Short Term Volunteer Projects In Germany (1-13 Weeks)

At first I was hesitant to commit to the program, since I had never traveled outside of the states. After experiencing 2 weeks in Halle, I wish i 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.

All the people on the program were incredibly kind and supportive. They make the environment feel safe and fun.

The activities you do are dynamic and allow you to learn through the processes. And also free creative reign to design the flow of the class you are teaching.

Regarding the classes you take, the teachers are focused on you personal learning and are willing to adjust to your needs and expectations.

I would love to stay more time in the program, if possible I will definitely come back

100% recommended

This program offers incredible flexibility, and we truly appreciated the opportunity to not only teach a refugee but also to learn either Arabic or German in the process. It’s a unique and enriching experience that allows for personal growth while making a meaningful difference. I highly recommend committing to at least a couple of weeks to fully immerse yourself in the program. The staff members and fellow volunteers were all exceptionally friendly and supportive, fostering a welcoming and collaborative atmosphere. It’s a fantastic opportunity to connect with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures, broadening your understanding and perspective. While we were initially drawn to the program for the chance to help refugees, we thoroughly enjoyed our time here and are likely to return in the future. It’s a rewarding experience that we wholeheartedly recommend!

I would like to highly recommend the Excellence Center in Europe to anyone looking to teach English or learn more about the immigrant experience in Germany. The Center afforded me the opportunity to meet with and teach a diverse set of students that reside in Halle, but come from all over the world. Even with my limited teaching experience, the support offered by the center allowed for fun, engaging, and worthwhile classroom sessions for the students and myself. A definate highlight of my stay was the daily breakfast, which made the Excellence Center feel like a true family. I can't wait to come back for another 2 weeks.

I’ve had an absolutely incredible time at the Excellence Centre in Europe! Throughout my time in Halle, I’ve had so many incredible opportunities and such a huge variety of invaluable experiences. After initially enjoying the sociability of the shared accommodation, I have more recently had the opportunity to stay with a wonderful host family for my final two weeks, through which I think my spoken German has improved considerably! Combining German lessons with teaching English has also been incredibly rewarding, while also leaving me with lots of free time to explore, both locally and further afield (the public transport is excellent!!!). Weekend trips to Berlin and Dresden were particular highlights, and with Leipzig just a 20 minute train journey away, I’ve had lots of opportunities to explore the region’s various Christmas markets and football stadia! As a keen musician, it was also amazing to spend long enough here to persuade the organist of the Marktkirche (Market church) to entrust me with the key to Handel’s original organ- not a bad place to do some practice! Overall, I’ve had an absolutely fantastic time and am so grateful to Rafat, Muaz, Dusan, Enrico and everyone at the Excellence Centre for their warm welcome and incredible generosity, not to mention fantastic food both every morning at breakfast and in the evenings when we all gather to say goodbye to departing volunteers!

My experience has been absolutely amazing. I didn’t just learn a lot about Germany, but also about the experiences of refugees here, which gave me such an important perspective. Big thanks to Muaz—he’s an awesome teacher and mentor, and he really helped me improve my German.

Life in Halle was great. There’s so much to do, and the schedule gives you plenty of time to enjoy it all. Weekends are free, and I highly recommend traveling whenever you can—it’s encouraged and totally worth it!

One of the best parts was meeting so many new people and making great friends along the way. It’s such a unique experience to connect and bond with people from all over the world, and those relationships make the whole experience even more special.

The accommodation was comfortable overall, though it could be a bit better when it comes to space. That said, it was still a nice place to live.

Teaching English was a bit tricky at first since there wasn’t much guidance on how to go about it. It took me a little time to find my rhythm, but once I did, it became a really rewarding part of the experience.

All in all, this was an incredible journey, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking to grow, learn, and connect with amazing people.

My experience has been absolutely amazing. I didn’t just learn a lot about Germany, but also about the experiences of refugees here, which gave me such an important perspective. Big thanks to Muaz—he’s an awesome teacher and mentor, and he really helped me improve my German.

Life in Halle was great. There’s so much to do, and the schedule gives you plenty of time to enjoy it all. Weekends are free, and I highly recommend traveling whenever you can—it’s encouraged and totally worth it!

One of the best parts was meeting so many new people and making great friends along the way. It’s such a unique experience to connect and bond with people from all over the world, and those relationships make the whole experience even more special.

The accommodation was comfortable overall, though it could be a bit better when it comes to space. That said, it was still a nice place to live.

Teaching English was a bit tricky at first since there wasn’t much guidance on how to go about it. It took me a little time to find my rhythm, but once I did, it became a really rewarding part of the experience.

All in all, this was an incredible journey, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking to grow, learn, and connect with amazing people.

I had a fantastic time volunteering to learn German and teach English at the Excellence Centre in Europe (Halle, Germany).

Each weekday started with a delicious communal breakfast prepared by our hosts, creating the perfect setting to connect with fellow volunteers and staff. The breakfast was followed by a mix of teaching English, learning German, and plenty of free time to explore the charming city of Halle. The supportive community atmosphere at the Centre was balanced with a great deal of independence, allowing me to develop my own lessons and explore local culture.

German lessons with Muaz were a highlight — his engaging and clear teaching style is truly magical. On the other hand, teaching students at the centre was very rewarding. It was wonderful to build people-to-people connections and see people come out of their shells as their confidence in communicating in English increased.

The sense of camaraderie with my fellow volunteers was strong, especially during farewell meals and group outings. I also really appreciated that, as a solo female traveller, I felt not only safe but also supported and inspired by the other volunteers I stayed in the dorms with. Rafat has built something truly special here, and I would wholeheartedly recommend this program!