Volunteers’ Daily Life in Palestine: Volunteer in Palestine volunteers play a vital role in our mission to contribute to the development of the local community by nurturing well-trained, professional graduates through a program of high-quality, free or inexpensive English language training and other activities.
The Volunteer in Palestine’s programs offers internationals the opportunity to develop teaching experience and skills in administration, writing, and editing.
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An immersive experience of internationals in Palestinian daily life
Also crucial to the program is the immersive experience of internationals in Palestinian daily life and culture through societal interaction, including travel within the local region and throughout the country. Applications for the center’s Volunteering Program in Palestine are accepted throughout the year, and participants can choose to work with the center for a period of (1-12) weeks.
Accommodation for international participants
All Volunteer in Palestine accommodations for internationals are located within walking distance from the center or no more than an inexpensive taxi ride. Female volunteers and men (subject to availability) are offered the opportunity to live with local host families. Most other male volunteers are housed in local Volunteer in Palestine accomodation. Volunteers between eighteen and seventy-five from various academic backgrounds and around the globe are encouraged to apply to volunteer with the center.
Candidates are assessed through an online questionnaire and, subsequently, an interview with the center director, which typically lasts fifteen or twenty minutes. Academic training is not a volunteer’s most important asset, and although teaching experience or qualification is preferable, it is certainly not required.
How do we select volunteers in Palestine?
Volunteers in Palestine are selected based on their suitability for the center and the program. In addition to a good command of the English language, volunteers should display a welcoming, friendly manner, a positive mindset, and an eagerness to learn.
Volunteers selected for the program assist Palestinian teachers with several conversational English classes per week for students studying at all levels, from Beginner to Advanced.
The center provides volunteers with a manual teaching guide.
In addition to providing practical training from staff, the Volunteer in Palestine provides volunteers with a manual teaching guide and other teaching resources, including textbooks. Volunteers develop valuable teaching experience as class assistants by helping staff design course outlines, participating in classroom discussions or debates, and leading groups during activities.
In contrast to the more traditional English teaching provided by local educational establishments, Volunteer in Palestine teaching is focused on enhancing the students’ proficiency and confidence in conversational English.
Interactive English lessons
Lessons are not textbook-based, and existing lesson plans are amended for individual groups on a lesson-by-lesson basis. Activities, games, and genuine resources such as YouTube videos, music, and newspaper articles are employed to engage and enjoy the learning process.
Students might learn the names of ingredients through cooking and outside food demonstrations/ discussions in class. In addition, the names of various occupations can be studied through class discussions and games.
Community development activities
In addition to teaching conducted inside the center, all volunteers frequently participate in teaching and community development activities organized by the center with local schools and educational establishments. Volunteers assist staff members and interns to lead English conversational classes, sports & games, and employability skills workshops in English for advanced university students.
However, activities may change according to the requirements of our partners and the particular specializations of staff members. Volunteer in Palestine volunteers are invited to suggest any lectures, events, or workshops they wish to conduct with locals, according to their skills and knowledge. Volunteers have conducted seminars and lessons in subjects including romance languages, music, painting, poetry, and photography, to name a few.
Most community development activities and English teaching classes occur in the afternoons. For this reason, volunteers usually receive three hours of Arabic instruction per week over two morning classes of 1.5-hour periods each.
Arabic courses for volunteers
Although the majority of volunteers in Palestine choose to learn dialect with our native-speaking staff to develop their abilities to communicate with locals, interns can also elect to study Fusha (MSA, Modern Standard Arabic).
Lesson schedules are relatively flexible and can be adapted to individuals’ needs and by their day off per week, which (in addition to Fridays when the center is closed according to custom) is scheduled on a week-to-week basis.
Social life
Social life is vital to a volunteer’s experience at the Volunteer in Palestine, and the center ensures that both international and staff members feel welcome. The community at the center begins in the Kitchen. The kitchen is where the working day starts, with a traditional Palestinian breakfast prepared by staff for local and international employees.
A chat over falafel, hummus, Baba ganoush, cake, and flatbread is a great way to start the day and a good opportunity to get to know everyone working with the center. In addition to occasional lunches prepared by staff members, Thursday evenings are reserved for organizing and sharing a traditional Palestinian meal prepared in the center kitchen or barbecue on the roof.
Visits to historical and cultural sites in Hebron
Volunteer in Palestine life also extends beyond the center and the working day week, with trips to local historical and cultural sites during the week and, on Fridays, visits to locations further from Hebron. Hiking in the Bethlehem village of Battir, visiting Al-Shahada Street, or going to local handicraft workshops are all meaningful opportunities to get to know Palestinian culture and history from its knowledgeable residents.
Host families activities
In addition to trips organized by the center as a whole, members of staff and host families often invite volunteers to family gatherings and other occasions such as weddings. These are unique opportunities for interns to understand local culture, enjoy Palestinian hospitality, and develop friendships with residents.
Daily, local Hebron coffee bars, pastry shops, and falafel cafes are good places for internationals to meet new people, while shopping in the lively Old City is a tremendous local excursion with friends.
Gym in Hebron?
Many internationals also frequent the local gym in Hebron while working at the center. Though not segregated, it is reserved for men in the evenings and women during the day. The gym is just a few minutes walk from the center, and the inexpensive sessions can be booked individually.
With their wealth and diversity of experience and knowledge, volunteers represent a valuable resource to the Volunteer in Palestine, both for local Palestinians and the Center staff.
Final Remarks
In addition to teaching and other administrative responsibilities, volunteers are asked to contribute one article daily to the center’s website. The center is proud to offer volunteers with the program a unique opportunity to utilize their previous experience and develop new skills, all while contributing to local lives and advancing a fruitful discourse between Palestine and the international community.
Contact Us
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at:
WhatsApp:+972 599 479 880
Website: https://volunteerinpalestine.org/
Website: https://excellencenter.org/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/excellence.center
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ExcellenceCenter
