense of community at the Excellence Center is truly special. The staff and fellow participants were always ready to offer support, whether it was related to language learning, volunteering projects, or simply adjusting to life in Halle. The friendships I formed during my stay were another highlight—I met people from all over the world, and together, we shared experiences, supported each other, and grew both linguistically and personally. Final Thoughts: My time at the Excellence Center was an eye-opening and transformative journey. The combination of language learning and cultural exchange provided me with invaluable skills and perspectives. I left with a greater appreciation for cultural diversity, stronger language abilities, and lasting memories. If you’re looking for an experience that will challenge and inspire you, I highly recommend the Excellence Center.

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) !!!

I was with the Excellence Centre for 2 weeks studying Arabic and teaching English. I would say the best thing about my experience was the fact that everybody was super friendly - from the teachers, to the volunteers and everybody that I've taught. I've made some good friends who have made the experience really enjoyable and have learnt a lot about myself as well as other cultures. The schedule was really relaxed so I had plenty of time to explore Halle also. Would definitely recommend this program for people of all ages and from all backgrounds!

I applied for the Excellence Center in Europe’s ‘Teach English and Learn German’ volunteering programme with a view to maintaining and improving my German. The opportunity to be part of a community also appealed to me, as I would be travelling alone and am quite shy. I found the application process fairly straightforward and was accepted to stay for four weeks in May/June. Before arriving, I had some contact with Rafat, the director of the Center. Emailing him was somewhat frustrating as his answers were often very vague; this is an area which could definitely be improved. I arranged my own train travel from the UK. When I arrived in Halle, a housemate and fellow volunteer met me at the station and showed me to where we were staying, which took off the pressure of having to navigate through an unfamiliar city with big bags. The accommodation was a flat only 5 minutes’ walk from the Center – amazing location. The flat belonged to a local, but due to her working hours and also her staying elsewhere some of the time I didn’t see her very much. Instead I had a lot of contact with the two other volunteers in the flat, one of whom I shared a room with. For the first week I didn’t do much in terms of lessons as I didn’t have a schedule yet, but I found it useful to have a bit of time to settle in. Ali, a teacher at the Center, gave us a tour of Halle, which was great for getting to know the city. I’ll give an outline of a typical day at the Center. First we would have breakfast all together in the Center or just outside (delicious fresh Levantine cooking which was very veggie-friendly!). A couple of people would help to wash up after breakfast while others started their lessons. I would teach and be taught as scheduled for that day, as well as planning lessons, doing homework and eating lunch in between. After I was done at the Center for the day I would sometimes visit somewhere in Halle with the other volunteers (e.g. a museum) or do some cleaning/washing. I had brought my violin with me and was thankfully also able to do some practice in the flat. Then I would get some dinner – sometimes eating out, sometimes there would be food at a social event (barbeque/picnic), or I could cook for myself in the kitchen in the flat. There was something social on pretty much every evening – we went along to quite a few Erasmus events so also met a lot of international students. In addition, I went to a few concerts in Leipzig – easily reachable on the S-Bahn, which is included in the Deutschlandticket. In terms of teaching, I had three students (one of whom I taught beginner German – a bit of a challenge but lots of fun!). The lessons were one-to-one, with activities based on their level and aims. Lessons in which I was learning German were a bit different – volunteers were split into two groups based on level (beginners and those who had studied before). I especially enjoyed the ‘outside’ lessons, learning the language around Halle or Leipzig rather than in the Center. Lessons weren’t at a fixed time regularly, but organised individually based on people’s availability. For my teaching, this was typically once or twice a week for each student; frequency of German/Arabic lessons of course depends on how many hours are included in your programme. I didn’t have to work on Fridays – it is supposed to be a day off – but I did anyway because it was best for one of my students in terms of availability. At the weekend I did a couple of day trips to Berlin and Hamburg (to use up my interrail ticket!) as well as exploring the area around Halle and hanging out with friends. A particular highlight was helping out at the Eid al-Adha celebrations in Halle – I had a lot of fun painting kids’ faces and watching the dabke! In the week before I left Rafat organised a goodbye brunch for me and the other volunteer leaving, which was really lovely. I was glad to know who would be teaching my students when I was gone, so was able to tell them what we’d been doing. Thinking back to my aims, I can definitely recommend the German teaching at the Center – Muaz is an incredible teacher and has given me invaluable strategies for independent learning as well. However I had thought that I would have more contact with my host family; if I could do one thing differently I would definitely be more proactive in talking to Germans. The community aspect was more than I could have asked for – everybody was so welcoming and friendly, and as I say there was no shortage of social events for volunteers to go along to. If you’re unsure about affordability, I would make sure to take into account food/drink costs. Social events were often at bars, and the drinks costs add up… In addition, it’s probably a good idea to get the Deutschlandticket while you’re in Halle, which covers all public transport except intercity trains (but make sure to check!). As of writing, this costs €49 per calendar month. However, Halle is a small city, so it was possible for me to walk between the most important places. Overall, the Excellence Center is an amazing place and I would definitely go back given the chance. It was truly wonderful to be able to talk to and exchange knowledge with people from different cultures with such mutual respect. I perhaps would have appreciated a bit more help with how to teach, but generally if you have a problem the staff will give you all the help and advice they can. I am so grateful to Rafat and the other staff for this incredible opportunity!

I spent 8 weeks at the Excellence Centre in Halle. It was my second summer doing an "Arabic Intensive" course. Last summer I was at the University of Wisconsin in Madison: two Arabic intensives, two very different summers. In Madison, the setting was academic: grades, exams, and hours spent at the campus library. In Halle, the setting was full of life. I went to the Excellence Centre to learn Arabic and am so grateful I did. At the Excellence Centre, Arabic is taken out of the textbooks. It's given life, it becomes full of colours, history, and emotions. It's in Halle that I felt, rather than merely knew, why I was learning Arabic. We did use a textbook to learn the grammar and studied the vocab sheets. But, and that's when I learned the most, we also translated songs, played games, made breakfast, and wrote love letters. We carefully listened to Muaz telling us about Al-Andalus, asked him to repeat himself when we got lost in the history or the Arabic. We went to the zoo, museums, coffee shops, and Arab restaurants. We travelled to Leipzig and Berlin. Muaz made Arabic fun, interesting, and beautiful. The Arabic I will learn after the Centre will have its roots in Halle. At the Excellence Centre, I felt welcomed and encouraged to be part of a community. I have met such caring and brilliant people. Thank you for everything.

I was sad to leave after two weeks. I throughly enjoyed meeting new people from different countries and backgrounds with many reasons for choosing to study or volunteer in Germany. The most positive thing was how easy it was to fit in whatever age or background you were from. I'm a 57 year old British woman. Friendly and welcoming. There wasn't as much teaching as I expected but it was flexible and not daunting though I've had a little experience before. That doesn't matter though as other participants will support you and share ideas. I stayed with a host German family who added another dimension to my visit. In the long weekend there is also the opportunity to visit some beautiful cities. Highly recommended if you are flexible and like finding out about other people's lives and experiences

I participated in a 7 week intensive study of Levantine Arabic at the Excellence Center in Halle, Germany. It was one of the most rewarding experiences of my entire life. As an Arab-American, it felt in many ways to be a deep dive into my identity. My father spoke Arabic to me growing up but I always responded in English and never learned to read or write. Upon learning the alphabet and all of the forms of each letter, piecing together basic words and sentences (through writing and reading) was a deeply meaningful privilege. I loved learning the Arabic language, it felt like slowly working towards solving a puzzle. I love the inherent artistic qualities of the language which allow for individual creativity in writing and ease with constructing poetic phrases with double meanings and the like. My teacher Muaz created a rich learning environment filled with numerous methods to cement classroom concepts such as studying Arabic songs, delivering comical presentations, acting in everyday scenarios and ordering food from local restaurants in Arabic. Furthermore, I particularly liked the well-rounded education we received because there were many opportunities to learn about Arab and Levantine history, culture, food, customs, and music to name a few. I believe that this circular style of teaching encouraged a more lively learning environment because we could see the practicality of the language in real-life scenarios instead of just rote memorization from a textbook (though there was some of this traditional style learning as well). As for the center itself, I became very fond of Rafat Shantir’s innovative idea to bring together people from all over the globe in a highly participatory and communal manner. If you sign up for language study (Arabic or German) you will have ample opportunities to meet local Germans and/or Arab immigrants/refugees, and you will become part of the Excellence Center global community. There are many activities such as weekly soccer games, social outings, visits to neighboring cities and chances to interact with others at the center, most notably the daily delicious group breakfasts which I always looked forward to. If you haven’t finalized your decision yet, as I hadn’t in spring of 2024, I encourage you to go ahead and apply. It was truly one of my favorite life experiences where I met some amazing people, got to experience a small German town with delicious food, parks/green spaces, cultural events and made some life-long friendships. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to Rafat, Muaz, Ali and all of the other employees, volunteers and others I met and interacted with at the center!

I came to the Excellence Center wanting to improve my German and help others adjusting to life in Germany, and I got all of that plus so much more. It is a lovely, ultra inclusive environment where participants share stories and learn about each others’ experiences. Though I was only there a week, I feel genuine connections with everyone at the center and I’ve left the experience with a lot of valuable perspective. The volunteer schedule is quite flexible, which I loved as it gave me lots of time to explore Halle and the surrounding region. The language instruction is super engaging and really personalized to the students’ interests, which was a huge plus for me. And all of the Excellence Center staff are extremely kind and genuine. They have made my experience wonderful. The fact that I feel so much like I am part of a community after just a few short days is a testament to the high quality of the center and how hard Rafat and his team have worked to create an engaging and truly special experience. I hope to come back soon!

My 2 week stay in Halle as an ESL volunteer and also a German language student was very pleasant. The director Rafat and his staff including Enrico (my German language instructor) Ali and Moaz were welcoming and encouraging, making me feel right at home from the get go. My program was a lot more flexible than I had anticipated but the flexibility allowed me to explore the beautiful city of Halle and to get to build camaraderie with the other participants who were involved in other aspects of the ECE program. In my opinion the diversity of the staff, volunteers and students who were all very accepting and open minded resulted in enhancing the lasting impact and satisfactory experience of the program.

I was only here for one week but it feels much longer than that (in a good way). And I wish I could stay longer! I was lucky to have met some of the most brilliant people that come from different backgrounds and walks of life. Volunteers, people at the Center, students that I had classes with - all of them come together to create a big community that instantly makes you feel like you belong. - Teaching English (albeit for a short time) consisted mostly of conversations in a wide range of topics, and the volunteer hours are somewhat flexibly arranged. As long as you come with an open mind and a bit of adoptability, you will be good to go. - I was able to get a lot of help with my German as well! Whether you are a complete beginner with the language (German or Arabic) or want to improve your conversational skills, the classes will be well-tailored to your needs. I would like to thank the Center again for the warm welcome and hospitality for the past week :)!

The Center is absolutely a lovely experience which I would recommend to anyone interested in learning Arabic! I had two teachers during my 5 weeks in Halle who were both very enthusiastic and helpful. Class size was small which meant that instruction could be tailored to our interests and needs in learning. Cultural education is also mixed in beautifully with lessons in etymology, translating songs and poems, and restaurant visits. Outside of class, the Center also has an amazing community feeling from the very first day. There were a lot of opportunities to hang out with the other amazing students and volunteers including breakfast every weekday, cafe visits, park hangouts, and weekend trips. Overall, this is absolutely an amazing opportunity both for learning language and culture and to meet an amazing international community. I have had a wonderful summer and definitely plan to return!

Doing the Intensive Arabic Program in Halle is getting inspired via stories, poetry and songs by teachers who enjoy sharing their passion for the Arabic language and culture. It’s going from the feeling of gluing little words together and hoping it makes sense to having actual (even if still small) conversations in Arabic. It’s getting encouraged to continue exploring and learning. And this in a welcoming and accepting environment.

The Excellence Centre in Europe was one of the most incredible opportunities I have and perhaps will ever have. Arriving in Germany not really knowing what to expect, I found myself living with six other amazing roommates in what was already well known as "The Dream House". So many wonderful memories were made with those people in particular, especially chatting on the balcony and cooking together. I was still unsure what to expect from the Centre itself when I arrived there the next morning, but the surprise was a pleasant one. Breakfast every morning was a great opportunity to try new food and meet more people... especially because the faces are always changing! My first Arabic lesson sparked a fire that will hopefully fuel me to reach fluency in a beautiful language, taught by amazing, patient, intelligent teachers. Teaching English to a range of students with varying social and linguistic background was a great pleasure. I got to explore their culture as well as teaching them about my own, whilst testing my knowledge of English and the flexibility of my German and Russian. Teaching English from my second languages was a challenge I will never forget, especially because it took place in the friendliest environment in the world! There is so much more to say, and I don't have the words to convey how incredible the Excellence Centre is. I feel so privileged to have been part of this amazing experience, and hope to return in the future, to rekindle friendships and reunite with people that have, in just a month, become like family.

I've been staying in Halle with the Excellence Center for the past ten weeks and can confidently say it has been one of the most memorable/fulfilling experiences of my life. This was my first time traveling abroad alone which was extremely intimidating, especially considering the significant amount of time I would be staying in Germany. Therefore, upon my initial arrival, I was somewhat shy, but because of the Excellence Center's warm and welcoming environment, my nerves subsided very fast. Through daily breakfasts, weekly football matches, and outside events, I got the opportunity to garner friendships with the staff, fellow volunteers, and students attending the local university. Halle is a beautiful city in a great area in which almost everything is within walking distance or a tram ride away. Halle also allows easy access to other German cities. Three or four times during my stay, my friends and I took weekend trips to Berlin, whether that be to go sightseeing or attend local festivals. And just being in Europe, in general, allows for easy travel to bordering countries, therefore one weekend my friends and I decided to take a four-day trip to Amsterdam, which was an incredible experience. If I could recommend a summer study program to anyone, it would be the Excellence Center. Whether you have experience speaking German/Arabic or not (I didn't)/experience teaching English or not. Ali and Muaz are extremely talented teachers with the flexibility to accommodate their lesson plans with whatever level of speaking. All I can say is how grateful I am to everyone I have gotten to share this with and how crucial their role was throughout this entire experience. I can only hope to continue to meet as amazing people as I did this summer <3

I spent 4 weeks at the excellence center and can honestly say it has been one of the best experiences of my life. I came to the center expecting to improve my German and teach some English, instead I was given the chance to meet and learn from some amazing people with different cultures and backgrounds. The immediate environment in the center is warm and welcoming and you are thrown straight into the experience from the start, having breakfast at the center every morning, weekly football matches and spending time in Halle with other volunteers. It is an amazing way to meet new people and friendships are quickly formed. Those working in the center, Ali, Muaz, Dusan and of course Rafat show their dedication, not only to the volunteers but also the wider community in Halle. My weekly German lessons with Muaz, were not only helpful and educational but always enjoyable and I looked forward to them each week. Halle is a beautiful city and is in a great location, making other German cities accessible to travel to during the weekends. It is full of culture and amazing food (being a vegetarian here, I have had no issue with options, the falafel is 10/10). I have loved every minute of my time here and my only recommendation to other people potentially looking to join the center, is to simply go for it. You wont regret it. Whether you speak german or not, have experience with teaching or not (I did not), it doesn't matter and those in the center are always available to help. Thank you so much to everyone at the center! You have all made my time here unforgettable. The experience i've had here has truly been unique and I can only hope to have similar experiences in the future.

a very good stay even though I was only there for a week. the experience enriched my cultural understanding and kick-started my journey to learn Arabic. Also, it gave me a unique opportunity to come into contact with new people in a short period of time. It’s an open and easy going atmosphere there, so you quickly get to know people. The teaching part is the easiest part, but also a very fun and rewarding experience. I wound definitely recommend the EC to anyone with an interest in cultures and languages.

Hello my name is Lord, and this is my third time coming back to Halle to work with the Excellence Center! I love the community of people here and the work they do. I come back to Germany using the German I learned from my teacher Muaz, and my German has significantly improved each time I have returned! The city is beautiful and I love coming to Germany but it wouldn't be the same without the wonderful connections that I've made here. Thanks to the environment Rafat provides, the lessons from my great teacher Muaz and hanging out with my best friend Ali, my experience in Halle and the Excellence Center is unforgettable and it keeps me coming back!

This was one heck of an experience if I do say so myself. I ain't never had as much fun as I did this summer while volunteering at the Center. The staff was really nice and made any and all doubts and worries fly away, never to be seen again. It is so fun teaching English and learning German over here, and i implore anybody thinking about taking part in this program to take a leap of faith and experience what will be one of the best summers of your life. 10/10 Would spend a month and a half here again.

I arrived to Halle in May and stayed for 6 weeks. As a solo traveler and someone who has never gone abroad before, I was extremely nervous about arriving, but my worries went away very fast. Rafat, along with the help of his staff and my host, allowed me to have one of the best experinces I could’ve had out of an internship/volunteering abroad. My living situation was phenomenal and my host did everything he could to help make me comfortable. Being at the Excellence Center allowed me to learn from an abundance of new cultures and meet people I would’ve never met from the comfort of my home. The staff here goes above and beyond to make sure that you meet new people and have a great time doing so. Along with this, you learn so much while youre here whether you’re studying Arabic or German. Many lessons are interactive and allow you to gain knowledge that is useful to real life conversations. I would highly recommend this program to anyone who is looking for an opportunity to travel, learn, or both.

The excellence center is the physical embodiment of community. I was only there for a week, but I wish I had stayed longer. The staff is very friendly, welcoming, and helpful. I mainly worked with Ali, Muaz, and Rafat. Although I was only able to receive a few hours of Arabic, Ali was able to teach me how to greet, some basic phrases, and even took me out to learn how to order food in a restaurant setting. Muaz was a wonderful tour guide and answered all my questions about the migrant community in Halle for my research project as he is also involved in many other organizations in Halle. Rafat is the admirable leader of the excellence center as he ensures all are welcome into the center by making breakfast for everyone everyday, making schedules and accommodations, and organizing weekly community events like soccer(football) games and dinner. I am truly grateful for having had the opportunity to volunteer at the Excellence Center and making new friends!

I was only at the Excellence Centre Europe for a very short period, but the time I did spend there had a huge impact on me. There is a lot of time and energy invested in making the volunteers feel welcome, included and part of one big family. Which, as a solo traveller for the past 3 months, was something I really valued. Rafat cooks breakfast each morning and everyone is invited to sit in the park and join in the meal. There were also weekly football (soccer!) games and other activities organised, which were so much fun and a great way to connect with people. Everyone is friendly and willing to help each other out. The timetable is very relaxed and your schedule is flexible, which means you have plenty of time for sightseeing, socialising and exploring the area if you choose to do so. I did the learn German, teach English program. There are some teaching guidelines provided, but resources are limited, so be prepared to get creative with your lessons! I highly recommend bringing your own lap top. Don't stress though, overall, your teaching and learning obligations are not onerous. The language teachers at the centre are knowledgeable and I found my German lessons to be beneficial. I liked the fact that you were encouraged to speak German and when you slipped into English, you were redirected back. It wasn't that you weren't "allowed" to speak English (I resorted to English a lot, especially if there was something I didn't understand or needed clarification on), but it was more that using the language that you were learning and hearing spoken was a better, more immersive way to learn. The students I taught already possessed some English foundations and had good conversational skills. In our lessons we focussed more on fine tuning pronunciation and building greater confidence with speaking. Overall, I do highly recommend this program! Was the perfect balance between work, study and holiday. Cannot thank Rafat, Dusan, Ali, Muaz and all the other staff and volunteers enough! Was a very memorable experience and something that will look great on my CV :). Pros: - Fun, friendly, welcoming atmosphere. - Felt like one big family. - Many weekly activities and social outings organised through the centre that you can get involved with. - Delicious, authentic breakfast provided. Good kitchen facilities. - Great location, close to public transport and city centre. - Immersive language lessons. - Flexible schedule. - Clean, colourful and inviting working spaces. Lots of indoor plants and natural light. - They take a lot of photos, so your memories and time at the centre is well documented. Cons: - My host family lived far away from the centre and I had to rely heavily on public transport each day. I didn't mind the commute, but felt restricted in terms of socialising with the others. Many of the other volunteers stayed in the city and were able to move more freely. - Rafat's cooking was too delcious, I ate my bodyweight in hommus. - Ali is too attractive for his own good. - Dusan is so much of a gentleman that he makes everyone else look bad. - Muaz has better hair than me. - I only got to spend 2 weeks with these beautiful people.

Volunteering at the Excellence Center has undoubtedly been one of the best experiences in my life. Not only was I able to start to learn German and help others learn English, but I grew in ways that I wasn't expecting. I learned so much about cross cultural communication, teaching skills, and a lot about the English language as well. Everyone at the center was wonderful. The director and staff were very welcoming. The other volunteers were incredibly dynamic. The students were very interested to learn. I was volunteering during the off season (aka not the summer) so there where only a couple other volunteers at the time and each of us had a handful of students. I am sure that the peak-time of the summer is great, but I really enjoyed the small number of volunteers and students during late winter period. With relatively few people, it was easy to feel comfortable and to get to know everyone well. Each day there was plenty of time to tutor others, lesson plan, get tutored and chat with others at the center. The pace of the experience was perfect. I appreciated the freedom that we had to develop lesson plans as we saw fit for each of the students. The director and Center's staff put a lot of trust in each of the volunteers ability to teach effectively while at the same time, they were always available to provide support, resources and advice on tutoring when needed.

I came to the Excellence Center in Halle for 5 weeks to teach English and learn Arabic. I was nervous beforehand but as soon as I arrived I felt welcomed and part of a community. I have immensely enjoyed both teaching and studying at the Excellence Center. It has been so much fun but also highly productive. I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching each individual student and learning about their culture and language. I also loved working with my Arabic teacher Khloud who is so encouraging! The daily breakfasts help everyone bond and feel connected, as well as provide interesting and stimulating conversation. I would highly recommend this program to anyone interested!

I came to the center to study Arabic intensively for 12 weeks, 3 hours a day. This is the most intense program of study possible, which I did because I wanted to learn as much Arabic as I could as quickly as possible. While I studied Arabic in college in the US, I had not studied it at all in more than 6 years and had forgotten most of what I learned. In three months I went from barely being able to form complete sentences in Arabic to speaking at a higher level than I ever did in college. In short, 3 months at the Excellence Center improved my Arabic more than 2.5 years at a university. This was possible because the instruction you receive at the Excellence Center is either one-on-one or with only a few other students. As a result, you spend much more time speaking directly with your teacher, and therefore have much more time to practice your language skills in a practical environment. In addition to being skilled teachers, the teachers are all friendly and contribute to a pleasant and welcoming environment around the center. I highly recommend this program to anyone looking to improve their Arabic skills quickly.

Hello everyone! I hope that you are doing well. I definitely enjoyed my stay at the Excellence Center! The atmosphere was very welcoming, the staff and volunteers nice and my Arabic teacher amazing! The lessons were fun and very helpful. The city is beautiful and we visited it with one of the staff. They are many Arabic speakers in Halle, which helps focus and learn the language. We also went to the nice city of Leipzig. I truly recommend you to study or volunteer there! Best wishes from Switzerland, Joëlle

On my arrival in Germany on a Monday morning in early November I was warmly greeted by Rafat and the other volunteers at breakfast. This was my first time in Germany, and my first time travelling to Europe as an adult so I was understandably nervous upon arriving. Yet, the community spirit at the centre made me feel comfortable and welcome from day one. Over the course of my stay, I enjoyed teaching English to 5 students coming from Syria, Ukraine and Germany, ranging from 9 years old to 85 years old, each with varying degrees of English. The lessons are held as personal one to one tutoring, so you have the freedom to design and tailor the lessons to each of the students' needs. I found this experience to be very rewarding, as it gives you the chance to build a constructive relationship with each individual. At the same time I also took beginner A2 German lessons in the centre taught by Muaz alongside fellow acquaintance Caterina. Muaz is a great teacher, who really pushes you to speak your best every lesson. I found my German improved steadily over the course of my stay. I even held a few impromptu classes with Cat where I became the teacher :P The only negative was the scheduling of the lessons. Lessons were not scheduled in advance but rather, during the week whenever Muaz was available. Unfortunately this meant, I often didn't know if I was having a lesson or not until the day before, which became slightly frustrating. I found the same was true with scheduling my students as well. It is fair to say the centre at times can be a little disorganised, but it does not detract from the experience all too much. For my accommodation, I shared a room with two other volunteers in a flat which belonged to one of the excellence centre staff. I did not mind the sharing experience, and it was fun to have roommates that I could bond with. However, I found the accommodation itself to be on the smaller side for four people. This was true of the kitchen which could only really support one person at a time, and also lacked both a microwave and a proper oven. It was also frustrating that we only had two sets of keys between the three of us, and had to frequently let each other in. However, your accommodation experience will likely differ from mine if you live with a host family. Far and above the best part of my experience at the centre was getting to know the other volunteers. Each morning we would gather in the dining room to enjoy an Arabic breakfast with the other staff and volunteers. It's a great bonding experience and a fund blend of cultures. Even though, I came to the centre with a mind to learn German, I gained a new insight into Arabic culture and even picked up a few Arabic words along the way. Wallahi. The centre attracts an amazing type of person, passionate about languages and eager to learn about other cultures. Everyone was so inviting, and together was organised some really fun European excursions, to Berlin, Dresden and even Paris. I will always remember enjoying a baguette by the Seine with James. The centre is also closely linked with the Erasmus Students Network in Halle, and through that social group we were invited to some really awesome parties. Overall I had a really fun time at the centre and made some very unforgettable memories. I could not have wished for a better introduction to Europe.

After three months at the Excellence Center, I cannot recommend this experience enough to others who are interested in participating. Nurtured by the welcoming team that is always eager to help you, or by the beautiful architecture that surrounds you in the charming city of Halle, the Excellence Center is a special place. I will start by saying that I came to Germany with little no knowledge of German. My teacher, Muaz, helped me so much and was extremely patient as I stumbled through learning a new language. I confidently say that I have learned so much and I am very happy with the results! I travelled to Germany three months post graduating high school in the United States. Upon arriving to Halle I found myself in a complete culture shock, and felt extremely overwhelmed by the language barrier and differences of the country. The team at the Excellence Center helped me feel welcomed and apart of the community right away. By giving me a tour of the city, helpful advice, and lots of delicious food, I felt at home within the first week. The center ensures that all volunteers are placed with host family’s that are kind and welcoming people. My host, Thomas, has taught me so much about authentic German life. Through weekly dinners and chats over coffee I have learned about the language, history, and culture of Germany. Furthermore, the center does a wonderful job of creating an instant feeling of community between the volunteers. I have come to make some lifelong friendships through the people I’ve met. I have also learned a lot about myself through the experience. I also love the connections I have made with the students from the local university. I have met a lot of international people, and I highly recommend participating in activities with the university if you volunteer here! Lastly and most importantly, the connections I have made with my students has been lovely! Getting to know their stories has really opened my eyes. Watching their English improve is extremely rewarding and exciting for both parties! Overall, I can not emphasize enough how wonderful this experience has been for me. the Excellence Center has played a really impactful role in my life. Rafat and the team have created a great environment for both the volunteers and students. I highly recommend participating in this program for either all three months or even just a week. You won’t regret it!

To begin, I have had a wonderful time here in Halle. I initially was just looking for something to do during my winter break at university, but what I found in my two weeks here at the center was nothing short of an exceptional experience. From the moment I got off the train, two volunteers were there to meet me and help me back to my host family. The next night, I went out to dinner with the other volunteers and students at the local university and was amazed at how instantly people were welcoming and kind. Honestly, the community fostered here at the center cannot be understated. Some of my favorite memories from my time here are just hanging out with the other volunteers at the center or going out to dinner. As for my lessons, I had students as young as seven and as old as 80 - and each one was a formative experience for me as a teacher! Even though I was only here a short while, I felt I had built a real bond with my students. My highlight as a teacher was probably saying goodbye to one of my students after our last lesson together; she got me a gift and gave me a hug goodbye! I was so touched that in only two weeks it seemed we had mutually left an impression on one another. In regards to my language learning, I took German courses here at the center. My lessons with Muaz were truly amazing. I think one of my weakest spots when it comes to language is getting out of my shell or not feeling nervous about making stupid mistakes and simply going for it. Muaz created such an open environment in our lessons that I felt I could truly say whatever and push myself to create more complex sentences and such. In close, the mission and work here at the Excellence Center is commendable, and Rafat's dedication to and vision behind the center is unmatched! I would highly recommend a visit here at the Excellence Center and will fondly look back on my time here.

My four week intensive Arabic experience with the Excellence Centre in Europe has been wonderful. All aspects contributed to an enriching journey. The teaching has been first class -- I went from knowing nothing about Arabic to being able to hold smalltalk. In four weeks, I've learnt to conjugate simple tenses well enough to speak about the present, past, future, and desired actions. Of course, I can read and write it just as well. If you are a beginner like me, you will be taught with a tight lesson plan and materials if you ask for it. You can also request for a more target-focus approach -- going directly to whatever specific objectives you have. The friends have been amazing too. For example, we went together on weekend trips to Berlin, Paris, and Prague. 3/3 weekends passed in great fun and discovery, so it wasn't bad at all. It was pretty diverse. In the group we have current college students, pre-uni gap-year students, recent and mid-recent graduates too. Most people here speak some German, so it'd be helpful to request to have a lesson or two at the beginning of your session to be for German. (I can attest to the rigour of the German coursework too -- after an hour, I could compose sentences with adjectives and prepositions about the present and the future/desire.) The host family was very welcoming. l hung out with them right away, even with limited language capabilities, we talked about history, international relations, religion, and personal lives. Accomodation for me was a whole room to myself. I would recommend. Though I didn't cook much, the kitchen was available to use.

As I write this, I’ve been staying at the Excellence Centre for three months, teaching English and studying both Arabic and German. I’ve got nothing but praise for every aspect of the Centre, the staff, their mission, the learning experience, and the accommodation. At the Centre I stayed in a shared house with two other volunteers and a member of the Centre staff. The accommodation was excellent for a shared room, and the people were welcoming. On the living experience at the Centre, the place has a real community atmosphere; the Centre feels like one big family, especially when we’re all enjoying breakfast together in the mornings! The quality of language tuition at the Centre is also very high. I studied German for the first part of my experience, and then switched to studying Arabic, both of which were taught by the fantastic Muaz Albaid. He’s a brilliant teacher, with a knack for explaining the most difficult linguistic and cultural concepts in a way that makes them seem as simple as can be, as well as being great value to have around. Through his tuition, I’ve improved my skills in both languages faster than in any other learning situation I’ve had before. The other teachers at the centre are also excellent, for example Ali Moshmosh, also very talented and highly multilingual. The lessons are very professional and of a comparable standard to what I’ve experienced as a university student. The small class sizes also improve the experience, with lessons tailor-made for your level and language goals. Rafat is the life and soul of the centre, as well as the driving force behind its mission, with an infectious passion for his work, shared by every other member of staff - ultimately, the reason the Centre exists - to have a positive effect on the refugee community in Halle (Saale) by making language learning more readily available to those who don’t necessarily fit into the mould of the German system. This is a task at which he is succeeding beyond all expectations. I was really gratified to see that I and the other volunteers were having a visibly positive effect on our students, and it was great to see them develop over the time that I was teaching them. As a volunteer, you have complete control over your schedule and how you teach your lessons, which are generally one-to-one, while also being supported by the vast experience of the Centre’s staff and the resources of the organisation - this really makes the experience as beneficial as possible for both students and teachers. Personally, I had the opportunity to form relationships with my students over my time at the Centre, and I’m quite sad to say goodbye to them. In conclusion, I would recommend the Centre to anyone who wants to make a real positive impact here in Halle (Saale), anyone who wants to improve their language skills in German or Arabic under professional, high-quality tuition from people who really care about their mission, or simply anyone who would like to enjoy the community atmosphere and see the good work that Rafat and the others are doing here.

I have just completed the Volunteer to teach English and learn German course at the Excellence Centre in Europe. Initially I was a bit concerned since correspondance wasn't always frequent but I was informed of last minute changes prior to arrival. Upon arrival at the centre, Rafat was very warm, welcoming and approachable and I felt if I was unsure of something, I could always ask. (Also his breakfasts were the best!). My stay was for 8 weeks and during that time I met so many new people, got to visit some incredible places in Germany and improve my German. Muaz was an awesome teacher who built up my confidence and made lessons fun. My host, Thomas was very hospitable and kind and opened his home to me so graciously. The other volunteers were awesome too and I feel I have truly made friends for life! I definitely recommend the experience to anybody!

My accommodation was about a 15 minute tram ride away in Neustadt. It was a tiny student apartment which was designed to be for 1 person, however there were 2 of us staying in it. We did find the apartment in a tragically unclean state and spent the Sunday we arrived cleaning it. I did let Rafat know and he was prompt in organising a cleaner to come the next day to give it a once over. The fridge in the apartment had a ring of black mould, which meant I couldn't keep any unsealed food in there. I also found some mould in my pillow. I do think the centre should provide photos etc of the accommodation, so that volunteers can have a choice of finding their own place in the city. What was also incredibly concerning was the lack of any safeguarding procedures at The Excellence Centre. There was nothing in place to protect the young students that come through. I really hope this changes in the future in line with German law. I would also urge other future volunteers to ask for a breakdown of where the £300 per week actually goes as it seems a little extortionate for Halle and that you're paying so much to volunteer your own time. On the positive side- Ali was a fantastic arabic tutor- I learnt more from him than I did at S0AS classes in London. He and Muaz were also so welcoming and social with the other volunteers. Ali's family also made us fresh falafel one morning- best ever! The other volunteers were all from different places so it was a great experience meeting new people and getting to know them, everyone was very kind and we had some great times. The experience overall was amazing, it's truly the the people that make the place. I loved teaching the students I had for the 3 weeks I was there, one of whom gave me some delicious Syrian coffee before I left.

I had a great time here at the EC Halle. I really wanted to improve the colloquial arabic language that I already knew. And I did. It is not always easy to find courses of levantine arabic, but I found it here and I do not regret. I got a very good teacher using very inventive and diversified tools in all of his lessons. The level as well was very good and adapted to me and I did a lot of progresses. This all in a very nice atmosphere during the classes and at the Center in general. I recommend it for sure for anyone wanting to learn good and well. The city too is not too big and not too small, we could go out easily to get together with the other students, and we could meet many arabic speakers on the streets to speak to them and practice what we had learned during the lessons.

This was my second trip to the Excellence Centre, the first being my 2 week visit to the Excellence centre in Palestine, and it was so good I decided to come back and spend 4 weeks in Halle on the colloquial Arabic course. Our teacher Muaz was amazing, and my speaking and listening Arabic improved immensely. The centre is like a family environment, where everyone is friendly and supportive and you feel really well looked after. I will definitely plan a return trip to continue my Arabic studies with this wonderful group and organisation.

Great experience Overall my time in Halle at the Excellence Centre was very rewarding. Prior to my arrival I was slightly apprehensive about what my time in Halle would entail, but after meeting everyone at the Excellence Centre I immediately felt more relaxed. Most mornings we would share a breakfast together, so we had time to catch up with other volunteers. This was definitely a nice way to start the day. Before coming to the centre I had never taught English nor had I done any training in teaching English, but this wasn’t really an issue. It was so nice to simply interact with people from different backgrounds and learn about their culture. I was able to plan my lessons around what I thought was best for that specific student. However, I did have to find my own teaching materials and collect together resources. I would recommend asking the other volunteers which resources they use. My German lessons with Muaz were also really good. After not having properly spoken German for roughly a year before coming to the centre, my language skills had somewhat faded. However, after only one week of lessons with Muaz and living in Halle, my German did improve. In the lessons we did a variety of activities that meant they were always super fun and interactive. My accommodation was a shared flat with two other women, who were nice. The accommodation itself was clean and had most of the things that I needed. However, there was no wifi and the signal was not brilliant. I’d say that if you arrange accommodation through the centre, whether that be staying with a host family or some form of shared living accommodation, it is reasonable. Although I would say that if you were to arrange your own accommodation it could be more comfortable. In general, my experience in Halle at the Excellence Centre in Europe was really positive and a lot of fun. I would like to thank the others at the centre for making my experience so enjoyable.

I’m a teacher from Australia who is looking to semi-retire in a few years from now. I was able to take 3 months leave without pay from my college to mix some travel with volunteer work, doing what I love. My two week program at the Excellence Centre has been exactly what I’d hoped for: the opportunity to meet and work with people from other parts of the world, who have either temporarily or permanently settled in Halle (Salle). The team at the Excellence Centre is a great mix of people, working under the guidance of Rafat. Our shared breakfast every morning is warm and welcoming. Rafat’s cooking is delicious and completely different from what I’d usually have at home. The team of volunteers develop friendships over breakfast and discuss their day ahead. Plans are made for evenings and weekends. Halle (Salle) is a beautiful city. I had planned to travel to Berlin for my weekends, but decided against it as there is so much to do, both here and in nearby Leipzig. The public transport system is efficient and many places of interest are within walking distance. There’s a lot of local and international cuisine to try and Halle has many coffee shops. I have had the pleasure of working with a number of students: some teens on summer break; some young ones about to commence their university studies; and some young professionals seeking to develop their careers with yet another language. All had a high level of English already. These students were from various places: Syria, Palestine and Ukraine. Sometimes my small groups met at the Centre and worked together there. Sometimes we visited our favourite cafes, to drink coffee and have conversations in less formal settings. Adult students know what they want to work on, so sessions can be student led. Most wanted English conversations but some also wanted to conference their essays and CVs. Interactive grammar activities from free online quiz websites were fun and lively. Students’ errors make for handy teachable moments. The Centre has wifi so we could use very short films for discussion. Students quickly began bringing their own YouTube clips for class I chose Arabic as the language in which to receive some instruction as part of my program. It seemed to me to be a more useful language for my Australian context. I’m an absolute beginner. Ali was an excellent teacher. (Sh’kran, Ali) I now know a few greetings and useful phrases to use. I also learned a lot about the Arabic alphabet and culture. I’d recommend the Excellence Centre to anyone who wants to spend time learning and teaching languages in less familiar surrounds. I’m sad to be finishing. I’ve really enjoyed my two weeks here. It’s been a very positive experience. Thank you Rafat and your special team!

The best way to describe The Excellence Center is “Family”. After spending 3 weeks in Halle, I genuinely feel like I have a home away from home. The staff, volunteers, and teachers do everything in their power to create an environment of comfortability and love. They go above and beyond to make your stay unforgettable and genuine. While having an unbelievable amount of fun, I also learned an immense amount of Arabic. I participated in the intensive Arabic program with one of the best teachers (in any subject) that I have ever had. Muaz is not only a master of language, but he is a master of teaching. My Arabic lessons were versatile, engaging, immersive, and much more (I could go on forever about how amazing my Arabic teacher/lessons were). I now feel significantly more confident in my Arabic speaking, writing, reading, and listening. The large population of Arabic speakers in Halle also helps you fully immerse yourself in the Arabic language (the Arabic learning doesn’t stop after the lessons!). I could not imagine having a better experience with my language learning. The Excellence Center is an amazing place, full of likeminded people. The staff is qualified and experts at what they do. I recommend The Excellence Center to anyone and everyone who is looking to learn rapidly while having the time of their life!

To begin my review, I would like to talk about my arrival to the center. When I first arrived, I was confused, they were very helpful in making sure I could find the center. My accommodation was very nice and clean. My first day volunteering, I was very nervous, but the other volunteers were extremely kind and welcoming, it wasn’t very hard to fit in with everyone. The breakfast was different from what I was used to, but it was delicious, and you could tell that they put in a lot of work preparing it. The excellence center provides a great amount of freedom to the volunteers, personal and in the classroom. The personal freedom that I was allowed, gave me the opportunity to explore Halle. I thought about the classroom freedom that I was given, and it made me feel uneasy because I have never taught and some structure would have been nice, however this gave me the chance to become a more confident person. Doing the work myself is helping me prepare for when I move into a teaching position after I complete my time volunteering. When it comes to acquiring students, I will say that the process was a bit unorganized. I wouldn’t say that it was the fault of the center but rather how the volunteers handled transferring students. However, I do wish that there was a better way of scheduling classes. For example, there could be a board somewhere in the room and we make our schedules based on the available time slots. That way no one is looking for a place to teach when the classrooms are occupied. I did like when we played sports and the special goodbyes we did to fellow volunteers, I just wished we played more sports before we started the day. I found that exercising before sitting down and doing work made me more focused and in a better mood. Overall, I found this 2 week experience to be very fun and rewarding. There were more positives than negatives and I would definitely recommend this program to others.

I spent two weeks at the Excellence Center and it was a wonderful experience. I wish I had stayed here for longer! I took part in the Teach English and Study German programme, which was a great way of improving my German while simultaneously developing new skills as a teacher. Working closely with my Syrian and Ukrainian students allowed me to learn a lot about new cultures and the experiences of refugees in Europe. It was very rewarding to help students of all levels to converse in English, and to see their great improvement after only two weeks of working with them was very impressive. The majority of my students were enthusiastic and willing to learn from me, and we had a lot of fun in the lessons doing different English language exercises and games. I enjoyed creating lesson plans and learning how best to teach each specific student. We had a lot of freedom to format the lessons in whatever way we wanted. I also worked with one student online, who wrote some articles for me to read and correct, which were really interesting to read. Teaching English at the Center taught me to view language from a different perspective, and made me notice the nuances of English in a way which I have never previously experienced. I chose the non-intensive German course, so I had a total of six German lessons with Muaz. He is possibly the best German teacher I have ever had. I really enjoyed these lessons, which helped to drastically improve my German. He gave us a lot of fun exercises and activities to do in class, which created a very comfortable and welcoming atmosphere where I wasn’t afraid to make mistakes while speaking German. These lessons were extremely beneficial and I learned a lot about different German dialects and slang words which I had not previously known about. Our lessons were also informative on wider topics such as the history and culture of Germany as we discussed current events and topical issues. One of things I really enjoyed about coming to the Excellence Center was having the opportunity to get to know the city of Halle (Saale). The city is perfect to spend a few weeks in; the town centre is walkable with lots of interesting architecture, and there a lot of nice cafes, restaurants and bars. It also has a great public transport system which is very reliable. Here I lived with a Syrian host family, who provided me with a nice bedroom in their apartment. My favourite thing about this programme was the ethos at the Center. From the day I arrived I felt welcomed and accepted by everyone. My other volunteers and staff at the Center truly began to feel like family, and I am sad to have to say goodbye to them! Having breakfast at the Center every morning was always a highlight of my day, as it allowed us to catch up and chat with everyone (while eating some really delicious food!). Rafat has been extremely accommodating and is always ready to help if you have any issues. I am also very grateful to Ali for introducing me to his circle of friends and other Erasmus students, who were all very kind people. I feel privileged to have met such interesting and bright people from around the world, with which I was able to create deep connections within such a short period of time! Overall, I had an amazing experience at the Excellence Center and I would highly recommend for anyone who is interested in languages to come here. I really enjoyed studying German here, and I would definitely consider coming back (possibly to study Arabic!). I will never forget the unique experience I had here and all of the wonderful people I have met.

My time at the Excellence Center was full of new experiences that I will be able to carry with me for years. I would recommend the center for anyone looking to study German or Arabic, and to those who are interested in teaching English. Four weeks wasn’t enough and I hope I will have the opportunity to participate in the center’s programs again in the future. My coworkers acted as a network of people who could both help me prepare for lessons and who I could socialize with after work. It was really amazing being able to meet so many bright people from around the world and to learn from their experiences. Our shared love of foreign language and culture brought us together, and I was lucky to have countless conversations about shared interests with them. The shared experience of teaching also brought us together and made it easy to get to know the other volunteers. In the evenings, I enjoyed eating dinner and exploring Halle almost every night with my friends, as well as making weekend trips to Dresden and Thale. I was especially thankful to Ali and Lord who were very inclusive of us in their social circles in Halle. Thanks to them, I was able to meet some Halle locals and practice more German. They were also willing to answer any questions we had about the program or the area. Last, I appreciated having breakfast everyday together at the center. I’m going to miss the food! The experience of teaching English to refugees was fulfilling and I learned a lot from the experience. As volunteer teachers are completely in control of their classes, I was able to decide on my own what content to teach. I liked this because it allowed me to practice planning my own lessons. Getting to know my students and hearing their stories was one of the best things that came out of the experience for me. The only thing I wish I could change was the number of classrooms in the center, as it can be difficult to teach lessons in the common area when there are no free classrooms. Also, expect to find your own teaching materials online (ask your coworkers if they have any good resources!). Learning German was also a great experience with our teacher Muaz. Although I’ve studied German for years, Muaz is one of the best teachers (if not the best) I’ve learned from. He really has a knack for teaching and I enjoyed our one-on-one lessons. Whether you are in one-on-one or group lessons depends on your level and the level of the other participants at the time. I had one week of one-on-one (including a field trip) and two weeks of small group lessons (3-4 students). My accommodation, organized by the center, was a room with a German-Syrian family and was very comfortable. I wasn’t sure what to expect until I arrived, but I was pleased. I had to share the room with another volunteer for the first week, but after that I had it all to myself which was nice. Overall, I definitely recommend the Excellence Center, and if you have any questions about the program, don’t hesitate to contact the staff. Rafat will do everything he can to make sure your stay in Halle is comfortable.

I arrived at the Excellence Center almost four weeks ago and the time has flown by. I’ve been very lucky to meet so many amazing people, both volunteers and students, and I have found my first teaching experience to be very rewarding. I’ve also thoroughly enjoyed living in Halle, which is a very nice size and is close to a number of other interesting cities. I had a great introduction to the programme when I was met at the train station by Ali and then joined him and Lord for a meal on Rafat’s balcony. I then met some other volunteers that I would be living with for a few days (sleeping on the sofa) before moving to a different flat. It was a very comfortable and spacious sofa and the flat was well located, so I didn’t mind. The flat I then moved to was very comfortable and also in a great location, and Thomas was a very thoughtful and friendly host that I would recommend to anyone. My day-to-day life at the centre was very pleasant, not least because all of my fellow volunteers were really lovely. The atmosphere around the centre was really fun and relaxed and I felt like I was a part of the group from the very beginning. Ali has his finger on the pulse in Halle and he often invited us to events or just to hang out at the park which I really appreciated! The other staff are also great – Lord, Rafat, Muaz and Radwan were always really helpful and easy to talk to. The shared breakfast was always a nice way to start the day and catch up with volunteers who you may not have been able to chat to during the busier days. The brunches and dinners were also a lot of fun and really solidified the sense of community at the centre as well as being a nice way to say goodbye to departing members of the team. My programme included a total of twelve 45-minute German lessons. The lessons themselves were really good and quite varied, so I enjoyed them a great deal. Muaz is a great teacher and I enjoyed diving back into German after a year or so of not speaking any. All I would say is that for 300 euros per week a few more classes would have been nice, but of course I knew how many hours I was signing up for. I was teaching 10 hours of classes per week, which was quite manageable. My students were all really nice and were a pleasure to teach and meet. I hope I can stay in touch with some of them when I go back to the UK. The “Teaching at the Excellence Center” PDFs provide some great ideas for activities, especially for bigger classes and so were a valuable resource. I have made some resources while I was here that I was quite pleased with, and I know many volunteers go to a lot of effort making teaching resources, so something that I think would be good would be a Google Drive (or physically printed resource) where volunteers can share their resources with each other and with future volunteers. Additionally, while I felt very comfortable teaching adults who are slightly more engaged and know what they want, I did feel slightly less well-equipped to teach children and some kind of quick training in this area might be good going forwards to prepare volunteers, although I appreciate arranging something like this isn’t easy. The freedom to organise my own timetable was really appreciated as it allowed me to make time for myself in the evenings or give myself a long weekend to get out of Halle and see the country. On the whole I found the teaching to be a very valuable experience for me and I hope that I was helpful for my students. The past month has been a lot of fun for me and I’m really glad I made the decision to come to Halle. I expect that I will follow in the footsteps of some of my predecessors and find myself in town again in the future, in which case it’ll be nice to catch up with the staff here. I’d like to thank everyone at the centre for making my time in Halle so great! I’ll remember my time at the Excellence Center very fondly.

Rating: 9/10 Review: I had the privilege of participating in "The Excellence Center in Europe" language learning program in Halle (Saale), Germany, during my summer break, and it turned out to be an incredibly enriching experience. The program provided a unique opportunity to teach English to refugees while immersing myself in the German language and culture. One of the most rewarding and heartwarming aspects of the program was witnessing their progress and seeing how language learning empowered them to communicate effectively and confidently in their new environment. Engaging with my students, most of whom came from the Ukraine, allowed me to learn about their culture, creating meaningful connections that enriched the entire experience.I also had the chance to practice my German with the wonderful German teachers at the center. The mutual exchange of language fostered a supportive and inclusive environment, promoting understanding between different cultures. Additionally, the cultural immersion experiences provided by the Excellence Center made the entire program more profound and memorable. Regular interactions with native speakers outside the center also accelerated my language learning journey, helping me communicate more confidently and effectively with my students and the local community. Through teaching English, I honed my adaptability and creativity in the classroom. Developing effective teaching methods to cater to diverse language levels and learning styles among my students was a fulfilling challenge. The program also encouraged community engagement, as I collaborated with fellow educators, volunteers, and local organizations to support refugees in Halle. The relationships formed during the program extended beyond the classroom. The bonds with my students, fellow teachers, and community members became cherished connections that I will carry with me. The experience nurtured personal growth, enhancing my communication, leadership, and intercultural competencies, which are invaluable skills for the future. As the program concluded, I couldn't help but reflect on the positive impact it had on both my students’ lives and mine. The memories and experiences shared during "The Excellence Center in Europe" program in Halle (Saale), Germany, have left a lasting legacy, shaping my worldview and instilling a sense of responsibility to contribute to a more inclusive and interconnected world. "The Excellence Center in Europe" language learning program in Halle (Saale), Germany, was a transformative experience that combined language learning with meaningful engagement in the local community. Teaching English to refugees while learning German provided an exceptional opportunity for personal growth, cultural exchange, and leaving a positive impact on the lives of others. I am immensely grateful for this unforgettable experience and highly recommend this program to anyone seeking a deeply enriching and rewarding language learning journey. Pros of the program: Kindness of staff Schedule flexibility Studying and teaching at the same time Location Meet new, AWESOME people Cons of the program: Organization of center Communication (particularly before the program start date) Language class lacked as much individual attention as was expected

I spent a month interning at the Excellence Center in Halle during July 2023. During this time I studied Arabic, taught English, and had the chance to get to know several people/families who came to Germany as refugees. My time at the Excellence Center was a positive experience, in which I had the chance to both learn from my peers and help others as an English teacher. The workload was extremely manageable, as it is a flexible environment where you can plan lessons on your own both in terms of time and location. For example, I don’t work well with many classes in a row and prefer to have my lessons spread out, therefore I planned in 1-2 classes a day in the afternoons including during the weekends in a café near my house, which is what suited me best. In contrast, another of the volunteers prefers to have intense days: he scheduled all of his classes on Wednesdays and Thursdays, meaning that the other days he can either study, plan lessons, or go on trips around the area. As well as this, the Excellence Center is a welcoming atmosphere, and works to create activities to make the volunteers and interns get to know each other. We have breakfast together four days a week, and Rafat regularly makes brunches and lunches with traditional Palestinian dishes for special occasions, most often when we have goodbyes for volunteers. The Center also organizes city tours and trips outside of Halle, and supports any new trip ideas they might have. This was especially interesting as the group of volunteers was quite international, meaning that through these activities we got to know each other and our different cultures and experiences better. My only comment for the Center would be the nature of the communication. Several times it felt like information was communicated last-minute, and only when asked. I was only told about my accommodation a few weeks before starting, and was only told where I was supposed to go upon arrival two hours before getting to Halle, after I asked. Though I was told to bring basic necessities such as bedsheets, I wasn’t told that there wouldn't be Wi-Fi in my accommodation, which led me to spending extra money to get data roaming, using café Wi-Fi, or having to ask to use my housemates’ Wi-Fi hotspots when they were home. This hassle would’ve been prevented by making sure every accommodation had Wi-Fi, or by communicating in advance that I needed to buy a German SIM. During the internship itself it also felt like events were communicated last-minute, either the day before or the day of the activity, and the dates and times of events do change quite a bit. To be fair, the flexibility of the work means that I could simply reschedule things, but organization and communication still is an area where the Center can improve. However in general, I did feel very supported throughout the whole internship, because there were many people I could go to for any issues. There are student coordinators who help a lot, for example checking you into your accommodation, organizing tours around the city, and acting as points of reference for any issues you may have. For instance the second week I was here, my housemate had locked herself in her bedroom and couldn’t get out as the key wasn’t working. I called Ali (the volunteer team leader) and Lord (the coordinator) for help: Ali gave me information regarding locksmiths in Germany but couldn’t help as he had a meeting, and Lord helped me by calling the 24-hour locksmith who only spoke German, and checked in throughout the afternoon to know how things were going. It all worked out in the end, and we couldn’t have done it without their knowledge and help. Similarly Rafat, the director, is a caring and generous person, who makes an effort to get to know everyone and makes sure they feel comfortable and safe. For example I got ill the first week of my internship, and he showed me where the pharmacy was, loaned me cash as my card stopped working, told me to go home and get rest, and texted me a few times to ask how I was feeling. He also reassured me that if I wasn’t getting better, he could help me get checked-out by a doctor. Rafat consistently checked in with me throughout the month, asking how I was settling in and if there were any issues that he could help with. When my boyfriend came to visit me, Rafat was extremely welcoming and supportive, and invited him to both breakfast at the Center and a home-cooked meal. All in all, interning at the Center was a growing and fulfilling experience, where I had the chance to know caring and interesting people, while learning about different cultures and experiences. I highly recommend it!

My name is Lord Dunmore, and I am delighted to be back in Halle for the second time to immerse myself in the study of German and teach English at the esteemed Excellence Center! Just like the last time, I chose to visit during the summer, and this time around, it has been an even more enriching experience! The warm and welcoming atmosphere of the Excellence Center embraces you wholeheartedly, making you feel at home every single day, and I cannot wait to meet and connect with all the other dedicated volunteers. One of the key reasons for my eagerness to return was the incredible director, Rafat. Not only is he highly professional and efficient, but he also knows how to infuse the center with an element of excitement and joy. His unwavering commitment to accommodate everyone's needs is commendable, and the mouth-watering food he prepares for us is nothing short of extraordinary. Collaborating with Rafat was undoubtedly the highlight of my time here, and I am certain that I would eagerly do it again without hesitation. Let me also share with you my admiration for Muaz, a fascinating individual I've had the pleasure of meeting. His vast knowledge and unwavering dedication to his students are truly inspiring. Muaz takes a genuine interest in each student, meeting them at their level, and creating an environment that encourages learning and growth. Under his guidance, my proficiency in German has flourished, and I have become significantly more confident in expressing myself. For this, I am profoundly grateful. Another remarkable person I encountered at the Excellence Center is Radwan. Focused and approachable, Radwan is a delightful conversationalist, and it was a pleasure to engage in thought-provoking discussions with him. Reconnecting with him brought back fond memories, and I cherished every moment spent in his company. But of course, my joy wouldn't be complete without the presence of my best friend, Ali. His helpful nature extends not only to me but to all the volunteers. Together, we embarked on countless memorable adventures and engaged in deep, meaningful conversations. His genuine hospitality is an integral part of the heartwarming atmosphere that defines the Excellence Center. Reflecting on my time here, I cannot stress enough what a fantastic decision it was to spend my summer engaged in meaningful activities at the Excellence Center. If circumstances allowed, I would eagerly remain here indefinitely, relishing the joy of meeting new volunteers, forging new friendships, and reuniting with familiar faces. The feeling of belonging and camaraderie fills me with immense gratitude, and it is undoubtedly a driving force that compels me to return to Halle in the future. In conclusion, my experience at the Excellence Center has been nothing short of transformative. The knowledge gained, the connections formed, and the memories created are invaluable treasures that I will carry with me throughout my life's journey. I am indebted to this remarkable place and its wonderful people, and I eagerly anticipate my next visit to this warm and welcoming community in Halle.

If I were to list the first word that pops into mind when asked to describe the staff, atmosphere, and character of Halle’s Excellence Center, I’d say “hospitable”. Whether it be during the process of getting acclimated to your living accommodation, your first breakfast in the building’s kitchen, or during the Q & A section involved with every presentation that a volunteer gives on his or her teaching methods, the emphasis that is put on truly getting to know the people you are working, and at times living, alongside is unmistakable. Fittingly. the small size of the Center works to the advantage of fostering this communal atmosphere: since there are only a few rooms, it’s virtually impossible to not interact with your fellow volunteers or with your teachers outside of class time. As such, I found that, with only a handful of exceptions, it only took me a couple of days at most to get to know my fellow volunteers. Although there have been times when the lack of space has made it difficult to find a place where to teach lessons that contained items important to my teaching method (ex: a whiteboard, a map, etc), the people with whom I shared the space have always been incredibly accommodating provided I gave them prior notice about needing a particular room at a particular hour. The only real suggestion I could make would be to create a sort of “timetable” document in the group WhatsApp chat outlining when (date/time) a volunteer might need a specific space and for how long. I also very much appreciated how much freedom the Center gave volunteers vis a vis designing and scheduling their own lesson plans: some of my classes have doubtlessly been more successful than others when it came to teaching my students, but I was only able to work out what did and didn’t work because I was allowed to experiment so often. In effect, I truly felt like “my own boss” and that experience is very hard to come by, even during volunteer opportunities. The Center’s language teachers and staff, more than anybody else, did an amazing job at making me feel welcome and were always there to listen and to provide advice when it comes to setting up lesson plans or even when the issue was just about getting over particular roadblocks in my process of learning German. The classes I took were often challenging, and I know that I still have a lot of room left to improve upon, but by the time they concluded in late June, I came away feeling like with enough time and extra practice over the course of years, I could eventually adopt German as a very strong second language. My only regret was that our cohort of A2/B1 German language students didn’t have more time (say, 2 or 3 more weeks) in class, as the mentorship and instruction provided by our teacher Muaz truly was irreplicable and invaluable. I also really appreciated how many extracurricular bonding activities the Center ran, ranging from weekly soccer games to picnics to field trips outside of Halle. The way that the teachers and staff took part in games or team building exercises, or engaged with volunteers through telling jokes or stories, really helped dispel the type of hierarchical structures that can define a lot of language-based programs, and I felt that on some level, I truly got to know the staff and my teachers as colleagues, perhaps even as friends. The hike we took to in late June was an incredible time, and even the detour of being in Halberstadt helped make the experience feel singular. Going forward, I think the Center might even broaden the variety of activities and trips that they undertake. For instance, perhaps instead of going to play soccer one morning, volunteers could play a basketball game or go to Halle’s bowling alley one afternoon. More ambitiously, perhaps an all-day or even overnight trip to a place like Munich could be arranged (if students are able to pay for a hostel). I’ve been lucky enough to have spent the better part of 3 months with the Excellence Center, and I can securely say that this period has been one of the most rewarding, and instructive ones of my life. Whether or not I go into teaching in the future, I feel like the time here in Halle has helped me gain a sense of purpose and perspective on my life and place in the world that I would have otherwise never gotten. Regardless of which stage of life somebody is in currently, or which profession he or she is in, I cannot recommend partaking in the Excellence Center program enough. It truly has been one of the best experiences of my life.

Being able to come to the Excellence Center has been a truly eye-opening and incredible experience. Coming here as a 17-year-old knowing that all the other volunteers would be 18 or older, I was wondering if I would be the odd one out and left out of plans, 17 doesn’t sound too much smaller than 18, but trust me, it can be. Luckily, I was met with quite the opposite. Not a single volunteer here was anything short of amazing to me. Throughout my entire six weeks at the Excellence Center, I have been meeting dozens upon dozens of fascinating people who have explored and lived in all parts of the world doing all sorts of amazing things. They have all enjoyed spending time at the center sharing their fascinating stories with me and other volunteers, which I have found to be one of my favorite parts of the Excellence Center. Almost every night the volunteers would hang out at Docks, a spot right next to the Saale, and one night someone likened Docks to the place in every Sitcom where all the characters hang out every episode, and I thought that analogy was just perfect. After a long day of doing whatever all of us volunteers do in Germany, we can always count on being able to head over to Docks and find other volunteers to just relax with and talk to. To be honest, no matter where we are, whether we are at the Center or at Docks or in Berlin for the weekend, we always have new and interesting stories to tell about our culture and experiences in different countries, and with the amount of people that flow in and out of the Center at all times, there is always an abundance of conversation to be found here. Furthermore, with Fridays off, traveling around Germany and even Europe has been considerably more convenient and worth-while, and traveling on the weekends with other volunteers has been yet another way I have found meaning here at the Center. Even on the weekends I wasn’t planning on traveling outside of Halle with other volunteers, my amazing host family made sure I was never bored. We went to the lake together, the zoo, Leipzig, they made me dinner and made sure I was always well-fed and taken care of, they talked with me all the time and were just truly all-around amazing. I can easily say they also made my experience here at the Excellence Center one to remember forever.

When I arrived at the Excellence Center, I was immediately greeted warmly by Ali, the volunteer coordinator and Rafat, the head of the center. Throughout my time there, the warmth never decreased, and I felt as if I was treated like a member of their family. Being a volunteer teaching English at the Excellence Center means that you take on a number of students each week as pupils, from different backgrounds and with different skill levels. Teaching such a diverse group requires flexibility, and Rafat makes sure volunteers have such flexibility. As a volunteer, one gets the chance to create lesson plans tailored to each students needs. Not only does this help the students learn, but it helps the volunteers grow as teachers. Another aspect of my experience at the Excellence Center has been learning German from Muaz. I am very lucky to have had this experience because Muaz is truly an excellent teacher. I arrived here with as little knowledge of German as one can have. Nevertheless, Muaz took the challenge of teaching a novice in stride. What I found most effective about his teaching method was that he made students comfortable making mistakes. He did this by pushing us to work hard but reminding us that making mistakes is how you learn. As our lessons came to a close, Muaz gave advice about how to continue learning German that I think will be invaluable as my study of the language moves forward. He has clearly put a considerable amount of thought into the best method of learning German and languages in general. Anyone would be lucky to have him as a teacher. But the most meaningful part of my time at the Excellence Center was getting to be a part of such a warm community. Rafat excels at building connections with each and every one of the volunteers and at motivating the volunteers to connect with each other. This brings me to what I have loved the most about the Excellence Center. Each week that I have been here we have played football with Rafat, Muaz, and the volunteers that chose to join the game. I am not a skilled football player. For that reason, I was apprehensive about playing in the game. But Rafat and Muaz were encouraging to everybody and made sure that everyone could get involved in the game. This made for great fun and a good opportunity for bonding. All this is to say, if you are considering volunteering at the Excellence Center, I would recommend you go for it, and I recommend you do not skip the football matches while there.

My name is Yu Hua, I’m from Taiwan, I stayed at the excellence center for three weeks to teach English and learn German. I was trying to find volunteer opportunities in Germany a few months ago, and I found excellence center in Halle online. It is for sure one of the most memorable experiences I’ve ever had. I usually started my day having breakfast with other volunteers at the center, and had classes with my students, mostly from Ukraine, the rest of the day. The teaching method was very flexible, I taught both individual and group lessons, for it depends on what suits them better. Usually, I liked to play games while teaching, it brought a lot of fun in the learning process. Th excellence center is a loving place. I learned so much from both my students and my fellows. Being able to participate in this program was an amazing experience for me.

After taking a 14-hour flight across half the earth to Halle, I spent three weeks at the Excellence Center. I am truly grateful to all the members here for making me feel so welcomed and making my time here filled with happiness. Though being a teacher for the first time was challenging initially, I gained more confidence as I worked on and figured out the more effective methods for teaching English. This study and work abroad experience has been incredibly amazing. Thanks to all the intelligent and motivated members here who supported me during my time here. All the encouragement and guidance have been so invaluable, and I will carry the experiences and memories with me for a lifetime. This journey has not only enhanced my teaching skills but also broadened my understanding of different cultures and perspectives. I am truly fortunate to have been part of such a supportive and inspiring community. Thank you all once again for making this experience unforgettable.

I stayed at the center for only a week but it has been an unforgettable experience. Everyone is very friendly and very welcoming, there is a great atmosphere. Halle is also a great city with lots of different activities one can do. It is also nicely connected to other nice cities like Leipzig and Berlin that can also make a great day trip. Being able to help by teaching English has been wonderful and it’s a nice way to give back to the community. Getting to talk with all the students and volunteers and listening to their own individual stories is a great way to open your mind and learn. I feel fortunate because we also get the opportunity to practice other languages like German. I wish I could have stayed longer and definitely recommend the center to anyone who wants to help and gain new experiences.

My experience at the Excellence Center has been very rewarding and transformative. As a volunteer, I had the opportunity to teach English to Ukrainian refugees. It was an incredible experience. Even though it was only a week I feel privileged to have been a part of their journey. Additionally, my time at the Excellence Center allowed me to enhance my own language skills by learning German.I enjoyed the interactive classes and the opportunity to practice speaking with fellow volunteers. The center also provided comfortable and well-equipped accommodations. I had the pleasure of staying in a very nice room. I had the chance to meet people from diverse backgrounds. And made lots of new friends. The breakfast was delicious and a great time for all of us to get together.

My time at the Excellence Center was an eye-opening experience that taught me a lot about refugees and their lives, as well as the German language. My host family was very welcoming and gracious, and I greatly enjoyed my time with them. At the Excellence Center, we started the morning with breakfast, where I got to know the other volunteers. After that, I had German lessons, which taught me some new vocabulary. I also began to teach lessons in German to two refugees from Ukraine. I learned about where they were from, and even improved my German in the process. I saw a lot of the city while I was here, including churches, historic buildings, the university, and a huge music festival. My host family and I became close, and I hope we will stay in contact in the future. Additionally, my German has definitely improved. It feels much more natural to speak than it did two weeks ago when I arrived. Volunteering was also a great experience that showed me the challenges refugees face, but also showed me the resilience they have. The two weeks passed by quickly, and I wish I could stay for longer. Halle is a beautiful city, and I learned a lot from my time here at the Excellence Center. I hope to return to Halle as soon as I can!

I spent three weeks at the Excellence Centre in July 2023. In these three weeks I gained invaluable experience teaching English as a second language, living in a new city and getting to know people from many different countries and backgrounds. It was my first-time teaching English as a foreign language, so I was initially slightly unsure how to proceed with lessons and teaching, however the many resources provided by the centre were a great source of knowledge and inspiration. I could also ask other volunteers about their experiences and if they had any advice, and this was extremely helpful for me. Having a starting conversation with the learner was especially helpful, because it was good to know the language ability as well as any specific themes or topics the person wanted to work on. I taught two people in my three weeks, and it was very enjoyable because we covered a range of topics. Additionally I had 9 hours of German lessons, which was a great opportunity to freshen up some things I had forgotten, learn some new vocabulary and get some practice speaking it. Another aspect that really appealed to me was the diversity of people at the centre. It was really interesting to meet so many different people from different countries. Working with Ukrainian refugees and hearing their stories was also a very humbling experience as it put my “problems” at home into perspective. Everyone at the centre was extremely welcoming, friendly and social which made coming and settling into Halle very easy for me and the delicious breakfast we had four times a week was a really nice way to start the day. Halle itself was a pleasant city to spend three weeks in. It was not too big so I did not feel in anyway overwhelmed. There were also enough shops, bars, and restaurants so I was able to go out with the other volunteers in the evenings as well as a weekly football match amongst the volunteers. Furthermore, I was also able to visit Leipzig and Dresden as they are very easy to reach. Overall, I had a great few weeks at the Excellence centre and in Halle and would thoroughly recommend the programme to any person who wishes to gain TEFL experience in a new city.

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.

My 3 weeks at the Excellence Centre in Europe have been wonderful: it has allowed me to greatly improve my German, to widen my knowledge of refugee issues, and to meet great people from around the world. The centre provided 3-4 1.5 hour German lessons for me and a small group of other students per week, which were consistently engaging, entertaining and educational. Despite coming from differing knowledge backgrounds and levels, we could all grow and bounce off each other, encouraged to stretch ourselves to new areas but without the pressure that comes from large classes. Furthermore, most lessons revolved around speaking practice which, although scary, was what I needed most - during my time here I have become far more comfortable and confident with using conversational German, furthered more through other volunteers sometimes joking and chatting in German in an inclusive way, meaning it was a true immersion into German and Germany which is exactly what I wanted. My other main activity at the centre was teaching English; this is not an activity I had experience in. Despite initially feeling quite unsure as I was thrown into lessons without any guidance from the centre really, I quickly learnt how to lead a lesson, and as most are 1:1 tutoring, it is easy to tailor it to a student's needs. Teaching English definitely helped me to develop as a person, and it is something I intend to undertake again in future breaks from school, which is certainly galvanized by the eagerness and kindness of every single pupil I taught. The atmosphere at the centre itself was by far the best part of my time here - being surrounded by the most friendly and outgoing people, from a range of backgrounds and experiences, undoubtedly made it the extremely fulfilling experience it has been. From the moment I arrived, everyone was inclusive, inviting me to social events outside of the centre and to explore Halle with them. Although the fact that schedules are mainly self-designed can lead to everyone coming and going during the day, the opportunity to all gather at breakfast every day (which was very delicious, and entirely vegetarian which was great for me!!) and joke and chat, really meant I began the day feeling uplifted. Despite a lack of events organised outside of teaching initially, in the second half of my stay this definitely picked up, and the hike we went on was a great opportunity to see more of Germany. Halle itself is not necessarily the most thrilling city in Germany, but it provided everything I needed from it and I took the opportunity of having weekends off to see more of Germany, which Halle is well placed to facilitate. Halle does have some beautiful green spaces (some of which I annoyingly only discovered in my last couple days!), with the Peißnitz park being close enough to the centre that after work I often went with my friends to sit and chat, or even once to row down the river - incredibly entertaining. However, minus the art museum, there is not much to fill weekends with, so instead I visited Leipzig and Dresden for day trips and Berlin for a weekend with other volunteers from the centre - only an hour away!! The only issue I particularly had with Halle was that I was staying in Neustadt which was a 20 minute tram ride away - the tram system is very good and links the whole city but it did make it difficult to be flexible about meeting up with friends and there is an extra cost for transport which others staying in altstadt didn't experience. Yet, as I had another volunteer as a roommate, I was not alone in this, and I became very close with her which was lovely. The host family I was with were also very nice, and although mainly keeping themselves to themselves, they provided an extremely joyous atmosphere to arrive home to and it was a perfectly satisfactory base to stay in during my time in Halle. Overall, my time at the Excellence Centre is an experience I will cherish - my only regret is not staying for longer. I greatly hope to stay in contact with the friends I have met here, and continue my learning of German to hopefully return to live here soon!

What an amazing experience! From the moment I walked through the door at The Excellence Center, I felt welcome! The atmosphere is friendly, helpful and super comfortable. Rafat and his staff do everything they can to ensure one has a good experience. Everyone is so laid-back and easy to talk to, which, in my opinion, promotes the overall feeling of warmth and kindness one feels there. I will always remember this experience with fondness and am so happy I chose to volunteer. I also had so many chances to practice my German and gained much through my own language lessons.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time interning at the Excellence Center in Europe. I really appreciate the kindness and openness of the other interns at the center. Teaching English was a new experience for me but one I genuinely grew from. I was able to be flexible in planning lessons and in understanding the individual level and learning styles of every student I engaged with. Additionally, learning German was also very fun. I learned in a very different way than what I am used to but it was efficient and I was able to learn a great deal in a short period of time. My favorite part of the internship was getting to stay and get to know my host family in the afternoons and on weekends. They were absolutely amazing. I had the unique opportunity of getting to spend quality time with them such as being a guest speaker for one of the girls’ English classes, getting invited to a family dinner, and learning more about the country. Although the host home was far, it was a beautiful and peaceful city to be in. As a part of the internship, the ability to meet and speak with refugees in Germany was also very important to me. It was a great experience overall that I am thankful for. I appreciate getting to learn about migration patterns and the reintegration process. Adding on, getting to visit and chat with refugees from Syria in Halle was also interesting. Looking into the future of the internship program, I do however have a few suggestions. For one, I think the internship program needs a bit more structure. For example, all interns should use a running Google document where they are writing down the activities and lesson plans of every student. As interns complete the internship, they can then share this document with whoever takes over. This would allow for students to stay on track and for interns to not be confused once they start the internship program.

My name is Aram and I'm an American volunteer doing the Internship program while studying German. The most memorable part of the Center was the chance to meet people and make friends from around the world, even people who aren't directly connected to the Center, such as the myriad of university students. I especially loved the chance to interview refugees, and hear their extremely varied experiences. The staff are very friendly and supportive, and relate to you as friends. My German teacher Muaz is excellent. He knows exactly how to challenge you and get you out of your comfort zone, while keeping lessons relaxed and engaging. In general, the quality of teaching I have seen here is quite high. Note that it is sometimes difficult to obtain housing near the center. Many of the volunteers end up having host families as much as 50 minutes away from the Center. This can make it difficult for many to participate in social events, and can be frustrating for these volunteers. Many may lament the lack of structure or active assistance in teaching. Personally, I find the ability to design our own curriculums freeing and exciting. One thing that would have been nice, however, is to have advance knowledge of what age our students are and what their basic level in the language is. This would help with planning our first lessons. I found this got better as more volunteers arrived and we had the chance to shadow many of our new students' classes before taking them on. More generally, there is a certain lack of structure at the Center. Again, personally, I don't mind this, although more advance notice with regard to activities would be nice, given our largely self designed schedules. I urge any considering coming, to make the most of your time here. Whether here for a few weeks, or two months as I was, the time will fly by. I profusely thank the Center for all the experiences and opportunities I have had, and I hope to be back.

I had an amazing week at the Excellence Center. I felt very welcomed and liked bonding with everyone at the common breakfast every morning, and I had a lot of fun overall with the activities (football game, city tour,...). The team was caring and made sure that I felt good at the center and in my host family. It was very helpful to have classes with only one or two students that way we were able to go on our own path, and the classes were adapted to our level and expectations. Would 100% recommend the intensive German Program!

My name is Anna and I´m an English teacher from Russia. I volunteered at the Center for 2 weeks and I really enjoyed the time I spent there. What I loved the most is that Center not only gives you the opportunity to meet new people and study languages, but also provides you with plenty of extra activities! We had parties, football games, city tours and many other things to do. All the volunteers also made a presentation about teaching methods and I it was really interesting to exchange experience and discuss things together. So, I really enjoyed everything! The only thing which makes me upset is the fact that the 2 weeks are over and I need to go home. The other important aspect I would like to note is that the Center treats people like people and Rafat with his team help everyone as much as they can. I was happy to be the part of the team and I hope I helped some people too.

As an educator, researcher, and native speaker of the Maltese language, I have always had an interest in studying Arabic because it helps me better understand the origins of my mother tongue and allows me to make linguistic comparisons between these two Semitic languages. Having studied Modern Standard Arabic (Fusha) for years, I felt the urge to practice what I had learnt in class through an immersion experience in a real Arab community. I learnt about The Excellence Center in Europe, which is located in the middle of the German city of Halle (Saale), a city that is home to many migrants, including Arabs. Such an environment offers a great opportunity for Arab language learners to immerse in both the Arabic language and culture while remaining within a European country. I completed intensive training—which was tailor-made for my needs—in the Levantine Arabic dialect (Shami). The professional but flexible methods used during this training impressed me. The approach included one-on-one classroom instruction from a native Lebanese speaker; however, it also included several opportunities for real-life practice, such as communicating with Arabic restaurant staff, discussing various topics with Arab nationals, watching and discussing short Syrian and Lebanese films with native Levantine speakers. I opted to live with a host family, sharing an apartment with an Arab national. This gave me first-hand experience receiving a warm welcome as a guest in an Arab community. I also received a warm welcome from Mr Rafat Shamir, one of the centre’s co-founders, who addresses the specific needs of every student at the centre. Every morning, learners and staff members have breakfast together in the Arabic way—a great way for people of different nationalities to share experiences and start the day. My experience at the centre was enriching and fruitful. What’s my next step? Who knows? Perhaps a full immersion course at the Excellence Center’s facility in Hebron, Palestine. Dr Charles Daniel Saliba, PhD (Sheffield, UK) www.charlesdanielsaliba.com 19 May 2023 This experience was funded by the Erasmus accreditation in the field of education at Sir M. A. Refalo Sixth Form, An Institute for Further Education, located in Victoria, Gozo, Malta.

Having found the Excellence Center from just a Google search and a couple of review sites, I was excited but admittedly nervous when I showed up for my one-month stay in Halle. But the experiences and relationships that I cultivated in the following weeks were so impactful that I decided to extend my stay. The teaching aspect of the program offers a chance to meaningfully help others while engaging with different cultures. Though I had no experience teaching ESL before coming to the center, the center’s staff did not train me to follow a rigid curriculum. Rather, they provided me with some initial resources and then encouraged me to develop my own unique teaching style. This type of freedom enabled a more creative and comfortable classroom environment for both me and my students. This same teaching philosophy carried over into the German lessons I took with Muaz, who helped me to develop a more conversational vocabulary. His lessons kept me on my toes, ranging from interpreting music videos to going on excursions into the city. Above all, my favorite part of my stay has been the people I have met and the sense of community that surrounds the center. Between other volunteers, local university students, and the long-term employees of the center (especially Ali), I felt incredibly welcomed and made friendships that will last a lifetime. I can’t recommend this program enough for someone who wants a unique experience abroad where you can teach, learn, and connect with people of all backgrounds.

The instruction I received in the intensive Arabic course was great and all the lessons were 1 on 1 so I really made progress! For those studying Arabic here though you live in Neustadt which is good for practicing arabic but is quite a bit further than where the german students. You have to take the tram which can be quite unreliable! The accommodation in Neustadt was also a bit run down but my flatmate was very lovely and helped me practice my Arabic! Overall though the teaching is fantastic for the price you pay and it was a huge boost to my arabic, both my teachers Salma and Moaz were great and I will most likely return to study Arabic another time!

I spent two weeks teaching German and studying Arabic at the Excellence Center. (I would have taught English as well, but there were enough other volunteers at the time.) Everyone at the centre is really nice and friendly. Even though there was a significant age gap between the other short-term volunteers/students (all of them 19 or 20 years old) and me, everybody was happy to chat about this and that. Also Salma, Nargis and Ali, who work at the centre long term, were incredibly welcoming and created good vibes. I taught a lovely Syrian lady every day, an almost complete beginner, and it was very rewarding to see her use the simple words and sentences we covered. As all the regular Arabic teachers were busy or away, Nargis (herself an intern) became my Arabic teacher. She was extremely helpful and patient and I got a lot of speaking practice (always my main concern when I take lessons). My suggestion for the centre would be improved communication in organising stuff, like having a staff handbook with the basics about who is who and how the centre is run, and giving teachers more info about their prospective students before their first lesson. I liked the fact that everyone gives presentations once in a while (about teaching methods, about themselves, and Salma about the situation of refugees in Halle) and found it really interesting to listen to them. Halle itself is a nice, not overwhelmingly large city, which makes it easy to get around, with great cafés and beautiful architecture in the centre. Thanks, danke and shukran everyone!

I can't recommend the Excellence center enough. Not only for those wanting to have a great study/work abroad experience but for anyone who wants to step out of their comfort zone and get to experience a new culture in the most friendly way possible. I stayed in the center teaching English for 3 weeks, and then a 4th week just taking German lessons. So, I got to experience a bit of each of the offered programs, and they both have unique advantages. While being a volunteer I got an amazing experience giving one-on-one lessons to students from different age groups and nationalities, and it was incredible seeing how committed they are to integrating into German society and to learning English even though they are still in the process of improving their German skills, handling school, languages, a different country, and managing all that while being very sweet and nice to their teachers and being honestly excited about their lessons and about everything in their surroundings. In my 4th week, I was only taking German lessons, and this was also very interesting. Muaz is an incredible teacher and he worked with me on a wide variety of activities and helped me a lot in improving my German skills, as well as getting a broad understanding of Halle, and of the study and work life in the city. Overall the center was just an incredible place to be, everyone receives you in such a warm welcoming way and the atmosphere is always one of friendship and care. I was included in so many amazing activities, from hanging out in local coffee shops, and bars, to a Ramadan Iftar dinner with volunteers, staff, and members of their community. From the beginning, you are received in such a friendly way, and I was fortunate enough to have a great group of volunteers staying at the same time as me, and it was amazing getting to know each of them. The city is also great and offers lots of things to do, and there is plenty to explore in the nearby towns, so this also makes for a very rich cultural experience.

I would certainly recommend The Excellence Center to anyone interested in learning or teaching language. The staff consists of a wonderful group of people who are incredibly intelligent, fun, and motivated to help you reach your goals. A daily morning breakfast offers a chance to connect with other students and staff in a way that facilitates an atmosphere of warmth. I never realized how little I use my voice or how much of an introvert I am until I tried learning a new language at the age of 43. My tutor was incredibly patient with me. The course challenged me in ways I didn’t anticipate, but she always made herself available for assistance and encouraged me every step of the way. I will always be grateful for her time and her effort. This is a special place that’s worthy of your consideration.

I can’t emphasise enough how glad I am that I decided to come to the Excellence Center. It was a step out of my comfort zone, but definitely worth the experience. I stayed in Halle for 4 weeks, teaching English and studying Arabic, and I can honestly say it has been one of the most interesting, fulfilling, and educational experiences of my life. The atmosphere at the Center is really relaxed and friendly, with the lovely staff making an effort to ensure that your entire experience in Halle is enjoyable, as well as looking out for your well being and helping out if you have problems. They don’t feel like your employees, teachers or colleagues, but like your friends. We all made and ate breakfast together every morning. In my last week at the Center it was the beginning of Ramadan, and I was invited to eat Iftar with the other volunteers and staff. Halle probably isn’t the first city you’d think of visiting if you came to Germany, but there’s lots of friendly people here and it’s easy to visit bigger cities like Leipzig and Berlin on the train for a day trip. I found that the lack of tourists and English speakers made it a great place to practise speaking German, which is something you don’t get in most major German cities. It also has a large Arabic speaking community, so I ended up hearing lots of Arabic being spoken: at the Center, around the city, and when spending time with people I met at the Center, who often had Arabic as a first language. This was super useful for immersion and for practising what I’d learnt in classes. This immersion continued where I was living, as I stayed with a Syrian host family, who spoke the same dialect of Arabic which I was studying. They were also really lovely and I enjoyed talking to them. I don’t know if this is the case with all the host families, but I wasn’t offered food every evening, and often organised my own, which was fine, but is something that future volunteers might want to make sure they’re aware of. I taught 7 students English, mostly in one-to-one classes, and they ranged a lot in age and English ability. There’s no set course, so I decided with the students what to teach them and for how many hours per week. The students were all from countries other than Germany, and many were refugees, so it was really interesting talking to them about their experiences, and differences between their home countries, Germany and the UK. I think I probably learnt as much from them as they learnt from me. I also had one-to-one Arabic lessons with Muaz, who is both a brilliant teacher and a really friendly guy. We had traditional classroom-style lessons, but would also go into town to visit Arabic shops and restaurants, which was a good way of practising spoken Arabic in a real-life context. I spent lots of my free time with the other volunteers at the Center, as well as with other local young people from Halle, who I met through Center staff and students. We went out in Halle in the evenings, and also visited other cities in the area on the weekends. I met so many different people, from different countries and with different life stories to me, and formed friendships which I’m sure will continue into the future. Coming to the Excellence Center is not just studying at a language school, but a cultural and social experience, which you don’t come across often in your life. I really enjoyed my time here and would definitely recommend the program for anyone who wants to do something useful with their English skills, learn about new languages and cultures, meet some great people, or just do something a bit different for a few weeks. I can’t thank the Excellence Center enough for the great experiences I’ve had over the last month!

I spent 2 weeks at the excellence center, and enjoyed every single moment of it. Volunteering in the excellence center was a great opportunity to reach out of my comfort zone, and experience various cultures, with the kindest and funniest people around me. Also, teaching English in a foreign country was a huge challenge for me, as English is not my mother tongue, and as I speak neither German nor Arabic, but I am so glad that I made the decision to challenge myself in the excellence center 2 months ago. I was very nervous before I started volunteering at the excellence center, but once I started, I was so glad to get to know the people in the excellence center, my students, and the other volunteers. We had various backgrounds, thoughts, and cultures, and I would never have an experience like the days I spent in the excellence center in Japan. I would like to thank all the people that I spent time with at the excellence center in Europe. I had a fruitful and wonderful time. Thank you!

I am really glad I found out about this opportunity. There are not many places like this that allow people my age to teach English and learn a critical language like Arabic. I think the center is a great place for cultural exchange and to develop cultural competency. The staff was very helpful and if I had a problem, I felt comfortable discussing it with them. I taught around 7-10 hours and received 2-3 hours of Arabic lessons a week. My teacher, Muaz, introduced me to Arabic-speaking countries, the different dialects, and helped me learn the alphabet to be able to read some Arabic. I also learned some basic phrases and practiced them outside the center. He even took me to a falafel shop, and I learned about his experience as a refugee. It was a really moving story. As for my English students, they were a range of ages from 8 to 32, some regular German students, others refugees from Ukraine/Syria. I really enjoyed listening to their experiences and understanding how Halle is an ideal place for those who have been displaced. Another thing that was great was that I had a lot of creativity with my classes and how I taught them; a majority of them were English conversation classes, but with my oldest student I had him give me a tour of Halle in English to practice it outside the classroom, and with my younger students I taught them the names of countries on different continents in English (a fun activity). Most of the students come in with a good understanding of English grammar and vocabulary, but I wish I had been able to explain things about the English language that did not make sense to them (i.e. varied pronunciations). Here are some things I think would be helpful to know before you come: January is the quietest time of the year to come. I met two volunteers my first week, but was the only one left for the remainder of my time. There was nothing wrong with that, but sometimes I wish I could have done activities/traveled with other volunteers. I think summer is the most ideal time to come. Another thing is that you may have to get your own dinner when living with a host family. Breakfast is covered at the center and then lunch/dinner are on your own. I think this was the most surprising thing for me because it had not been like that with other host families I had stayed with. I was able to eat with them on weekends but not weekdays because my host mom was not able to prepare as much food. I can understand this, but it was a little lonely eating dinner by myself in my room. However, the family I stayed with was very nice and the younger sister gave me my own room. So, I think if you are going to stay with a host family, just know that it might only just be for accommodation purposes, and it is up to you to interact with the family and feel included. I wish I had practiced my Arabic with them more often and had been less shy, but towards the end I started to feel less isolated. It takes time to adjust to being in a new country, and just when you starting making friends and feeling settled, you have to leave. This was a positive experience and I hope to return to Halle in the summer. Thank you Rafat, Radwan, and Muaz for this unique experience. P.S. You get bonus points if you can make Radwan smile :)

I am so glad and thankful for having had the opportunity of this wonderful experience at the Europe Excellence Center. Although I visited the Center in Halle for a short term, not only did I have very much fun and empathy with my language students in English and in German, the whole atmosphere at the academy was warm and welcoming, I felt the kindness and open-minded mentality of everyone there from the beginning on. The staff was always absolutely helpful and nice, their disposition of sharing time and personal experiences with the volunteers was marvelous! For the reason of my international background (I was born in Colombia and my family of origin is german), this possibility of communicating and interacting with people from different cultures and mentalities was a very rewarding experience, not only because of the opportunity of learning from others, but also - for me the most important fact of all - it enriches you personally at a very deep. spiritual level, in which giving and receiving flows in a very spontaneous, natural way. I fully recommend the programs offered at the Europe Excellence Center, as well as its staff and teachers, not only for younger people, but also for those of us who are more aged in time but always young by heart, because of all the fun and learning you will experience at the Centerl! I therefore express my deepest gratitude to each and everyone there whom I had the opportunity of knowing and interacting with!!

My time at the Excellence Center in Europe was amazing and I am very grateful for it. I am so thankful for the opportunities I had to connect with the local refugee community in Halle and individuals throughout the city. I loved the community at the Excellence Center and the friendships I developed there. While at times it was difficult adjusting to a new environment, all the people I met made me feel very welcomed and cared for. I really enjoyed getting to teach English to so many students, being able to hear their stories, and build lasting connections with them. I will never forget my time there, especially the project I did interviewing local Syrian refugees about their current lives in Germany. My experiences at the Excellence Center solidified my desire to work with the refugee community in Germany as that is the next step I am taking in my life. I know I will see everyone at the Excellence Center again soon and I am so grateful to all of them for all they did for me and making my time in Halle so special.

I am Prasad from Sri Lanka, I am 53 Y and I have a BSc Physical Science degree in well reputed university in our country, I worked at Sri Lanka Navy nearly 10Y as an officer, In 2009 I joined the university as a disciplinary head and enjoyed my second life in same university. In university I was started YCFA association ,that is Youth Club For the Aidless. We helped poor schools, and elderly homes in Sri Lanka. I am normally helping people since my school carrier, I am visiting elderly homes and child homes frequently, I used to visit and worked with them without any charges, recently I was completed my caregiver level 4, It is help me to do my volunteer job easily and perfectly. I did several courses to help people ,cricket coaching and umpiring, personal training, gym instructor, sports therapy, spa therapist, tennis coaching, and stretching exercises . I have only daughter she is now 7 years old and my wife also giving me a good support. We are helping not only human but also animals ,specially stray dogs. I would like to study German language course and helping people volouteerly and study further in German. I can manage my air ticket to come your country ,and course fee too. I am waiting for your positive answer as soon as possible. thank you prasad

First Days When I first arrived in Halle in early October 2022, I had taken a bit of a leap of faith. While I had experience traveling abroad, this was my first time doing so alone; in a new place for three months. I knew what to expect to an extent. I had an address to reach, program dates and details, and a basic understanding of how to purchase train tickets. After more than 30 hours of international transit and trying to speak German with my sleep deprived, over caffeinated brain, I found myself in the apartment I would come to call home. Although the physical journey had ended, my real journey had only just begun. Any and all anxieties I had before arriving in Halle were resolved incredibly quickly. My roommates, fellow Excellence Center folks, were incredibly welcoming and helped me settle in with little difficulty. I still remember my first evening after landing, chatting and having tea, and gradually feeling more and more at ease. I slept like a rock that night, and in the morning I had the first of many communal breakfasts at the Excellence Center. The entire environment at the Center was (and still is) incredibly warm and welcoming, and I knew I had made a good decision in choosing to come. Branching Out After my first few days, I began to settle in. I established a routine, met with my first students, and began to feel at ease with the major change. I took one of my first weekends to explore the cities of Leipzig and Berlin, just by booking train tickets and spending hours walking in the foreign cities. I saw famous tourist sights and tried authentic and classic German foods. It was amazing to just immerse myself in a culture and environment so different from my hometown in the United States. I didn’t stop at neighboring cities, however. I’d always wanted to see Sweden, and within a couple of weeks I made plans to visit Stockholm. Before that, however, I experienced more of Halle. My new friends and I explored the Salle, ate döner and schnitzel, and went to a disco club in the dungeon of a castle from the middle ages. I started to get the hang of teaching, and felt like I was finding my place. By the time my plane took off towards Stockholm, I almost felt as though I’d lived in Halle for years. Stockholm, Sweden Stockholm was another significant change. I found out upon arrival that although Sweden is in the European Union, they are not in the EuroZone, and thus the currency is the Swedish Krona. To make things even more difficult, I had not called my bank to tell them that I would be traveling, and I was worried my debit card would be frozen. Eventually, I managed to buy a train ticket from the airport to the city center, and arrived at my first ever youth hostel after midnight, long after the reception desk had closed. I still feel bad for the hostel owner, who I had to call three times to figure everything out. I was incredibly grateful that my phone had cell service, it wasn’t until a few weeks later that I really understood how much of a privilege reliable internet can be. After the first night, I took the day to explore Stockholm, much like Leipzig and Berlin, but not before meeting and chatting with a friendly Slovenian man whose name I never got. During my long walk, I saw a sign for a boat tour with an included brunch, and I was sure to book a spot for the next outing. I walked along the water, in parks, past a few churches, and through downtown. I went to a bar near my hostel for dinner, and was served some of the best grilled salmon I’ve ever had. On the boat tour the following day, I enjoyed more amazing food and was helped by an incredible server who’s name I also never got. He was incredibly kind and paid me the same attention as everyone else, even though I had come alone. After the brunch, I was able to go on deck and take lots of photos of the beautiful archipelago. Though I had to rush to get to the airport right after, it was an incredible experience and I will save those photos forever. Parties in Prague Coming back to Halle, I spent some more time appreciating what was here. I took the next weekend to chill out and not travel, but soon I was hungry for more. I booked a train ticket to Prague, at the recommendation of my father, and soon I found myself in another hostel. This time, however, my debit card was frozen as soon as I entered the Czech Republic, and the SIM card for my cell phone ran out of credit. It definitely didn’t help that the Wi-Fi on the train did not work whatsoever. By the time I got to my Hostel, I was stressed, confused, and pretty overwhelmed. I needed cell service to call my bank to unfreeze my debit card and pay for my hostel, and I needed my debit card to recharge my SIM card and regain cell service. Not to mention the fact that my previous attempt to recharge my SIM card had burned €20 to no avail and I wasn’t sure why. To make matters worse, my bank’s servers took the opportunity to crash, and I wasn’t able to access any online banking information. The amazing staff at my hostel were super understanding. They gave me a free drink and allowed me to go to my room under a handshake agreement that I would pay for the room in the morning. Two hours later, everything finally fell into place and I was able to breathe again after the stressful day. At this point I was ready to call it a night, but my roommates at the hostel struck up a conversation and the next thing I knew we were having a blast at the rooftop bar. Everyone was again super friendly, and I really wish I had thought to exchange social media information with them. Five of us, myself included, later decided to hit the town, and I spent the night having an amazing time in one of Prague’s famous nightclubs. We got back around 3 or 4 AM, and at this point I could have slept for years. I stuck with them for the rest of the trip, and we went out for breakfast the next morning. We did some sightseeing and of course I took a million pictures, and we spent our second night on the rooftop bar again. Unfortunately the next day was checkout, and we had to say goodbye. I spent some more time seeing Prague on my own, and my train pulled out that night. Settling in, in Brussels? After Prague, I spent a few weeks in Halle without traveling far. My friends from the Center and I hung out a lot, and good times were had by all. I gained a few students, and it felt more like I was living in Germany, not just visiting. The Halle Christmas market had also opened, and it was great to experience such a famous and classic event. Being from Colorado, I started to miss the sun a little (with only about 7 hours of daylight daily, including lots of snow and rain), but overall things were still great. Most recently, however, I took another trip. I took a flight to Brussels, which was delayed so much that I spent more time on the tarmac in Berlin than in the air, but getting there was great. My hostel was amazing and the Christmas lights were beautiful. I spent my days exploring on foot as usual, all over Brussels, and nights were spent watching football (soccer, for my fellow Americans) in the hostel bar. I was able to practice my limited skills in French and Dutch, and had a few fun interactions with strangers. I mistimed my bus to the airport, and ended up spending 6 hours in the concourse, but I made it to Berlin in one piece. Cold Station, Warm Hearts It was at this point that I realized the DeutscheBahn had yet to reopen the ICE line from Berlin to Leipzig, even after 3 days, and I found myself stranded in Berlin South Station at midnight. There were no trains until 4:30, no buses until even later, and it was over 170 km by taxi, which would have cost me almost €400. I ended up taking the S-Bahn to Berlin Central, and then just waiting around for almost four hours. I never realized how cold train stations are, and I also found out that they get slightly warmer when you get to lower platforms. I found the one restaurant that was still open, and so was able to eat, but other than that there was a lot of time sitting and walking around. However, I was actually incredibly grateful for the experience by the end. You see, because I was so cold, I was looking for any source of heat. I found one of those standing heaters, which had a few people gathered around. There was an older man telling stories in either Russian or Ukrainian, and people were laughing and joking. I tentatively joined the circle, and began to warm up, in terms of heat as well as socially. Eventually, I became part of the conversation (through English and German), and I ended up making two good friends. I chatted and joked with these people until the early morning, and I actually had the same train as one of them, so I was able to talk to her for even longer. We all traded WhatsApp numbers, and the good times have continued up to now. Had the DeutscheBahn not closed the ICE line, I would never have met these amazing people, which is a great example of how blessings can come in all forms. The next day was tough, having arrived home at 7 AM without sleep, but I am still incredibly grateful for the strange circumstances that brought us together. Sad Goodbyes And that brings us to today. I only have about 11 days left at the Center, a fact that makes me very sad. I don’t think I will do much traveling as I want to spend as much time as possible with the folks at the Center. This entire experience has been absolutely amazing and I could fill a book with the things I’ve learned (it was hard enough to fit all this into only these few pages). Everyone I’ve met has been incredible, and these are friends I will have for a very long time. I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything, and I’m so glad to have taken a small leap of faith and landed where I have. I hope to be able to return at some point in the future, either as a volunteer or just to visit. But at the same time, I of course also look forward to seeing colorful Colorado again.

I have wanted to participate in this program for a really long time, but just never had the time to take off. I am so happy that I did. I was in Halle for three weeks. I met so many amazing people here and this was an amazing opportunity for me. Rafat and Radwan were amazing and welcomed me like family. The students here can learn to speak English, but also German which enables them to acclimate better here in Germany and gives them opportunities they never would have had. It is amazing to see such a program here helping people and seeing them smile and be so grateful for the service. My German teacher Moaz was amazing as well. I learned quite a bit in my short three weeks here due to his patience with me as I was learning and quizzing techniques. I would recommend Moaz to teach anyone due to his kind spirit.

I had taken a 10 week Arabic course in the US before coming to this program. These 5 weeks were transformative for my ability to actually converse with people and be able to speak. I am so much more comfortable speaking and even gave a 10 minute presentation as a 'final'. My teacher Muaz was really great. Every day we would spend time talking and when I did not know a word it became part of my vocabulary to study. He also exposed me to many other Arabic speaking people so I could practice with different accents and ways of speaking. He was so amazing and I am really sad that the program is already over. In addition to Muaz, the entire center is run by the best people who are so incredibly caring. It was a pleasure to be a part of the family and community at the center!

Some people, particularly Westerners like myself, may be quick to think of the Excellence Center as a little disorganized. But with time and observation, you realize that’s because the Excellence Center is not a profit minded, efficiency machine like the businesses we are used to seeing in the West. At the Excellence Center, it’s not about money. It’s not about doing everything as quickly or as cheaply as possible. The Excellence Center is a community center before anything else. And in this community center we connect through sharing our stories, culture, and languages with one another in a truly unique, personal experience. Things are quite personal, and intimate. Every morning starts with breakfast for the whole team, so no matter how busy you think you are, you can sit down with your new family and connect, talk, make plans, and start the day off right. Some people may consider the daily routine at the EC to be without much structure, but that’s because there is a considerable amount of freedom with every day here. You can make your own schedule, you can prioritize what you find most important, you have room to grow, try new things, and forge new friendships. And the friendships are what stuck with me the most. From the first day, I was greeted warmly into what I thought was a little chaotic, but I realized later was actually the energy of dynamic, genuine people. You will be dumbfounded by how quickly you become attached not only to the staff, but the other volunteers, your students, and even the city itself. I’m leaving Germany with new friends from all around the world, and I have every intention to see them through the next years of life, because we are forever connected through a really unique experience. The people at the Excellence Center, the community, is what makes everything worth it. Everybody has a place in the Excellence Center, no matter who you are, where you are from, or what you do. It’s a place for positivity, new experiences, intercultural connections, and love. If you’re looking for a new scene, new friends, experiences that make you see the world a little differently, if you want to make a change in the lives of others, if you want to do something good for the world, even on a small scale, then the Excellence Center is for you- because the Excellence Center is for everybody.

Over the last 3 weeks, I have not only gained a wealth of useful experience at the Excellence Centre but I have made several lifelong friends. All of the staff at the centre were incredibly welcoming, easy to talk to and made daily life at the centre more rewarding. Rafat and Radwan are both always around to help answer any questions or solve any problems. Both Ali and Muaz keep the centre extremely lively during the day and gave us cool ideas for what to do and where to go in the city. The Excellence Centre has helped me to drastically improve my Arabic level, going from a beginner to having a solid understanding of the foundations of the language in roughly 2 weeks. My Arabic lessons with Abeer were extremely useful and productive and I am really grateful for her help during my time here. The Excellence Centre provides you with the opportunity to truly improve your understanding of teaching methods. Learning how to engage with students, particularly from refugee backgrounds, is extremely fulfilling and provides you with a challenge to engage and better understand different cultures. In regards to the social aspect of the Excellence Centre, it was easy to get to know the volunteers, and we all clicked very quickly. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone who desires a challenge, but also would like the comfort of knowing that you are in excellent hands by the staff here in Halle.

My experience in the Excellent Centre will be unforgettable. I went here to get to know new people and their culture, and this place met my expectation. Even though I was a teacher during our English classes, I feel that I was the one who learnt a lot from my students and their life experiences. Also, all people working in the Center and volunteers were friendly and easy to talk to. I would recommend Muaz as a German teacher to everyone. I need to admit that at the beginning I didn't get all information about my accommodation and schedule until the last moment, and that make me feel anxious. Fortunately, during my stay, I didn't have any bad experiences and I lived with the best roommates for a month in Halle. Definitely, I can recommend this programme. Pros Students are always willing to learn Friendly atmosphere Many international friends Halle is beautiful Cons Luck of information at the beginning of my stay Luck of teaching program - you need to prepare everything on your own

I taught English for 8 weeks, and it was truly a great experience. Rafat, Ali, and Radwan were very easy to work with and I had a lot of time in the classroom. I made plenty of friends, both other interns and (thanks to Ali) other Germans and immigrants living in Germany. My living arrangements were great as well -- I was in a nice student apartment with two German university students. Can't recommend enough.

The atmosphere is very welcoming. The center invites volunteers from all over to participate in internships, language classes, the teaching program or the journalism program. Many of the people I worked with were in the "Teach English, Learn Arabic/German" program. My original plan was to arrive the summer of 2020 for the Refugee Resettlement Internship. Unfortunately, due to covid, I was not able to. Instead, my plan was to return when it was safer to do so, which I was luckily able to do this summer. The activities at the center were great. I came in unsure of what my daily life would look like. My first day was calm, and I was quite jet-lagged. The next few days, I spent with my roommates. The next week, a number of new people arrived, who were eager to spend time together. Our first day, the center arranged a tour for us to explore the city. During the tour, we were instructed to get to know each other, with ice breaker questions. We all became so close within that day, and that closeness felt like it had developed weeks or months earlier. Halle is close to many great cities and I was lucky enough to arrive during the 9-euro ticket initiative, where it was cheaper to travel. With my center friends, I traveled to Leipzig (20min away) and Dresden (2hrs away), and also got to visit someone in Plauen. This year, I will be doing a year-long volunteer service in Berlin, so I wanted to improve my German before doing so. I could only stay for 3 weeks this time, but my teacher Muaz was one of the best I’ve ever had. Not only did we practice grammar and vocabulary exercises in class, but we got day-to-day experience exploring Halle, meeting people, testing vocabulary on the street, in a grocery store and cafe, and having cultural conversations. It’s not what I would have expected for 3 hours a day, but so much more helpful than anything I’ve ever experienced. Halle is a beautiful city with lots of great qualities. The architecture is beautiful while also older. Unlike some of its neighbors, Halle wasn’t destroyed in the second world war. The city community is vibrant, and community-like. Walking with center staff, everyday we’d run into someone they knew (or two or three). It’s not a tiny city, but not overwhelming and huge. I would highly recommend this program to anyone that wants to travel somewhere new, meet new people and help others!

I have enjoyed my two-week volunteering experience at the Excellence Centre in Halle. It feels rewarding to be able to support some refugee children in their learning of English. In the first week, I was teaching with Lizzie, another volunteer. We were able to prepare classes together. It is also helped by the fact that the Excellence Centre has classrooms and teaching facilities. Apart from the teaching, I took German classes as well which I find very helpful. My teacher Muaz taught very well. Another aspect which I liked a lot is the inter-cultural exchange between the volunteers. There is a communal breakfast every morning in the week at the centre, which helped us get to know each other very quickly. I think we have all enjoyed hanging out together and getting to know each other’s cultures. Overall I have had a great experience at the Excellence Centre.

I'm really grateful for my experience at the Excellence Center. My classes with the intensive program were amazing thanks to my teacher Muaz. Muaz felt more like a family member and a friend than a teacher. He takes his students to the Arabic shops and restaurants to meet his friends and practice Arabic. There was always a variety of activities in class and the classes were really interactive. We translated songs, played games, reviewed homework, role-played, walked around the city and in shops to practice words, practiced reading and did writing exercises. Besides that we had interesting conversations about different topics and cultures. My teacher introduced "mate" to me and taught me how to make make. I learned a lot. I also felt comfortable during class because my teacher is patient, super friendly and he always wants to help even after class. We started the days at the center with breakfast together and there is a weekly dinner. It feels like one big family. The people of the center are super friendly and respectful.

My name is Ross and I joined The Excellence Centre in July 2022 for one month. I am 22 years old and from Scotland. As a recent graduate from university, I did not have a plan in what I want to do with my life straight out of university. After finding this online I thought it would be a beneficial opportunity for me. And it was, so rewarding in many ways. The other volunteers that you meet from all over the world and understanding their cultures is something that find so interesting. Different words for things, different food and different interests are all intriguing and makes me want to learn more. I liked having time in the evenings and weekends to meet up at the park and go swimming in the Saale with the other volunteers. The teaching aspect is something that I have not done too much before so I was slightly nervous when I met my first students. However, after we introduced each other and spoke about what they struggle with and what they want to lean I was at ease. My students were a mother and son from Ukraine and had a good level of English. This meant that it was a pleasure to teach them and they were extremely grateful. My German teach was cool and really good in helping me understand the language more. The experience really opened my eyes to understand first hand the impact of what is going on in the world. I and feel that I played my part in helping people. I stayed in a single student accommodation north of the city which was only 15 minutes away from on the tram. And a five-minute walk to the supermarket. The accommodation had plenty room and I liked that I had my own bathroom, cooking area and washing facilities. Everyone that I met within the accommodation was extremely friendly. For example, I struggled to understand the washing app as it was all in German but another student helped me. The city of Halle is beautiful and has a rich history. There are lots of buildings and statues that have interesting designs and meaning around the city. I was also grateful to have a tour and presentation of the city from someone that works with the centre. The zoo is also big here and I recommend everyone to go. And, to visit the nearby city of Leipzig which is only 30 minutes away by train. It also has lots of museums and shops. Overall, I would highly recommend this to people that want to teach, develop their understanding of a language or meet new people!

My name is Reuben, a 17-year old student from just outside London, England. Having studied languages at school for many years, I decided to visit Germany in order to practice my skills in a real-life setting. Volunteering at the Excellence Centre looked like the perfect opportunity to study German and explore Germany, whilst being able to give something back to local communities. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the centre, as the people provided an excellent atmosphere, the German classes were engaging, and I had a chance to try my hand as an English teacher. Through the centre I met people not only from different countries, but from entirely different cultures and backgrounds. Everyone had a story to share - which we did over communal breakfasts and trips to town. I’d thoroughly recommend spending a few weeks at the centre (I came for two weeks but now wish I did longer!). Use your weekends wisely - there’s so much to explore in the local area (such as going to the Harz region or visiting a city like Leipzig/Nuremberg/Dresden), but also great chances to socialise with your fellow volunteers. I can’t wait to have great experiences like this again in the future, and I’ll miss the people I met on this little adventure!

I am a 20 year old guy with a South Korean nationality. My cultural background, however, is a mix of Latino, African, North American(USA), and east Asian. This is because I spent my school years traveling from continent to continent, following my Father’s work; born in Dubai, started pre-school in Florida, then Georgia(USA), California, S.Korea, Cameroon, and Chile, where I started and finished my high school. Now I live in the great state of Bremen, North-West Germany, where I am majoring in Computer Science with a minor in psychology. My family was not the picture-perfect asian family. On the outside, both my parents were self-made, born into poverty but each found their way to become middle-class providers. But within our walls, arguments and family feuds were a constant. At one point, my sister, who is three years older than I, took charge of my growth, and I thank her every day of my life for her; if not for her, I would not be here today. My friends in high school were not the most caring nor the kindest people. I look back at those years and think if I had found a better group of people, I would not have been feeling so down for such a long time. When I got to college, things stayed the same. Same kind of friends, same kinds of activities, and so forth. But in the summer of 2022, I traveled. For the first time in my life, I traveled because I wanted to, and not because I was following my Father’s life or anyone else’s. I met people with extraordinary stories; from refugees escaping a war ravaging country to people who were kicked out of college for burning their dorms down. I heard their stories, told them mine, and I learned a lot about respecting and dealing with people. In Halle, I joined the Excellence Center and met so many amazing people. I taught for the first time in my life. I had to re-learn English grammar, I had forgotten that things that came naturally for me had actual words for it; like prepositions and adverbs and conjunctions. I did not feel comfortable with the idea of teaching people anything, but I wanted to try it because of that exact reason. If I had not taught this summer, I doubt I would have ever done it in my life, and I am thankful for the people who made it possible for me to try new and uncomfortable things. I learned German with Max. The first few classes were confusing and too fast-paced but towards the end, many people had left back to their home countries, and the class structure changed to a more small-talk oriented dialogue based class, which I enjoyed much more. I learned more in my last 3 classes than I did in the first “all”. I met people who I took a lot from. Whether it was about immigration policies and perspectives of actual refugees or experiences of adoption. I listened to their stories and it has shaped my view of the world. The Excellence Center is what you make of it. If your focus is to meet new people and learn a new language on the side, you can do that. If you want to learn a language intensively and meet new people on the side, you can do that too. There is no one holding your hand telling you what to do next, which was perfect for me because I am a bit spontaneous. Halle is an extremely small city for me. Having lived in the capitals of all the countries I’ve been in, I did not know what to expect of Halle. But the experience of waving to people you know on the way to a restaurant or to teach a student is an amazing feeling.

My name is Elizabeth and I joined the Excellence Center in July of 2022. I am 19 from the United States. I am going into my second year of college in the USA studying Communication and International Studies. I did the Media and Journalism program and the Teach English and Learn German program for two weeks. My experience was great, as I had many cross-cultural experiences at the center with the other volunteers and in the city of Halle. I created a video for the center for which I interviewed all the volunteers about their experiences. I also created a series of articles about Halle, the volunteers, and the refugee situation in Halle with Ukraine. I also took elementary German classes and taught English classes to Ukrainian refugees. All of the volunteers are extremely friendly and all so unique; the conversations we had at the center (at breakfast for example) definitely added to my experience immensely. Overall, the center atmosphere is welcoming and friendly, and the city of Halle is beautiful. Marktplatz was one of my favorite places to go for ice cream and fresh fruit. I would recommend the center to anyone who is looking to expand their world perspective, gain more practice with teaching, and learn about Arabic culture in Germany.

I’m Jessica, I’m 20 years old and I’m from the UK. I studied Arabic and taught English in Halle at the Excellence centre for 4 weeks and really loved my time here! I met so many inspiring and interesting people throughout from so many different backgrounds. The atmosphere in the centre is always welcoming and generous spirited, you quickly feel part the family. Halle is a really beautiful and open city to be in with lots of great parks and great public transport system. I would definitely recommend the excellence centre to anyone thinking of coming, I have made some amazing memories and will miss it so much! Thank you!!

My experience at the Excellence Center has been amazing and I've had so much fun in the weeks that I was here. I spent most of my time at the center itself but I have visited other places around Halle and other cities like Berlin, Frankfurt, Darmstadt, and Thale. Everyone at the center is super friendly and were great people to hang around. The Center organized a couple events like tours, gatherings, and trips like Berlin and Thalle for example. There are also weekly soccer matches that are held at a park nearby and the winning team usually gets a prize. The atmosphere at the center is amazing and the people here are fun to hang out with in general. I found myself rarely alone here and had a ton of fun hanging out with people at parks and the river nearby. I took the german classes here and it was pretty good even though I had very little background knowledge about german. I helped another volunteer with her one on one classes as I was only able to teach by myself in online classes since I was a minor. Even though I was one of the youngest at the center I didn’t feel left out or anything like that but instead found myself pretty comfortable and making friends with people in Halle. Halle is pretty safe overall, I haven’t experienced any feeling of fear while walking around the city late at night. I also learned a lot about the refugee situation in Halle and the process of integration for incoming refugees like language, housing, and job programs while also learning about how it could be improved. We also visited a couple of Syrian restaurants with amazing food for such cheap prices. The volunteers at the Center were amazing people and this experience will stick with me for the rest of my life. On a side note bring a lot of physical cash if you plan on eating out at a lot of these restaurants.

My only complaint about my time at the Excellence Center is that I only spent one week! Rafat creates a warm environment that makes everyone feel welcome. I was lucky enough to have a terrific Arabic teacher, Moaz, who brought such kind engaging energy to all his lessons. Most of all my time with my host family was unforgettable. I feel so grateful for the evenings spent laughing with my host family and learning more about their lives. I would recommend this program to young and old alike!

I made many unforgettable memories at the Excellence Center in Halle. Although I thoroughly enjoyed both learning German and teaching English, the real treasure was the friends that I made and the new experiences I had. The Excellence Center is a place to enrich oneself both academically and socially. Muaz was an amazing German teacher. Each lesson with him was full of energy and insights into the German language. Whenever someone didn’t understand something, he would take the time to explain things while also staying in German. The class was small, so every student got lots of attention. Muaz also organized a super fun trip to Berlin for the entire center. We went to see lots of popular sights, like the Berlin TV tower and the Brandenburg Gate, but being with friends was probably the most fun. I taught English both solo and with a partner, both in-person and online. While the online lessons definitely posed challenges, watching a student get excited to use English made me happy no matter what. I would usually split lessons into two sections: one a bit more technical and the other doing something more gamelike. As long as I kept my student smiling and using English, however, the lesson was on track! Knowing a bit of German as well as a tiny bit of Arabic also helped in the lessons. During your time at the Excellence Center, you’ll also attend some presentations and probably give some yourself! The presentations were great opportunities not only to learn more about fellow volunteers, but also to give opinions about teaching and learning language. Breakfast is made daily at the center, often incorporating scrambled eggs, hummus and pita, or both! For lunch however, you’ll be exploring Halle, a wonderful, small city. There are some great lunch places near the center, and if you're willing to take the short walk to Marktplatz, there are even more delicious (and cheap) options. I always felt very safe in Halle, and because the public transportation is great, exploring the city with friends is made even easier. There's a great sense of camaraderie at the Excellence Center with both students and teachers supporting each other, and this makes making new friends super easy. Being on the younger side, the Excellence Center gave me independence like I really haven’t experienced before, and I won’t forget the experiences that resulted from that. The center also holds weekly football matches which are always enjoyable; as a member of the winning team, you can even earn prizes like a box of chocolates! My host family was incredibly nice. They took me to pick strawberries in their garden, and afterwards, we either ate them with ice cream or turned them into scrumptious, fresh jam! I was also accompanied on a lovely bike ride around town where they showed me the beautiful fields in the area. On particularly hot days, we would also go to a nearby lake to cool off and have an evening picnic. They also had two endearing cats which could make disturbingly human noises! At the end of my stay, they brought me to a dance performance in Halle which I found compelling. I always felt very welcome in their home and am super lucky to have met such kind people. I am so glad I came to the Excellence Center!

I am a doctor in England. I have been practicing for 20 years. I volunteered to teach English to the immigrant and refugee population at The Excellence Center in Halle. This also gave me an opportunity to further develop my Levantine Arabic (as my intention is to work in refugee camps in the future). It was a wonderful experience to meet and work with a bunch of kind and friendly people. The are all extremely welcoming and have created a family atmosphere at The Center, and my three weeks felt too short a time to spend at this beautiful place. I learned a lot of spoken Arabic in formal lessons, but was also able to constantly practice my Arabic with anyone and everyone I met! (Some volunteers opted for German lessons). It was amazing to speak to all the people there (refugees and volunteers) and hear about their experiences. Speaking and interacting with refugees, and hearing each individual's harrowing journey is an invaluable experience I would recommend to everyone. It was a mind-opening three weeks at the Center. I made some life long friends, and I loved everyone so much that I plan to go back there.

I stayed here for almost 3 weeks and I really enjoyed my experience I wish I planned to stay longer you should at least do a month to get the full experience and meet those great people. in addition to that it was super easy to travel on the weekend and explore different cities so I definitely recommend it to everyone.

Hey, my name is Andrey Grant, I am a Software Engineer from Australia, and I found Excellence Centre whilst looking for opportunities to study German intensively in Germany. I really wanted to experience Germany, improve German language as well as just to travel and see the world after the Global Pandemic. Given that I travelled alone, it was not only important for me that there is an excellent language program, but that there is an inclusive culture in which I would feel at home despite not knowing anyone in Germany. Reflecting on my experiences over the last 6 weeks in Halle, I can confidently say that the Excellence Centre has satisfied me with all of the above, and in fact much more. Learning German: Originally, what attracted me to the Excellence centre was their cost effective Intensive German course, with very flexible timelines. The biggest advantage over mainstream German options was that I could adjust exactly when I wanted to start and finish my course, whilst being affordable. I was also hesitant because at A2 level I wasn't certain if I will be able to learn when my teacher taught in German. However, these worries were extinguished on my first day of German lessons. Muaz, my German teacher, has been nothing but amazing and accomodating towards my learning goals. His ability to convey meaning of German words, sentences and grammar in German is superb. I felt like Muaz was invested in my progress and experience in learning German, employing a variety different technqiuese and exercises across speaking, writing, listening and reading, both free form and from conventional textbooks. Furthermore, he was extremely encouranging in me pushing my boundaries, whilst helping me fix my mistake along the way. And all of this all the while following (mostly) with B1 standard topic choice, which means that if i chose to continue with German further, I have B1 background. In summary, I find that learning German at the centre has only strengthened my resolve to continue learning German in future. Halle and German Culture: Another reason I chose the Excellence centre was its location in Germany. Large cities like Berlin has a strong reputation for being English speaking hubs, where a tourist need practically no German to live. Halle on the other hand, is a relatively small (whilst still being modern) city, where fewer people are able or have desire to speak English. You can still get around by using English, but in my experience only young people will speak English with you unless absolutely necessary. The downside is that even you're somewhat fluent with Hochdeutsch, local accents can be challenging to understand. However over six week period I found that I can somewhat confidently order foods, shop at the supermarkets, get around through the city etc. Additionally, Halle contains a few things to do, such as museum, and historical locations. There is a lot of gorgeous nature around, and I have enjoyed multitude of walks through the city and surrounding forest. The final mention is that German has an amazing public transport system, which enables you to travel between Halle and other cities such as Berlin, Leipzig, etc which you can explore in your time off. I would have to say that whilst Halle has some nightlife, if you're looking for that kind of entertaintment, Berlin or Leipzig have much more to offer. Day to day things: In addition to paying for lessons, the price of the course also included the stay at an apparentment for six weeks, which made it an even better offer. Rafat and Radwan have been extremely accomodating in helping me settle and purchase several things that the appartment was missing, getting correct public transport tickets and various other things. The cultural exchange: I think the best way to describe my time at the centre is as Cultural Exchange with German language learning course. I come from Melbourne, Australia, a city known for its multicultural atmosphere, but during my time at the centre I have met an even greater breadth of people. It really serves as a place of multitudes of people coming together: Volunteers,students and teachers from Australia, Palestine, America, Egypt, England, Syria, Morocco, Canada, Mexico and others, coming together to learning and teach various languages as well to share their culture around. I have personally attended 4 Iftars (my best so far), and have eaten more Arabic food than was necessary. In general, everyone at the centre was more than hospitable, and made my stay with the centre feel like being at home

During my time at the Excellence Center, I was able to meet incredible people with unbelievable stories in Halle while travelling all over Europe in my free time. Spending three months at the Center allowed me to get comfortable with my host family in Halle and gave me the chance to meet many incredible international volunteers. I would wholeheartedly recommend the program to anyone who values travel and cultural exchange as I struggle to imagine anywhere else where you could meet so many people from all over the world. The Center itself is never empty, with students, volunteers and teachers moving in and out and making conversation. The day begins with breakfast where volunteers can prepare and chat before classes begin. The rest of the day is spent teaching or helping around the center; however, schedules are incredibly flexible and largely at the discretion of individual volunteers. I received German lessons every week and had between three and five classes that I taught during the week. Each student at the center is looking for something different so it was important for me to be attentive to what they were asking of me instead of what I wanted to be teaching. I am glad that I spent several months in Halle because initially I struggled to find a good balance for all my lessons but after a few weeks with each student I was much more comfortable and really felt like what I was doing was productive and helpful. While the Center itself is in a great location, its biggest strength is by far the people working there, from the Host families to the students themselves. The community in Halle is made up of some of the most diligent and kind people I have ever met, and despite my lack of knowledge of both Arabic and German, I was still comfortable around everyone, and they were incredibly welcoming. My host family in particular were incredibly helpful and accommodating, always offering to help with my travel plans or spending the weekends with me going into town or on hikes. Beyond the local community, the center attracts the most incredible people from all over the world. In my three months I saw more than ten volunteers come and go, all of whom had interesting stories and incredible characters. The focus of the Center is on community service and thus attracts kindhearted people, but it was still shocking every time to meet a new person from a different part of the world so devoted to helping a community that they had not been a part of. One of my personal goals while I was in Germany was to travel as much as possible. Halle is very centrally located and the railroads in Germany allowed me to visit cities all over the continent. After I took a few weeks to get settled and explore Halle, I was able to spend almost every weekend abroad. The volunteer program provides a three-day weekend and with overnight trains and busses, I was able to spend the better part of three days in a new city every weekend. Halle is only a few hours from Berlin, Dresden, and Munich, all of which have massive train stations that can take you to any part of the continent. Before coming to Germany, I had spent very little time travelling in Europe and this program turned out to be the perfect decision, allowing me to see as much as possible. Deciding when to begin your program in Halle is very important. I did not have a proper understanding of the German winter and began my program in February, expecting to have mostly spring weather by the middle of March. In reality it was still winter up until mid-April this year so if I were to go back, I would have started my program a bit later in the year. I was able to experience easter in Germany and Austria however, as I spent the holiday with my host family and the easter markets in Halle and Vienna were filled with food and souvenirs. If possible it would also be helpful to start when you know others will be at the center. There are many more volunteers in the Summer and it is a great time to go, but when I arrived I was the only volunteer for the first week and it made it a bit harder to get accustomed to the new environment. Ultimately my most valuable memories from the center are all the incredible people that I met and the stories that I heard. Hearing about the journeys of refugees is a sobering experience but one that I think is important for people like me, who have little exposure to it in America, to have. The refugee community in Halle continues to look forward though and is made up of some of the happiest and most positive people I have ever met. People like my teacher Muaz, the head of the Center Rafat, and volunteers like Salma Lamsaouri make the Excellence Center in Halle one of the most incredible places I have ever been.

It is absolutely daunting to find the precise words to describe my gratitude to the excellence centre, personally speaking my internship at the Excellence centre has impacted me so deeply, ether from what concerns my academic or personal level, When I came during my first time on July 2021: I didn’t expect that my experience will influence my entire life, I come to teach English and learn German, it sounds as a very basic and normal task that a normal volunteer will do towards refugees, but the actual fact is that I didn’t plan that I will be surprised by the stuff at the Excellence centre,they were sublime, helpful and joyful, sincerely this centre has an insurmountable feeling of magnitude, everyone who comes here for the very first time wants to repeat this marvellous experience again,and yet this is what happened to me,in addition to the stuff of the Excellence centre,you meet people from different culture and indeed you expand your horizons more and more, as an international and global studies master’s student I was looking for my area of interest of perhaps I was looking for myself the genuine Salma where I could shine and give the best I can, hence I’m over the moon my last experience on July 2021 drove me to think deeply and wisely about my final thesis project, thus I tried to shed light on the issue of integration of the female women in Halle(Saale), since then my knowledge’s journey has started, I come again to centre on March 2022,where I have started my internship for roughly two months, these months were absolutely magical, each day prevails lots and lots of feelings, feeling of gratitude, hope and aspiration: The centre has helped me to do a great deal of interviews with Syrian female refugees women in Halle, and this has broaden my knowledge to know more about their struggle and yet this will indeed help me to write a proficient master thesis, last but not least, the only thing that I can add is that I have genuinely no words to describe my gratitude and thanks to this centre, a great acquaintance from the part of the centre is Jihan,she is as well a great lady who has helped me through the centre to know and do more interviews with women: Rafat,Radwan are the best administration members that any volunteer like myself aim to be supervised by, thank you to all the volunteers who were absolutely amazing ,helpful and terribly down to earth ,finally if there is someone who is intrigued about shaping the community coherence, this is your place..

My 2 weeks in Halle were so much fun and so worthwhile. I had never taught English before but my students were so hardworking and made teaching so easy. My German lessons were useful and my teacher was so lovely. Halle is a beautiful city with a lot to offer as it is so close to Berlin and Leipzig. Everyone at the centre was so welcoming and kind.

When I first arrived at the EC, I was nervous that I would not know where to go or what to do, but Salma quickly introduced me to everyone. I felt welcomed and I got instructions as to where I would stay, what I would do and I even got a nice tour of the city! As a volunteer teaching English, my days were busy but not too busy to have time to visit other cities on the weekend. I was able to fix my own schedule with my students and decide on what would fit best for both of us. We have a nice breakfast every morning with other volunteers or students or people who work at the center and we exchange our thoughts, our cultures and our hobbies! So many people come and go, but you get to share memorable times with them :) I really recommend coming here, Halle is a nice city, so beautiful and full of lively people! My experience has been awesome and I felt like I made a difference by teaching English !

During my 2 weeks in the Excellence Center everyone I have met has been welcoming and incredibly generous. The atmosphere in the centre perfectly mixes the work and social lives of the volunteers. Teaching my students was incredibly rewarding and I have learnt so much about other cultures and experiences. As I am on my gap year I would definitely recommend this program to anyone else doing one.

My sister and I were only able to come for a week to the Excellence Center in Halle, but thanks to the staff, we were well accommodated! We taught a few students throughout the week we were here and had the chance to pick up more German as we went! It was very easy to get around, and people (students, staff and volunteers) at the Excellence Center are friendly and extremely helpful. We didn't know too much of German when we got here, but even our students were willing to exchange helpful phrases with us! No matter your circumstances, it is very doable and very easy to come here and make a difference! I would recommend this to anyone who wants to volunteer, visit Germany and have some valuable experiences! We had a lot of fun here and would definitely come back!

For the teaching English aspect of the program, experience in teaching isn't necessary because the center provides you with resources like PowerPoints and they give you advice to help guide you. As for the learning of German, there are many teachers and they all are good at catering a lesson to a student and making sure a student is taught a way they would understand.

I have loved my experience at the Excellence Center, I have learned so much about the refugee experience in Halle, and German/Syrian culture. I stayed with a host family, who were extremely welcoming and generous, and I felt well supported by everyone at the Center. There were lots of opportunities to socialise with the other volunteers and colleagues. I would recommend the program to anyone who wants to learn German/Arabic, teach motivated students, try delicious food, and travel - Halle is well situated for visiting European cities at the weekends.

I have spent the last month at the Excellence Centre in Halle, completing the Refugee Resettlement internship and I can safely say that the time has flown by! The programme is incredibly eye-opening and rewarding, whilst the community atmosphere of the Excellence Centre makes each day enjoyable. What is really unique about this programme is the vast array of opportunities you will receive as an intern. I spent the first week receiving German classes and began to teach both English and German to students from Syria and Turkey. I had never taught English or German as a foreign language before but found it an incredibly rewarding experience. I was touched by the levels of motivation and enthusiasm shown by each student, and I really enjoyed getting to know them better. The next few weeks were focused on gaining a better understanding of the situation of refugees. There were sessions and tours of the city which focused on Germany’s response to the refugee crisis as well as opportunities to meet and speak with refugees living in the area. I also had the opportunity to conduct an interview with a Syrian refugee, which provided the basis for a presentation I delivered about the integration of refugees in Germany. I feel as if I have a much deeper understanding of the situation of refugees after completing this internship. The centre itself was always a very positive environment. There were a lot of opportunities for volunteers and interns to get to know each other better thanks to all the activities organised by the centre, from football matches to tours of the city. I made so many friends in such a short amount of time. Outside of the centre, I enjoyed staying with a host family in Halle. My host mum was brilliant and made myself and the other volunteer she hosted feel right at home. We met her family, went to Halle’s chocolate museum, and had film nights together. It was also an excellent opportunity to speak German. Overall, I would recommend this internship to anyone who is interested in learning more about the situation of refugees in Europe and who wants to do something positive for the refugee community. I am really grateful for the experiences I have had at the Excellence Centre.

My experience at the Excellence Centre in Halle was fantastic. I was very impressed by the way Rafat and Radwan manage the centre. They are extremely welcoming and caring. I have enjoyed every part of my stay in Halle : I had never taught English to people not speaking my native language, especially children but the students are so motivated that it is a real pleasure. As we teach 1 to 1 or very small group I have been able to get to know my students and their aspirations. I have learned so much about the refugees' situation in Halle and more broadly in Germany thanks to all the discussions with the students, team members and presentations made by other volunteers on internship programmes. My host mum was also extremely nice and shared a lot with me and the other volunteer she hosted. She included us to her life so naturally. We have met her friends and family, cooked together, spent hours talking and watching movies.. and all in German, it was just perfect ! I cannot believe how many friends I made in such a short period of time. I will definitely come back and hope to see my little students in France one day. My recommendation: do not waste any minute. Time flies. Be proactive and do not wait for things to happen. People here have so much to offer !

The purpose of my visit was primarily to study Arabic, but also to gain exposure to the local community in Halle. The Excellence Center offered the opportunity to fulfill both aspects. I learned colloquial Levantine Arabic from Abeer. I have studied Arabic previously but what set our lessons apart was the unique take of the study materials. I learnt unusual and funny phrases, which really stick in your head – “the birds in my stomach are chirping”, anyone? It put an interesting spin on daily conversation topics, keeping us from going over the same mundane phrases that are usually parroted in language lessons. Even those who were not my teacher made effort to help where they could.The sheer amount of content we covered was surprising. Unlike most other volunteers, I was not staying with a host family so spending time with Abeer and her family was very fulfilling. I was also able to build a relationship with the other volunteers. The atmosphere at the Center was always welcoming and lively. From (friendly?) debates during our breakfasts together to an afternoon football match (captain of the winning team right here) and cooking lunch for each other, we had many opportunities to get to know one another. I also had my own student I was teaching English to. It’s crazy to think how, amongst other things, refugees are often depicted in media as highly dependent. I think everyone I met in Halle was highly proficient in at least two (more commonly, three or more) languages and working towards their respective goals. The Excellence Center too, run by the community and for the community, functions towards helping people reach their potential in German society. As for Halle itself, it is generally pleasant and quiet. There's enough to keep busy on the weekend, including museums and places to eat. It is also easy to travel to and from Berlin, which I took advantage of. But it’s essential to plan your time carefully – everywhere closes early in this country. What threw me off slightly was the predominance of both Arabic and German language use. By the end of my trip, I have found myself mixing the handful I know of both languages (ليش windig???). Special shoutout to EC's Radwan for helping me on the evening I arrived.

I volunteered with the Excellence Center for a week. I was doing an internship in Berlin and I wanted to do something meaningful before I went back to America, so I googled refugee centers and I found the Excellence Center. When I got accepted in the program, Rafat was very helpful finding me a host family and my host family were some Syrian refugees. They did not speak much English and I did not speak much German but they did their best at making me feel welcomed. The first day, they made dinner for me and would always feed me. In addition, being at the center, all of the staff made me feel welcomed and at home. Being away from home, Rafat made the experience feel like I was at home with the breakfast served every morning and the going away dinner. This is my first time teaching of any sort and I was a little nervous and I didn't know what to expect but the other volunteers helped me get the ropes of things. Since I stayed for a week I had 1 student who was a refugee from Yemen and he was very eager to learn. After leaving the Excellence Center, I found a passion to teach people and impact others in that way.

My name is Abraham Ochoa. I am a college student from America participating in the Refugee Resettlement internship. I have spent an immersive and insightful four weeks here in Halle, Germany. The program is eye opening and well structured. It offered a wide range of engaging activities that included a mix of learning, teaching, researching, presenting, and more. My first week was fully dedicated to intensive Arabic classes. I had the opportunity to do 4 hours of class everyday, one on one with an Arabic instructor. This definitely pushed me to develop my Arabic skills further and to immerse myself in the language. The following week, I jumped straight into teaching English to refugees at the center. I was able to work both with refugees here in Halle as well as with refugees abroad in Turkey. It was a great way to give back and learn more about the challenges of being a refugee. Simultaneously, I was receiving presentations about the asylum procedure that all refugees go through. This was paired with a tour of the city, specifically focusing on how the city has adapted and been influenced by the refugee population. It was truly inspiring to see the many businesses opened by the refugees who have found a new home here in Germany. In addition, I also was able to interview refugees about their journey from Syria to Germany and the challenges that they faced once they arrived here. Listening to their stories about their journeys from war torn Syria all the way to Germany was inspiring and truly eye-opening. Like many people, I have read about the war in Syria, but it is another experience entirely to speak with someone who lived through it. It truly leaves you full of awe and compassion. On top of all this, the community at the center is amazing and very welcoming. From the moment I landed, I was well received by my host family. My accommodation was extremely comfortable and accessible. Having breakfast every morning at the center was a great way to get to know my fellow volunteers and the workers here at the center. The friendships I made here have made my experience here truly unique. I was also able to travel to other European countries during my weekends which is something I highly recommend to all future volunteers. This is an amazing program that I recommend to anyone who wants to learn more about the refugee experience, learn Arabic, or teach English. It is also a great way to learn about other cultures, meet new lifelong friends, and explore a new area of the world. I loved the diversity of activities here and the flexibility to choose your own focus within the program. I hope to be a volunteer again with the program and visit their center in Palestine.

My experience in Halle and with the Excellence Centre has been incredibly memorable. I participated in the Study Arabic and Teach English programs for two weeks and it truly was a wonderful opportunity. I was able to progress in my language learning, gain experience in teaching English as a foreign language, as well as collect so many amazing memories with my host family and colleagues at the center, all of whom have shared their stories with me and allowed me to understand more about their lives as refugees in Germany. As part of the program, I received many hours of Levantine Arabic tuition with an excellent and very patient teacher. My writing skills especially in Arabic have improved significantly since I have arrived in Halle. I also taught conversational English to enthusiastic students who were all very motivated to improve their skills. It was an excellent chance to explore different ways of teaching English, use lots of resources to aid understanding of everyday conversation and explore useful vocabulary and concepts for the students. Each day, myself and the other volunteers would meet for Palestinian breakfast at the center before the day ahead. This was a lovely time to catch-up, share ideas about teaching, and discuss life in the city, particularly with reference to the refugee population and their integration into the community in Halle. We spent time doing presentations about life in our home-countries too which was a great way to enrich the cultural exchange. My time with my host-family was a highlight of my trip. They were so kind and welcoming from day one and made my accommodation feel like a second home. The home-stay was a great way to practise my Arabic conversation skills, learn so much about Syrian culture and eat some incredible food too! I was very lucky to meet several other refugees through my host family, listen to their stories and learn about their experiences coming over to Germany. I have been both inspired and humbled by everyone I have met. I have learnt so much since I have been here and made several new friends for life. I would recommend this program to anyone who is keen to gain experience in English language teaching, learn more about the lives of refugees in Germany, and those interested in understanding more about Arab culture too. Anyone with an enthusiasm for education and cultural exchange, a willingness to be open to new ideas and meet many amazing new people will really enjoy this program.

I am Chaima, I came from the UK to teach English and learn German here in Halle, Germany. My aim when applying for this was to acquire more experience in teaching English abroad and attempting to improve my German by being in Germany and attending one-to-one lessons with a teacher. I was also very intrigued by Rafat’s approach in combining a language and community-led project both in Halle, Germany and in Hebron, Palestine. Coming to the centre everyday was pleasure. Every morning, we would gather for with all the volunteers and have a typical Palestinian breakfast. I have really appreciated this welcoming tradition that set us well for our day. We would then all attend our respectful tasks of the day. My experience in Halle has been diverse and culturally rich. I have enjoyed teaching different students from different backgrounds and discussing teaching methods and styles with the teachers and volunteers in the centre. The city of Halle is rich of its people, native of this city, and those who have moved and settled here. During my short time, I have been able to meet people from different countries in the Middle-East, each of them have a story and bring a stone to the edifice that is this place. I have also had the privilege of observing the way the excellence centre operates. I have come to really admire the space that is given to the community here. The centre provides a safe place for students of all ages to get the help needed after school with teachers or/and other students of higher grades. This place builds a bridge between the newly settled communities and the school system. This truly can build their confidence and help them overcome any language barrier hindering them from excelling in their education. Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed my weeks here in Halle and come out grown from this experience.

I visited the Excellence Center with the aim of learning more about different cultures as well as some conversational Arabic. It was a truly unforgettable experience. I met amazing people, ate amazing food and came away feeling truly inspired. Rafat has a gift for bringing people together and the Excellence is a hub for a diverse range of lovely folks. At the time of my visit, the other volunteers were mostly American and we had a lot of fun talking even talking about our own cultural differences (I was trying to teach them proper British pronunciation…). I was incredibly lucky with my host family who were so friendly and of a similar age. They were very generous with sharing their traditions; including films, music and of course more food! Teaching English was also very rewarding and my students were always keen to learn - even if they had just worked a night shift at the hospital... My Arabic teacher was very informative and really tailored the lessons to my level. We had a book, provided by Rafat, which helped to structure the content too and has given me something to look back over. It was also good to be surrounded by German because you couldn’t help picking up little bits of that too. I would highly recommend the Excellence Center to anyone looking to explore Arabic and German cultures simultaneously and connect with wonderful people.

I had a really great time at Excellence Centre Europe and it was an amazing learning experience. Everyone was very kind to welcome me, and I really appreciated the daily communal breakfast. It was a brilliant way to get to know people at the centre at a deeper level, especially since our activities were largely individual. I had some truly wonderful conversations over these meals, and the food itself was also fantastic. I was initially apprehensive about coming all the way to Germany from Singapore for this volunteering stint, but I am very glad I did so. I definitely do not regret coming here! Not only are the people great, the Excellence Centre has also set up a good system so that the volunteers, as well as the students, benefit from the experience. I really appreciate the chance to enter into the lives of the students here in Halle and to get to know them on a personal level. Most of my classes were centred around conversation, so I had many opportunities to learn about their lives and to briefly experience the world from their point of view. I definitely learnt a lot from my time at the Excellence Centre.

My experience at the Excellence Centre in Halle was so positive. The whole team was very lovely and welcoming from the beginning, we shared meals and conversations together. My Arabic language classes helped me a lot to improve my confidence and skill, I had a very good teacher who practiced with me my spoken dialect as well as some reading and writing. My host family was wonderful and I am happy to know them to be my friends now.

The Excellence Center staff, students and volunteers are all so much like family - as a solo traveler in Europe for the first time, this experience could not have been more supportive! From day one, you're welcomed in and given all the resources you need to start your language studies and lead English classes. Having studied some formal Arabic (MSA), I chose to study the Levantine dialect of Arabic. My teacher Muaz tailored the lessons to my current level and helped me start speaking in dialect comfortably and confidently. Both at the center and in Halle, I was constantly immersed different cultures and trying new things: sharing Palestinian-style breakfast every morning at the Excellence Center, working with volunteers from Singapore and Germany, teaching students of all ages, and taking part in social gatherings with my host family and their Syrian friends (probably my favorite!). Definitely a genuine human experience, and well worth the trip.

The Excellence Center in Europe is quite a unique place and it doesn’t really do it justice or even fit in terms of calling it a language school. It’s actually a cultural center where Arabic speaking students from a diverse number of countries including but not limited to Palestine, Syria, Yemen, and others come to learn English and teach the Arabic language to individuals from all over the world coming to the center. I studied German and taught English there for two months in the fall of 2021. My German classes were either private classes or with just one other student, focused on real world speaking skills, conducted both at the center and outside in town. My teacher was superb. The town of Halle is also a huge factor in making the overall experience here truly outstanding. Halle is a small city, but culturally rich, and drenched with the feel of both the old East Germany and pre World War 2 Germany. In addition, the city of Leipzig is only 45 minutes away by train and offers many of the amenities of much bigger cities such as Berlin, but without the hassles and downsides of huge cities.

My time at the Excellence Center has been pretty amazing and very eye-opening. I got the chance to meet people from the Arabic-speaking community and learn so much about Syria from my students. I spent four weeks there and I taught a number of students and I took German language lessons at the center as well. I was able to catch up on what I have learned in the past and push my German to the limit. I am proud to say that I couldn't be happier with my decision. I have had the chance to meet other volunteers and travel to different cities in Germany. Some of your students will invite you to their home and you will get a glimpse of their lives while learning so much. I have made many new friends in the short time I have spent in Halle.

This is a great program for anyone who is looking to dip their toe into teaching, travel in Germany and in Europe, as well as looking to make a difference in a community that needs it. While staying in Halle I made many new friends, both through and outside of the Excellence Center, meaning that there was plenty late evenings at Biergartens. Further, many of your students will invite you to their homes, family gatherings, and local festivities. I encourage anybody taking part in this program to take full advantage of the opportunities offered to them by their students. Finally, by far the most rewarding part of this program is the impact volunteers will have on their students. At the beginning of many classes I had many students speaking barely any English, while by the end many were constructing sentences, making basic conversations, and asking questions naturally; watching your students' language skills grow before your eyes is incredibly rewarding. I would recommend this program to anyone with an adventurer's spirit and looking to make a difference!

I have spent 1 week studying in the intensive Arabic course at the Excellence Center. It has been a wonderful experience. The teaching was very effective, one on one, so I got to learn at the exact level that I needed. The teacher was very friendly, attentive and adaptive to my learning needs. Amongst other activities in Center was the common breakfast, that was a great way to start the day together and build a strong sense of community. The Center has also offered a possibility to meet with many Arabic speakers, including arranging my stay with a native Arabic speaker. All that contributed a lot to my learning, and in spite of the very short time I feel that I made a big advance. I truly recommend the Excellence Center for learning, networking and volunteering.

I just completed my two-week program in Halle (Saale) Germany, teaching English and studying German. It was a very good experience when learning to speak German, German is a common language that I spoke each day of living here. With the volunteer program, you teach between 2-4 classes a day within the center or at their home. The material you teach is on students' needs, depending on if they want to practice speaking English or grammar. There are also German classes (or Arabic), where you receive classes to help with your learning. It was a good program

I took a two weeks intensive cours in Palastinian colloquial Arabic at the Excellence Center in Halle. My teacher was very helpful and supportive and designed the lessons according to my needs and abilities. So I really improved my language skills, especially listening and speaking. The atmosphere in the Excellence Center was very familiar and I always felt very comfortable there. In addition to learning the Arabic language Halle offers many leisure opportunities. I went cycling along the Saale River and hiking in a heather landscape. If you are interested in Romanesque Art then you have to visit the cathedrals in Naumburg and Merseburg, both not far away from Halle. The Naumburger Cathedral is a World Heritage Site and it is really worth seeing.

The Excellence Center in Halle is an great affordable volunteering opportunity for anyone interested in travelling and gaining teaching experience. Located in the center of the city, the EC allows volunteers to explore the East German city of Halle. English is spoken around the center, but there are many chances to learn and practice German. The EC has great connections to the Arabic community in Halle. The city is about 250,000 people, but has a large Syrian community (probably around 5% of the city), after many refugees fled due to the war. Many Syrians need both English and German language skills in order to open up job prospects and integrate into Germany, and the Center helps them a lot in this regard. Personally, I started volunteering in the EC as a resident of Halle in order to gain experience as a Language Teacher, which helped me in finding further work in other language schools and gain confidence as a teacher. However, I remain connected with the Center because of the great atmosphere at the place and because I was able to get paid work through the Center after I finished.

The Center is located in the city center, basically, which makes it really easy to get there - either by train or by foot. All the people at the Excellence Center, both the volunteers and the staff/teachers, are very friendly and welcoming. The atmosphere is very nice and you get used to the place really fast. The relationship between teacher and student (both you and your student/students and you and your German/Arabic teacher) are great. The students are very ambitious too. you get to know them pretty fast which makes it easier for you to prepare your stuff based on that. It’s about being creative yourself! Regarding the city: Halle is a very beautiful and historical city with so much history and has a lot of interesting and high decorated buildings. Besides, it has many beautiful and huge parks which I will recommend you to experience yourself. This experience is probably one of the best and memorable things that I’ve ever experienced in life!

Coming to Germany, I had never studied German before. I didn't even know how to introduce myself. Now, I feel comfortable going around the city and interacting with anyone if I need directions, or if somebody asks me a question. It was truly a great experience studying here, and I highly recommend it. The staff at the center are very friendly and welcoming, and it is a great opportunity for cultural exchange. There's a big emphasis on community here, so there are many opportunities to do things in groups. I recommend also taking a trip to Leipzig while you're here, which is only a 30 minute train ride away. There were people of all ages here at the center, so even if you think you are "too old" for a program like this, I can tell you that you're not! Make sure you try the Donner!

I had a wonderful time in Halle! As a tutor/educator in France who considers becoming a full-time language teacher, my experience at the EC has brought me more confidence in teaching English, which is not my mother tongue even though I have achieved complete fluency. I have gained skills in getting students to speak a language they do not master yet, and sometimes are afraid to speak. Making sure that they're not paralyzed by the fear of making mistakes, valuing what they already know, while gently helping them improve their grammar and vocabulary, was a rewarding job. It was great talking with migrants, about their sometimes difficult life stories, but seeing that many of them thrive in Germany, thanks to the help provided by the center. As for my experience with learning German, which I had not studied in 12 years, my teacher at the center has brought me the confidence and motivation to dive back in it. Muaz, a young man from Syria, is a fantastic teacher: he will not harass you with grammar and make you realize that you can communicate in German, albeit with a few mistakes. My two weeks at the center were like a kickstarter for learning this challenging language again. I'll conclude by saying that Halle is a very cute city, human-sized, with some lovely architecture and a pedestrian-friendly center. And since many local people do not speak English, you can expect to practice German there!

With all honesty, and yet genuinely speaking, this experience was the best action I have ever done throughout my life, from my personal perspective, anyone who has that eager of being a better human being, indeed this wouldn't be achieved if you don't propose help to the less fortunate humankind ! Teaching English in the Excellence center to the Syrien refugees was the best option to me to broaden my horizons more about other people's culture, besides this helps me to evaluate my potentialities, hence by the constructive criticism I feel at the end of this fruitful experience ,I have utterly changed to the better !

Before coming to volunteer at the Excellence Center I was nervous and was not sure what to expect but after two weeks of volunteering and trying my best to learn Arabic, I can say that it was well worth it and easily one of the best times of my life. At the time of writing, I am still young and was by far the youngest volunteer at the center, so I expected to not be taken very seriously or not given many chances to help teach, but this was a very false assumption. I was treated with respect and kindness by all of the staff and the other volunteers and was invited to spend time with them exploring the city. I was also given a lot of opportunities to help out in classes and even taught a one on one English class which I thought was awesome! My host family was also great and constantly helping me which I also appreciated. The only real downside to my two weeks at the Excellence Center was the long commute via bus to where my host family was staying and where the center was, but eventually, I did not really mind. Overall I had a fantastic time at the Excellence Center and would love to return someday!

My time in Halle was a tremendous experience. I spent five weeks taking three hours of intensive Arabic courses with a tutor one-on-one. My teacher was incredibly patient and very passionate about his work. I had some previous experience with Arabic in classrooms in the United States, but spending 15 hours per week with my Syrian teacher was the most enriching Arabic instruction I have ever had. My five weeks of study were invaluable for learning the language. The Excellence Center and its staff were incredibly welcoming. My well-being, in addition to my learning, always felt like a priority. I became very close with the other students/volunteers. I met fellow American students, as well as others from Morocco, Syria, and the United Kingdom. The mixing of cultures and languages was such a unique and exciting experience. Halle itself is a very charming and enjoyable city. You can feel the history in the quaint German town as well as see the influence of the recent immigrants from Syria. It is a cultural melting pot in the most wonderful way. I also greatly enjoyed the beautiful parks and fantastic summer weather. Studying or volunteering at The Excellence Center is a rewarding, exciting, and challenging experience in the best way. I highly recommend this program for anyone looking to learn about culture and language, to get outside of their comfort zone, and to grow as a person.

If there is one word that would describe my time at the Excellence Center, it would be Family. From the moment I arrived to the moment I left and even during the organization process I felt like I was part of this bigger family that I didn’t know I had. The Manager Rafat welcomed me with open arms and treated me as a Habibi from the moment we met. Here at the Excellence Center there is such a welcoming feeling because of all the decor but also the people that walk through its doors, and although this was still in the middle of a pandemic, I can only imagine what it would be like when it's filled with people. For those of you who have never taught a language to anyone before or a scared, don’t be. The center has an excellent manual that gives you a good point to start from. After that you just manage to start talking with the students and go from there. I had a variety of experience levels of students but also ages and they were all fantastic. I was lucky enough to get to experience not only the school but also the city of Halle which seems to hide many secrets around every turn. My favorite activity was walking through the city and along the Salle and experiencing the wonderful Spring sun which drew out the locals as it did me. My accommodation was also nice as I got to stay with a former student of the Excellence Center which treated me with the utmost kindness, and was even raising kittens which I also got to play and cuddle with. Overall I can only recommend this experience to anyone who likes to be with people and wants to experience something new. Rafat is one of a few people who wear their Heart on their sleeves and it shows from the way he deals with the volunteers, employees and students to involve them in this great big family. I really wish him and the Excellence Center all the best for the future and look forward to coming back and teaching again. حظا سعيدا في المستقبل

I was a volunteer at the Excellence Center for 10 weeks and I am very grateful for the experience and the kindness of the staff who always made me feel welcome. I thank my students for their work and especially my German teacher who was always patient and encouraging. I really enjoyed the program, it combined exactly the two things I wanted to achieve, real experience teaching English as a foreign langauge, and a foundation in speaking German as a second language. I'm glad I participated and I'll miss the people I got to meet. Would recommend.

Considering how crazy and challenging 2020 has been, I am so grateful for my volunteering experience as an English teacher at The Excellence Center. To say that I felt welcomed is not enough; I actually felt like home! The Excellence Center staff is terrific and provided all the support I needed for teaching and about life in Halle. For example, we daily prepared and had breakfast together, which was an excellent chance to chat about our different cultures and life experiences. All the students were welcoming and open to cultural diversity. Besides improving my teaching skills, I could really connect to my students and learn a lot! The volunteering also included German classes, and my teacher was excellent! The lessons were designed according to my goals and helped me feel more confident about speaking German daily. I confess my expectations were really high. And what do I have to tell you now? The experience at the EC was better than I could ever imagine! It was life-changing; I feel the friendships and connections I established at the EC will last a lifetime. I recommend volunteering at The Excellence Center to anyone who wants to learn, grow, and improve personally and professionally in a warm and supportive environment. :)

I am Mehmet and 23 years old. My department is Civil Engineer and ı have graduated from my university just two months ago. I have studied in Poland for a semester and I have seen 9 country and 16 cities so far. ı had chance to get different cultures and various people thanks to Erasmus Program. I can help people and try to understand their situation with this project

Being the first volunteer after the coronavirus lockdown, I didn't get the normal experience of the Excellence Centre. But I still had a great time and got to experience daily life in Halle as well as conversational German through lessons organised by the centre. I spoke conversational English with refugees with a range of language levels, from intermediate to those studying for a PHD in English. I learnt so much about their experiences both emigrating and integrating here in Germany. I would definitely recommend this program to anyone looking to broaden their horizons, get more experiences or do their bit.

Ever since my last visit to then West Germany back in 1987, I always wanted to have a life in Europe, particularly in Germany. My mentor, however, advised me to get my Ph. D. in America before I make a move to Germany. I took his advice and received Ph. D. in mathematics, specializing in Game Theory, under the supervision of Professor Lloyd S. Shapley, 2012 Nobel laureate in Economics. Upon receiving my degree back in 2004 I had an opportunity to work in Europe but I had to turn down all the offers due to my personal problems. My dissertation is to build a purely mathematical solution to a bargaining problem. During the period I had worked on my dissertation, both Afghanistan and Iraq war broke out. I was furious at US foreign policy and was in turn motivated to develop this purely mathematical model into a model which can be used in the real world, among other things, to prevent unnecessary wars. My effort was not successful though, largely because of my mental health. For the past 10 years or so I was basically a retired mathematician and had to watch helplessly as the Syrian war refugee crisis unfolded. As I learned how Syrian refugees rebuild their lives in Germany through IT media, I thought it would be wonderful to be able to teach mathematics to refugee students and rebuild my own European dream in Germany. My original plan was to donate some money to a refugee camp and request a German language education in return for my offer of mathematics education. In the process of contacting governmental organizations both in Netherlands and Germany, I found the “Excellence Center in Europe”. I joined the Excellence Center family on the 18 December 2019. It is an oasis in a desert. Excellence Center gave me an opportunity to teach mathematics to students who went through the horror of the war. I have also developed my English language teaching skills. But above all, Rafat Santir, the person who is in charge of the program, is the gem of all gems. He is a God father-like figure to the refugee students. He takes care of refugee students as if they were his children. He also helps me in a lot of ways whenever I run into a problem, starting out a new life in a country where I do not speak the language. I also learn German here and I hope to become either a professor or a school teacher in Germany one day. Unfortunately, I arrived in Germany with a tourist visa and therefore have to leave within 90 days of my arrival. But I am coming back!

I took a 2-week intensive Arabic course at the Excellence Center, and it has helped my Arabic immensely. The centre is not just a language school, it is also a community and a family. This gives everyone a valuable opportunity to practice the language they are learning. I was very happy with my lessons with Rafat, he paced them very well, and made sure I was always challenged with new material, while reviewing what I had already learned. Rafat was also very helpful in organising my accommodation with Abboud, who was very hospitable, and gave me another opportunity to practice my Arabic when I was not in the Centre. I would not hesitate to recommend this course to anyone who wants to learn Arabic in a supportive environment.

l love it here! I am really going to miss being part of the community when I leave, and I am already planning a return trip. My German has drastically improved because of my exposure to the language in the city and with my host family but also because of my wonderful German teacher. We spent some time in the classroom but lots of time walking around the city and also chatting in cafés. I now feel so much more confident talking and coping in public situations in the language. As well as being a student I have also I have also been teaching plenty of English in the centre. I have four classes, stretching from individual teaching to small group and various levels. I have found this equally challenging and rewarding but I received lots of guidance and support from Rafat and his team throughout. It has been wonderful getting to know so many different people at the centre – it is truly amazing to see all these different languages and cultures come together. I have even been invited to share a meal with my students outside of the classroom and I have made some great friends. The best meal of the day is definitely breakfast when we all sit together to chat and share food before the day begins – I look forward to this every day. I have got into a real routine here including morning runs in the park and ice skating at the local ice rink and it was super easy to get stuck into life here. My German host family has also been wonderful welcoming me into their family, sharing their meals and making sure that I am happy in Halle. I will have to come to visit them in the future because I feel so at home here. I am very sad to be leaving the Excellence Centre, but I have gained far more than just better German from all my experiences in Halle

I just had an amazing two-week experience volunteering as an English teacher at the Excellence Center in Halle (Saale, Germany). I don't have enough words to actually describe it. Everybody was so friendly and warm! My host family was very loving and caring. And, since I also came to study Arabic, I could practice everything I learned with them: full immersion! Rafat and Mutaz are wonderful hosts, they were always very nice with all of us (both volunteers and students). We laughed a lot and shared awesome meals together :) I will surely come back ... in fact, Rafat will help me keep learning Arabic online, until I'll manage to return for an intensive Arabic course. Shukran (thank you) guys!!!

I was hoping to find an opportunity in Germany where I could freshen up on my German language and culture skills, while also contributing to the local community in some meaningful way, preferably involving refugees and the Arabic language. The Excellence Center was perfect for helping me achieve all of these goals! Halle is a charming city with many friendly and open-minded locals to get to know. The Excellence Center brought me, a stranger, into the home of a kind, generous and patient host, who was very willing to answer all of my questions and help me better understand Arabic language and culture. I highly recommend the staff and administration of the Excellence Center as warm, open, friendly and professional individuals, working together to make the world a better place. I am also deeply grateful for the opportunity I had to work with some very motivated and hard-working students, many of whom are refugees with inspiring stories and perspectives. My Arabic teacher was very kind and helpful. I wish I had had more time to study the language! Lesson prep for the English classes I was teaching took a large chunk of my free time, but since I teach German professionally, it was fun for me to try and implement best practices for language acquisition in this new setting. Additionally, it was a real privilege to interact with the other volunteers from all over the world. I was very impressed by the open-mindedness and optimism I encountered throughout my entire stay.

A Truly Excellent Time at the Excellence Center in Halle. First, Halle is a perfect setting for anybody looking for a pleasant, interesting introduction to Germany. It is not overwhelming but has a certain familiarity about it without feeling provincial. The public transportation system is good, inexpensive, and it will get you around everywhere. If you can manage a bicycle, even better; the bike paths are plentiful and safe, allowing you to tour interesting sites and landmarks in the downtown area or ply the wide, asphalt bike/walking paths that wind along the banks and through the woods of the Saale River. The Excellence Center is centrally located. It is a ten-minute walk to the downtown area, and from my accommodations near the Saale River, it was also about ten minutes away by foot. As a volunteer, my day started at around 1000 in the morning with an all-hands breakfast, usually tasty Middle Eastern fare, where we relaxed and chatted before starting Arabic lessons or teaching English classes. The Center itself is a busy, lively place, but not hectic or rushed. Everything somehow falls into place. I personally recommend this if you want to learn some Levantine Arabic (Palestinian, Syrian dialects) because it gives you the opportunity to interact with and learn from native speakers. I also recommend teaching English at the Excellence Center for those who want to gather experience in instructing persons with Middle Eastern backgrounds – particularly younger people -- while also helping them acquire the language skills they need to be successful in life. If I had to use one word to describe my experience at the Excellence Center, it would be that it was an enrichment, both personally and professionally, besides just being plain fun.

My summer in Halle was an enriching experience that will remain with me for a long time to come. The management is competent, helpful and sensitive to the needs of each participant. Volunteers are well taken care of and the hospitality of the broader community surrounding the Excellence Center is exceedingly warm. The language instruction is strong, the work itself is rewarding, and the mood is both positive and relaxed. I wholeheartedly recommend this program to anyone interested in languages, whether teaching or learning. Students and young people should especially consider this program.

My experience at The Excellence Center in Europe was fun, enlightening and very worthwhile. When I first arrived in at the center in Halle, I was warmly welcomed and was able to start working the day I got there. As I was given a tour of the facility, I started to realize that I was about to be apart of a pleasantly tight-knit group of people who care about the wellbeing of the community and its inhabitants through means of intercultural-change and understanding. While working there, I was very in control of my schedule, who I wanted to teach, and how I wanted to teach it. My boss, Rafat Shantir, was very understanding of people who wanted to take a little time of to do things like travel. He was also very accommodating of the things we would want to teach. My coworker, for example, started a class that taught people who were interested in learning how to do computer programming. The relationships that I built were probably the most important takeaway from my experience at The Center. I mainly taught in a one-on-one setting, and I really got to know my students throughout the 3 months that I taught there. As most of my students were Syrian refugees, I was given an opportunity for an intercultural dialogue, the likes of which I had preciously been exposed to, especially coming from the US. Overall, my work at The Center was a great life experience and has opened my eyes to new cultures and the importance of all of us sharing and exchanging our cultures. Through these intercultural dialogues, we can build a world of tolerance, harmony and mutual understanding.

During my freshmen year in university, I decided that I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone and get to learn the world. While I was researching about abroad internship opportunities, I was able to come across the Excellence center. The balance of travel, education and work seemed perfect, so I applied- I did not know I was about to meet the most precious acquaintances and acquire the most cherished experience of my life. The excellence center connected me with to stay with a refugee family from Syria. My host brother came to pick me up in the trains station, and from the first day the host family was so welcoming, cooking me Arabic food and taking me around the city. Even though there was a language barrier, communication was not a major issue, as I could understand them through body language and their sincerity. The center turned out to be the perfect workplace for a person who is ready to learn and branch out. New volunteers from all over the world flowed in each day, and you were able to connect to people who came from a completely different cultural, regions, and racial back ground. The center would d have events such as exploring the city, having a barbecue party next to the river, and presentations, helping the volunteers, interns and staff members to interact easily. The two head managers, Rafat and Mutaz were the most attentive, open and humorous boss anyone could ask for, and they would always to present to hear out your issues and questions and make sure the program was suited just right for you. The managers also took the interns to nearby universities to talk with he staff members, and visited various work places of integrated refugees to directly witness the status quo of refugee integration In Germany. Not only that, we were give a chance to lead classes to teach the refugees English, and to listen to lectures regarding the refugee issue, specially thought out but the managers. In addition to the educational opportunities, travel was also a very accessible merit. Not only was there plenty of time to explore and get to know Halle, the center would organize trips to visit nearby cities and try out exquisite food. Each intern was also given certain travel time to leave the office and visit other cities. I traveled with a fellow intern to Berlin and to Prague, where I had the time of my life. While it can be an intense experience of absorbing so much new people and experiences, the time one spend at the center will definitely be life changing. At the end, one will be in love with the country, with the center and the people. I cannot wait to join and intern in the Excellence center in Palestine!!

Hello, I am Gabriela, I am 21 years old. I participated in the Excellence Center’s program in the city of Halle Saale for 2 weeks during the late summer of 2019. During my stay in Halle with Excellence Center, I got the chance to know a lot of people who made my stay in Germany. I helped to teach some conversational English to refugees. Many thanks to Excellence Center in Europe for this opportunity. I totally recommend this program.

My name is Alma , and I am a student at the University of Barcelona. My motivation to come to Germany was driven by my interest in the German culture following my first year learning German. After searching for a way to continue to learn German, I found the Excellence Center in Europe which proved to be a good way to not only learn German but live with a host family and enjoy Germany. The people will welcome you every day as they continue to welcome me to Halle. The staff is willing to help you learn as well as to accommodate to life in Germany. The Excellence Center is easy to find as it is located on the main street in the city of Halle (Saale), and it is surrounded by markets and restaurants where you can find anything you may need. In addition, The Excellence Center provides you with breakfast in the morning with several other internationals as well as tea and coffee very often throughout the day. The schedules are flexible and the job to which you will be assigned will fit your abilities. I would advise students who wish to learn German to volunteer at the Excellence Center in Europe and meet a lot of people in the city of Halle including Germans, Arabs, and other international students. Many thanks to my German teacher Mohammed Adam and to the staff of the Center. I hope to come back in the near future

The first thing I noticed, and which I would continue to experience for the rest of my two weeks in Halle, was the welcoming atmosphere at the Center. Even while I was still jet-lagged and adjusting to all the changes, everyone was friendly and understanding. There were a lot of us volunteers there during my stay, and hanging out together was one of the highlights of my time in Halle. We shared teaching ideas, compared home countries, and helped each other with language questions. I looked forward to eating breakfast together with everyone each morning. My students were from Syria, and I learned a lot from them as we discussed the differences between our homes as well as their experiences in Germany. I had a lot of fun exploring Halle on my own, but going out into the city for one of my classes and getting an insider’s perspective from my student was even better. The Excellence Center has a wonderful, welcoming community atmosphere, I will be taking the many things I learned from my experience here with me wherever I end up in the future.

Agnes, 52, England I'm a mum at home with my family and do regular voluntary work with asylum seekers and refugees in my area helping them to learn English. I came to the Excellence Centre in Halle because I really wanted to improve my German and the work the centre claimed to do on the website seemed to be so much like my voluntary work at home. I was not disappointed! I stayed in Halle for ten days during August. I met so many wonderful and interesting people from many countries and we were unified by the constant warmth, humour and food of the Syrian people who run or use the centre. Endless conversations in a glorious mix of English/German/Arabic were had. Everyone was friendly and respectful to each other and I felt very appreciated for my contribution to the work at the centre. The cultural exchange and learning was such a high point for me; whatever I taught I received in equal measure. I had some great German lessons and overall my German has improved. Admittedly, I wasn't immersed in the German language as much as I had hoped as English was the common language between all volunteers. However, due to the welcome, kindness and friendship that I received during my stay in Halle, my experience was a very positive one. Thank you Rafat and everyone at the centre!

I spent 6 weeks volunteering at the Excellence Center in Halle. Unfortunately, I haven’t really enjoyed my stay there overall. Don’t get me wrong! I did meet great people, made new friends and had an opportunity to get some teaching experience which was great. That said, I was deeply dissatisfied with how volunteers were treated at the center. The contract clearly states that volunteers get 3 hours of German/Arabic a week. However, the reality turned out to be somewhat different. I didn’t get my German lessons during first two weeks of my stay. I was told that my teacher, coordinator’s wife, was not in Halle at the time (sic!). The coordinator should in that case find a substitute teacher. After all, I paid for those lessons. But that is not the end of the story. Originally, I planned to come to Halle for 9 weeks. Due to health issues I had to leave earlier. So I paid for 27 hours of German overall but ended up getting only 8 (sic!). When I asked Elisa if we could meet more often so we could catch up, she said she was busy and didn’t have time (sic!). This kind of situation is just unacceptable! It’s a scam! If you don’t have time, don’t work as a teacher at the center. As I mentioned above, I had to leave three weeks earlier than planned. One evening we went to the park and I was bitten by a tick. At the hospital, I was diagnosed with lyme disease. The doctor prescribed me strong antibiotics which made me feel very fatigued and weak so I decided to go back home earlier. I asked Rafat for a refund. In the end I didn’t get it. Rafat explained to me that they couldn’t give me part of my money back because they had booked accommodation for me as well as my German course for 9 weeks (sic!). But since I was not there, they didn’t have to pay bills for me and German classes didn’t take place! The contract does stipulate that there is no refund if you cancel the program after 13 days of your stay. However, it does not say anything about the earlier termination of voluntary work due to volunteer’s health issues. It’s incomplete. That is why, I strongly recommend you not to come there for a longer period of time because even if something bad happens to you and you have to leave earlier due to the reasons beyond your control, you won’t get a refund. When it comes to accommodation, I was very lucky. My flat was ideally situated just a 5 minute walk from the Excellence center. It was very cosy. I shared a bedroom with another volunteer. We had an access to the kitchen so we cooked together which was cool. My host Mutaz, another coordinator of the center, was nice and easy-going. However, one of my fellow volunteers stayed at the flat where part of the ceiling in the bathroom and part of the wall next to the bed were mouldy. There was no access to wifi and the host didn’t want to give them a key. So be careful because you might end up living in uncivilized conditions even though you paid for accommodation. In order to avoid additional costs, coordinators make volunteers clean the center. People come there to teach, but once they arrive, they are told that they are also supposed to sweep and mop floors, clean a toilet and windows. Also, locking volunteers in while cleaning is unacceptable!

I volunteered at the Excellence Center for one week in August 2019. My host mom was a lovely Sudanese woman who went to great lengths to make me feel welcome. She even invited me along to the Mosque, where she normally worked and where the kids from the neighborhood had their classes, and afterwards to their barbecue later that evening. As for my daily routine, every day I would walk to the center, the view of the Saale river on my right. When there, I would help preparing breakfast and then enjoy it with all the other volunteers, before our day started. Normally, I would teach one class to early teenagers, or two at most. So, I had a lot of free time to prepare for my classes and I used to spend the day looking up materials and activities with my computer. My students were generally from Syria or Egypt and had been living in Germany for a few years, so their command of German was much better than their English. Sometimes the challenge, especially with beginners, was that they were often tempted to switch to German or Arabic, but with gestures, pictures and a lot of drawing on the board we were always able to communicate and learn new vocabulary. I also had a total of 3 hours of Arabic classes taught by native speakers. Afterwards, I was able to say common greetings, understand the numbers and the days of the week and to tell simple things about daily activities such as working, eating and sleeping. The nicest part about the Arabic class was that my teacher would go get any other native speakers who was hanging at the center, so I could practice more and make sure I would be understood. At the center, there's always a team leader in charge of organising activities for the group and ensuring everyone is helping out with the daily chores. All volunteers are also asked to give a presentation about their country and everyone is welcome to attend. At the end of the working week, there's usually a special activity planned. During my stay, we went for a barbecue at Peißniz, a park close by where volunteers, students and friends were all invited to have dinner together. In conclusion, my stay in Halle was brilliant. I really enjoyed teaching English and I found friendly people from all over the world at the center. I really recommend everyone to come and spend some time here.

From the middle of June to the middle of August I did teaching English/German volunteer for three weeks at the center. I had a great experience there. -Teaching Experience I taught English in one kids’ class and one individual class. Actually, I did almost nothing in my kids’ class because my partner did everything. Only what I did there is to help children individually. I also had a chance to teach German to a volunteer member who want to learn it, which was interesting for me. Sometimes we study outside or at a cafe, with seeing beautiful scenery in Halle. -Learning Experience I learned German and Arabic in the center. For a long time, I’ve been learning German, but it was the first time to learn Arabic. The teacher Rafat, a manager in the center was so supportive. We can practice what we have learned at any time because there are a lot of people who speak Arabic like Syrian. A few easy expressions can make our communication easily. I really liked these language courses here. -Developing Community with Refugees Refugees, the word is very unfamiliar for all of us in Japan. We rarely see or cannot recognize them though we heard about an unstable situation in Syria by newspapers. When I lived in Dresden in 2015, I feel something changing, however, I do not know how serious the reality is. Here I got to know some people from Syria, who are so clever and friendly despite their tough situation. They did great efforts to adapt themselves to German life. Now, I would like to do something related to refugees in Japan if I have a chance. -Life (Homestay) Living German itself is not new to me, but this was my first homestay. My host mother from Sudan was very nice. It was good that I met some Muslim culture. Other volunteer staff are very supportive, kind, friendly. We understand each other though I had some difficulties in communication with them because of my English ability. I would like to visit the center someday!

My time at the Excellence Center has been a transformational experience. My co-workers, students, and host family are from countries from all over the world – Sudan, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, UK, USA, and Italy They have taught me what it is like to deal with the struggles of adapting to a new culture while retaining one’s respect and love for one’s own culture. One co-worker told me that he thought he would never be able to feel German. Later when we spoke, he changed his mind, and he said that maybe one day, he would feel German and Syrian. I thought it was a beautiful thing, to watch in real time someone coming to terms with their identity issues and finding a solution that’s honorable and genuine: one doesn’t have to pick between different cultures. I think that’s the biggest lesson I learned from my time here at the Excellence Center, that cultures don’t always have to clash, but that they can merge peacefully. The staff at the Center always emphasizes the value of cultural exchange, and I don’t think I would’ve been able to understand this had I not seen it for myself. The lessons I learned during my time here have changed my perspective on life, and I am very grateful for that. However, what I will miss the most is the time I spent with my co-workers, students, and host family. I shared daily breakfasts with my co-workers, and it was a wonderful time we always spent laughing, sharing food, and stories. From time to time, we also cooked dinner together, and activities such as these make me feel as though I made bonds and friendships that I hope will last long after I leave Germany! My students are why I was excited to go to work every single day. They ranged in age from 5-19, but despite the differences in age, they were all extremely intelligent, hard-working, and most importantly, kind and respectful. Every day, they brought warmth and excitement to the classroom. Finally, I might as well call my host family my real family at this point. They were so welcoming towards me that a day wouldn’t pass without my host brother or host mother telling me, “Remember: you are a part of the family!” I am eternally grateful for the meals we shared, the conversations we had, and the love I received. I can say with utmost confidence that coming to the Excellence Center in Europe has been one of the best decisions I have made this year. I have made meaningful friendships and have done meaningful work and I could not ask for more. I would recommend this experience to anyone who wants to get out of their comfort zone and explore a new culture and meet people from all over the world!

I volunteered with the Excellence Centre as a volunteer teacher for English in July for about a week! It was immensely fulfilling, especially due to the exchange of knowledge and culture between myself and my tutees, as well as the fun and supportive environment with all the other volunteers. I had three students to teach as a pair and individually, and whom I had about 2-3 lessons with each that week. They were of relatively higher level in English skill, but were still incredibly passionate and eager to learn English which made teaching them so much fun! My host family was also a joy to get to know in my week there. I practiced the little Arabic I learnt with them, ate traditional Syrian food, and taught each other things about our countries.

My mom thought it would be a super idea to go on a trip to Europe, so I was like 'gotcha' and packed my bags and headed to the Excellence Center in Europe. It was my first time in Europe and I didn't know what to expect, but I was excited. As an international relations major, I knew it would be a valuable experience to learn more about the refugee situation in Germany, but I didn't realize that there would be two such drastically different sides to my experience in Halle. I can honestly say I met some amazing people. Arabs are known for being welcoming, and this was definitely the case; I loved smoking shisha with the refugees and other volunteers, making jokes and playing soccer with them, talking about their lives back in Syria and now in Halle. One area in which the Center really shines is their cultural exchange events; for example, one evening we met in the park and people brought dishes from their own countries: pasta from Italy, cabbage from China, even potato pancakes from Poland! My co-workers were incredibly hard-working and kind, and I loved hearing about their own cultures; there were not only volunteers from English-speaking countries like the US and Britain, but also from Poland, Macedonia and Singapore, to name just a few. Halle is a nice city; I particularly enjoyed the chocolate factory! But it is a small city. Luckily, we are given 3 days off each week, so we are free to travel to other cities. I was able to go to Leipzig, Berlin and even Prague, which was amazing. I even had the opportunity to take some German lessons, which was very interesting; I already know some German, but it really gave it a boost. I would say for sure that my favorite aspect of my time in Germany was finding myself being able to understand more and more German and even manage to communicate with Germans! Although my German lessons were great, this brings me onto the less than lovely aspect of the Excellence Center: organization. I signed a contract which promised me 3 hours of German lessons each week, however in the end I only had about three quarters of the lessons I was meant to have; I had no lessons at all in my first week. A lack of organization was a recurring theme throughout my time there, as we were told about events only a few hours before they happened, and when they did happen, they were always at least half an hour late. They were not at all prepared a lot of the time; one time there were not enough spoons, so people had to save their spoons when they were done eating, and they were just rinsed with a bottle of water and given to someone else. My timetable was always wrong, and given to me late each week (if I was lucky enough to even get a timetable). I was not asked to give any proof that I'm safe to work with children, which quite honestly scares me a lot. We volunteers were also made to clean bathrooms, floors and windows, though this was not in the job description; at one point we ended up locked in while we cleaned. We were given no training on how to actually teach, besides a short manual. A lot of the time there was not enough classroom space so classes had to be held in noisy communal areas in the center, or we had to leave the center altogether and walk around; if there are not enough rooms for a class to be held, the class should not be scheduled in the first place. It is not fair to volunteers who have taken the time to create handouts and prepare videos and presentations, to be expected to walk around Halle and 'teach'. Finally the placement tests are a joke; you are given students and told they are complete beginners, and you prepare a lesson based on this, only for your students to tell you they have had 2/3/4 years of English lessons. I know other volunteers have voiced concerns similar to mine, regarding organization, and I suspect that they are fearful of leaving negative feedback, not wanting to discourage future volunteers from taking the leap and working at the Center. For after all, the Center’s cause and what it stands for is amazing and I know the Center has the best possible intentions. This review is not meant to discourage you from volunteering at the Excellence Center. I just hope that in writing this review, I will help Rafat and Mutaz realize that if their organization keeps growing at the rate it is currently growing at, they are going to seriously have to take a look at their administration.

My time at the Excellence Center was a really great experience, and I learned so much even in the short time I was there. I was able to take Arabic language lessons and even go out into the community and practice what I'd learned with Arabic speakers living in the city. I also spent time teaching students English in one-on-one sessions. I had some really incredible conversations with students in these sessions, and their perspectives on the world widened my own in many ways. The staff and other volunteers at the center were great. The center has a real community atmosphere. Scheduling and plans are pretty flexible, so as long as you're also flexible you should feel right at home.

I had such a rewarding experience with the Excellence Centre with many insights into the life of a Syrian refugee in Germany. Ranging from writing articles to teaching English, my time spent in Halle was filled with an array of different encounters, each one informing upon my understanding of the effects of war. Rafat and Mutaz, the founders of this brilliant organisation truly make you feel a part of the unique family that has formed in this beautiful town. In between your time volunteering Halle, there are many opportunities to get to know the town and it’s surroundings. I particularly enjoyed walking around the surrounding forest and river parks! I can easily say that I have formed friendships with not only the Syrians but also, with my fellow volunteers. This volunteering opportunity is a perfect chance to learn about an ongoing element of the challenges of our world, and what we can do to alleviate them. I have certainly found a special place to return to when I am back in Germany, thank you to the lovely souls at the Excellence Center - until next time, thank you for all the unforgettable memories!

I have just finished my time at the Excellence Centre after two weeks of being in the city. I have had the most wonderful time here and thoroughly recommend it to anyone considering coming. I was nervous as a first time solo female traveller, but everyone here made me feel so at home. My host was wonderful, as were the other staff at the centre and volunteers. Teaching refugees was incredibly rewarding as not only did they learn some English, but I was introduced to different cultures which opened my eyes to new ways of viewing the world.

I expected an average internship and had a way above-average experience for the month that I was in Halle! I gained so much knowledge and experience about refugees in Germany, Syrian politics and culture, integration, education, how organizations like the EC work, and about creating lasting relationships with people from all backgrounds. The Arabic instruction, orientation, presentations, and work assignments were well organized, and I enjoyed teaching English and building relationships with my students. The Center is really like a little family, and you get the opportunity to help others in a meaningful way. I will miss my coworkers and the people that I met, and I feel prepared to use the many skills that I learned (particularly in educational psychology, teaching strategies, and intercultural relations) in my future work. I highly recommend interning or volunteering in Halle—this is a great program in a charming city with dedicated, change-making people. Thank you so much to Rafat, Mutaz, and everyone else who made this internship a success for me.

Shortly, I got great experience in this excellent center. I have always wanted to interact with refugee people and help them. I got two weeks off and I wanted to spend my time on valuable experience. Even though I had only four days in excellent center I have gotten a lot of amazing experiences. On the first day I had a tour in Halle and my first impression was Halle is really beautiful city. Usually, in this center I participated in some English lessons and helped students. I felt they are eager to learn English to be able to get a job in Germany and to have better future. In another class we talked about different culture and countries. To be honest before I came here, I did not talk a lot with people from Syria. I have been in Germany for about two months and even though I know there are a lot of refugee in Germany I did not have any opportunities to talk or interact with them. In this excellent center I talked with young people about a lot of topics in the classroom and it was quite interesting for me. We talked about cultural differences, countries and people. I assume they are not familiar with Asian culture and it was great to introducing about our culture. People in here are very welcoming, passionate which makes me motivated and I had a lot of things to learn from them. Staying with my host family was amazing experience and it was my highlight. Sometimes we had problems in communication, but they are very nice people and I had really good time with them. I was not so familiar with Arabic culture before I came here but I experienced their culture as being a part of their family. I think I never get this experience If I did not come here. Meeting a lot of people from different background was such a great experience and in only four days I had a lot of things to learn. This time I had short time in here, but I wish I can do it more volunteer activities in the future. Overall, I got an amazing experience in this excellent center.

I have spent one week in Halle, volunteering at the Excellence Centre Halle. It was the best experience, from the host family to organization, classes that I have taught, meeting my students, and bonding with them, learning about Syrian and Arabic culture...it left such an impact on me! I got to know about their life experiences and was learning about Germany in a new way -through the eyes of foreigners, which was the most special experience ever! We were cooking together, had tea, coffee, chatting, listening to Arabic music, which my students were kind enough to introduce to me, meeting new people... the only thing I would recommend to everyone is: come and stay longer if you can! You appreciate everyone you meet so much, students, people who work at the center, the other volunteers, your host family, that you just cannot help but wish you have had more time with them! If you want to have fun, but also, learn something new, if you want to give back, and be rewarded with such deep experiences, you will enjoy your time here.

While teaching English was certainly the most challenging part of my trip, it was also the most rewarding. My first-day teaching was the hardest, as I had never really led a class by myself before. By the third day, however, I could already see my teaching abilities improving and the students seemed to be getting a lot more out of my classes. Seeing this improvement and learning about teaching was extremely gratifying. In my classes, I also got to hear from my students about their stories coming to Germany and about their cultural customs. They taught me a lot about Syria that I did not know before, and they were super eager to discuss it. Seeing how much they loved their home country was very saddening, but it only further inspired me to learn the language and the traditions. Getting to know the students was an incredible, once in a lifetime opportunity, and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in language and culture.

The refugee crisis in European called my attention since it began to be show on Brazil’s television news. What we heard about the war in Syria sounded something totally out of reality (for Brazilians, at least); the images of the boats full with thousands people, seemed like a fiction story. Still, it was true. Some years later, Venezuelans seek for a better life in Brazil, creating some difficulties for the government to deal with it. Seems politics keep ignoring history in order learn with it. How can you integrate people in a broken world? How can we integrate people and respect their differences at the same time? How can I help them to have decent life? These are my questions as a human being, as a christian, and as a civil engineering student. I started to look after volunteer programs to discover how to put theory into practice. When I got the opportunity to go to Europe as an Erasmus student, I used the chance to get to learn more about the refugees situation and try to help them. So, I found in The Excellence Center, a great opportunity to do it. In the EC I had the chance to interact with kids and have really good talks young adults, both groups from Syria; helping them to learn english. Also, I could study a little bit of German during my short stay in the city of Halle. It was my first time living with a host family, they were so nice and kind… I will always remember them. I felt bad I could not stay more than a week and I imagine how much more intense it would be the experience and how much I could had helped if I stayed longer. The help they receive from Germany can really lead them to a better life. It’s a both way gaining: the country prepare refugees to become citizens and the refugees turns into economically active population. However, it is still not easy, for example, for Syrian women to find a job; most of them were full time housewifes in their country. Also, in order to work in Germany, refugees need to achieve good results in the german language test, and not always the courses has a good didatic for them. Besides this, there’s also the prejudice and the growing anti-refugees movements. I hope the amount of volunteers in the EC rise up, for them can have more stability and continuous course for everybody. The first results of this hard work are in the smile of each kid, is in each new word students are able to learn. But the long-term results are the establishment of good and well prepared citzens for this world.

It was a chilly December day when I came to Halle Germany. The center itself is located in a very convenient quite part of the city. It’s a small center but the atmosphere inside was very welcoming and comfortable. This was my first experience volunteering so I had very little expectations. But I had taught abroad before in Asia so I imagined it might be similar to that. I met Rafat and the other volunteer I would be working with as well as other local teachers and students. The first thing that we all did was have breakfast together. While eating and getting to know everyone I realized that this was a place very conducive to a community atmosphere that supported a multicultural environment. I should tell you my reason for taking the trip and a little about myself. I’m from the US and I spent a decent amount of time studying abroad in Japan. Since then I’ve had a very different view of the world and all the people in it. When I felt like I had been in my home country for too long and needed a break I started looking for volunteer work. Some people like to travel the world and go sightseeing. While that is nice, I don’t think I’ve ever been able to enjoy myself as just a tourist. I really look for a sense of purpose in any kind of international traveling I do. I enjoy the opportunities to meet people in an international community and have meaningful experiences. My time here at The Excellence Center has been short, sweet, and full of memorable experiences and people. I feel absolutely honored and humbled to have had the chance to get to know these people. What life has been like for them, their struggles and hopes for the future. From the volunteers to the refugees not a single one falls short of incredible. I definitely got what I was looking for and so much more. For instance, my views on a lot of things changed, like my perspective on Germany and the refugees in Germany. Rafat and his staff are superb, kind, and friendly. They are always so flexible and understanding you won’t meet many people like them that are so hard working and driven. I will definitely miss the center and all the people. I hope that in the future I will have a chance to work with them again and stay longer. I would recommend The Excellence Center to everyone.

Here at the Excellence Center in Europe, I had a great time with the staff and everyone involved in the program. I have always had an interest in refugees and how Germany is coping with the refugee crisis that occurred in 2015. This internship program at the Excellence Center in Europe has given me an in depth background of refugees by having consistent interaction with refugees from the school, apartment complex, or the local mosque. My first week I had the option to learn German or Arabic and on my last week I had the opportunity to teach English to refugee students. These experiences have been very rewarding to me and I appreciate everything that the program has to offer me in Germany

During my volunteer program I was able to teach English and Spanish. I had never taught languages and so this was a new challenge for me. I even had to use the three languages I speak to explain some things to the students!

I originally wanted to go to the Middle East but for business/personal reasons was in Germany and found this program. At first I was skeptical because Halle is a smaller city and I have a lot more experience in Berlin but it's a really good location. For one it's close to Berlin - only 2 hours by bus - and second there are a lot of Arabic-speaking refugees there so you have many opportunities to practice Arabic. Also the advantage of Halle is that you are not distracted by a huge night life - but it's also a university town so there are many nice cafes and an artsy movie theater. Plus it's relatively inexpensive. Immigration is a big topic in many countries these days. Germany has taken a different path than most other western industrialized countries, so it's quite interesting to see how the country is dealing with the big influx of refugees -- and how the refugees are handling such dramatic changes in their lives.

Even though my time spent at The Excellence Center was short, I truly enjoyed the hospitality of the staffs and had a wonderful time making friends with people from the local community and contributing to the cultural immersion efforts by Rafat and the rest of the centre. I was a volunteer at The Excellence Center in October 2018. At the centre, I primarily helped with teaching English lessons to refugee students and gained the benefit of learning German during the programme. I was expected to teach a few lessons to young refugee students (age 18 and others are around 40+ years old) and had the opportunity to use 3 hours of the week to learn basic German language skills on one-to-one sessions at the centre. As part of the programme, I had the opportunity to participate in one of their social and cultural exchange events for people in the Halle community. As I got to learn, this was one of the fun ways the centre implemented to collaborate between the refugee and the local community. Besides this, I had the chance to visit one of my student's home and who happened to come from a Syrian refugee family. Being able to speak to this particular family and other refugees that I met with, I was able to hear their perspectives and stories on a more personal level - I was definitely most impressed by their ability to adapt in a new country and learn about the success stories in learning German so quickly. I felt as if there were plenty of life lessons to learn from the way these refugees are rebuilding their lives despite other difficulties they had faced. Rafat, the manager of The Excellence Center in Europe coordinated perfectly before my arrival. He had matched me with a lovely Syrian family to stay with during my time in Halle - as a solo female traveller, I appreciated the thoughtful consideration in finding a suitable local home. As for convenience and expenses in the city, Halle is moderately affordable compared to other cities in Germany and it was a huge relief to find a Halal grocery store nearby. Everything else, from posting mail packages to ordering coffee is simple enough if you know some basic Deutsch words. Therefore, I would encourage any future volunteers to make full use of the interactions at the centre - the exposure and plentiful opportunities at The Excellence Center is something I am very grateful for! The wonderful people at the centre are friendly and I am sure they can help with questions you may have about uncertainties while living there. If you are looking for an avenue to learn about the refugee crisis and contribute to efforts in a positive manner then, I would definitely recommend the Volunteer programme at The Excellence Center - because I had spent only a week, I realised I would have loved to stay at least 2 - 3 weeks and which I think is a good amount of time.

Before coming to The Excellence center, I had never ventured out of North America. When I decided to come to Europe, I wanted to dedicate some of my time to a cause I’m passionate about, and try to make a small difference in my own way. It’s also a great way of meeting like- minded people who are traveling for a meaningful purpose. It was an opportunity to make new friends from around the globe who also decided to take some time out of their routine and lend a helping hand. When I began my search, I was looking for an organization that is working with the refugees and in education. I also wanted to visit Germany because of its historical significance in our modern world. Most of the programs I came across either conflicted with my schedule or didn’t allow me the flexibility I needed during my time in Germany. But then I came across The Excellence Center in Europe. That is was it, it fit perfectly with my criteria, It was affordable, flexible and most importantly fun. My experience of volunteering here has been one of the most memorable part of my life so far. Right from the beginning Rafat and the staff here The Excellence Center have been so welcoming. I was set up with a host family in a cozy apartment. We were provided breakfast every morning at The Center. Often times we cooked and ate together, which was a great way of bonding with other volunteers. Rafat also gave us extensive city tours, describing Halle’s history, and its recent transformation, how the city has become more vibrant and energetic with the influx of Syrian refugees, who have started all sorts of businesses around the city, giving it a new life. My day was divided into three parts, I would start off with my German lessons and then I taught English to students. Later in the evening Rafat gave presentations on different teaching methodologies, pointing out the ones which have been most effective when it comes to teaching kids English or any other language. So even if you don’t have a teaching background you can gain a great amount of insight and incorporate these methodologies in your teaching practices. These presentations were particularly helpful for me since I didn’t have any experience teaching languages prior to coming here. The Center organized visits to the local refugee families, this way we got to hear their experience of being in Germany, it gave us, an outsiders an window into their world. Here I must emphasize the hospitality and the gratitude some of these families showed us. I have never experience such warmth and hospitality from someone you just met, it was truly a humbling experience. Being a volunteer we arranged some activities at the local mosque to teach the kinds there English, again it was incredible to see the enthusiasm of these kinds who are so eager to learn. Another thing I really appreciated about Halle is its proximity to cities like Berlin and Leipzig, so if you feel like getting away for a weekend you can easily be in these cities within an hour. The staff at The Center organized two trips to Leipzig for us, on our first trip we just explored the city and it’s tourist attractions, second time around we visited neighborhoods that predominantly host refugees from Syria. Leipzig is bigger than Halle so it has a lot more to offer when comes to the night life (if you are looking for that). The Center also held cultural exchange events, where locals from all walks of life were invited, this is a perfect opportunity to mingle with the locals and make new friends during your time here. I was fortunate enough to meet so many amazing Halle locals who later showed me around the city and invited me over for events. Volunteering in The Excellence Center has been the highlight of my trip to Germany, I have met so many incredible people, learned about the refugees crisis in Germany and got firsthand account of their experience. I’d highly recommend this program to anyone who is traveling to Germany, looking to give someone of their time to a cause or teach. It can be really transforming for you and people you help.

I chose to volunteer for a month in Halle at the Excellence Center and I am very glad that I did so! I taught English classes and from time to time helped with administrative tasks such as editing. My favorite part was getting to spend time with my students, whose ages ranged from 6-19. It felt amazing to watch them improve their English and getting to know them on a personal level in such a short time. My students made work fun, but it was also my co-workers who made me want to come in to work every day with a smile on my face! We would hang out after work, and explore Halle as well as nearby cities like Leipzig. In addition to this, my host family was so loving and welcoming, I felt as though they were my own family! I had so much fun during my stay, and am planning on coming back in the future. I would definitely recommend it and am hoping to bring a few of my own friends over as well next time!

My name is Daan from the Netherlands, I am 23 years old, I graduated last year from the University of Amsterdam. One week ago, I was in Germany volunteering at the Excellence Center in Europe in the city of Halle (Saale). I stayed with the most generous Arabic family (Salman family), they were so friendly, especially their son Ahmed. I helped many Arabic and refugee students in conversational English, I did not have any experience in teaching before but it was fun to try it. I learned a lot during my time there. Additionally, I have taken Arabic with my teacher Mohamed, he was a big help to me learning the Arabic language especially when it comes to grammars (which is hard btw) but he did his best and it was totally a great experience. I recommend this volunteer program to those who want to visit Germany and meet the refugees as well as local people. IT IS WORTH IT ☺

Hello, my name is Adriano, I am from Portugal, I volunteered at the Excellence Center in Europe in Halle for a week. I taught English to some refugees from Syria. I really had a good time there. Mohammed, my Arabic teacher at the center was great, he introduced me to the Arabic language in an interesting way, I was able to speak some Arabic words with the people I met at the Center. Rafat, the Excellence Center coordinator did a great job in welcoming and letting me feel home in Halle. Thank you guys so much for everything and I wish to come back to Halle in the future.

This is a great volunteer program in Germany. I finally was able to learn German and meet a lot of new people. My students were great and always eager to learn and practice their English skills. Halle (Saale) is a great place to live in, it is only around an hour from Berlin. The Excellence center in Europe is in a good location, it is only 3 minutes from the marketplace. The Excellence Center staff put me with a good host family who helped me with my German immensely. I hope to come back to Halle (Saale) in the future. I recommend this program to anyone who wants to study German, meet new people and live the daily life in Germany.