The Volunteer in Technology Program in Palestine provides a unique opportunity to share your computer and technical knowledge with Palestinian children, refugees, students, and community members in Hebron, West Bank, Palestine while also immersing yourself in Palestinian culture and life. As technology increasingly shapes our world, this program allows volunteers to share their knowledge in computing, coding, programming, editing, and any other area of technological proficiency.

The program is available to anyone over 18 years old and does not require any special qualifications, making it an open opportunity for anyone interested in traveling to the Israel/Palestine region and learning Arabic while living with Palestinians and immersing themselves in the culture. The flexible and open-ended nature of this project allows volunteers to come to the West Bank year-round.

In addition to personal development and cultural exchange, volunteers have the opportunity to create lesson plans and execute seminars and computer science workshops, contributing to the academic development of Palestinian students and helping them learn important life and soft skills for their education and future careers. This program also allows volunteers to contribute to a subject area that will become increasingly influential in all our lives in the future.

The Volunteer Technology Program in Palestine welcomes individuals between the ages of 18 and 75 from all nationalities. No degree is required to participate in this program, making it accessible to everyone who has an interest in technology and wishes to share their knowledge with Palestinian children, refugees, students, and community members in Hebron.

Summer Volunteer Programs

Are you passionate about technology and eager to share your knowledge and skills with others? The Excellence Center in Palestine invites you to join our Summer Program Volunteer in a Technology Program! As a volunteer, you will have the opportunity to work with Palestinian youth and teach them various aspects of technology, such as coding, web design, and app development.

Our summer volunteer program in the West Bank, Palestine offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in Palestinian culture and connect with local communities while making a positive impact through education. You will have the chance to explore the vibrant city of Hebron, meet locals, and gain a deeper understanding of the region’s history and politics.

Eligibility for the Program

By volunteering in our Technology Program in Palestine located in Hebron, West Bank, participants can make a positive impact on their own lives as well as the lives of Palestinian children, youth, refugees, and community members. We welcome all individuals who are passionate about technology and meet the following criteria:

What you need:

• 18+ years of age
• Ability to communicate in English
• Eagerness to learn also from the people you will meet in Palestine
• Have skills or experience in information technology or digital media 

What you don’t need:

• Ability to speak Arabic
• Travel experience
• Teaching experience or educational degree
• To be a native English speaker
• A degree

Brief information about the program

Our Technology Program in Hebron, West Bank, Palestine provides an opportunity for volunteers to share their expertise in information technology, computer science, and digital media with Palestinian students. Through this program, volunteers will also gain insights into how the technology industry operates in the West Bank, Palestine. Volunteers can organize computer and technology courses in areas such as coding and social media, and share their knowledge with their Palestinian students.

Types of Activities run by Volunteers of the Program

Beyond the general remit of utilising your technological expertise to help the local community around Hebron, volunteers of the program will have large degrees of flexibility to how they wish to shape and personalise the course. During your stay in Hebron, you can choose among a vast range of activities to develop in your own syllabus, such as:

• Lectures on some of the following topics:
  • Introduction to computer science
  • The technology industry in your country
  • The technology industry in Palestine
  • Different kinds of Computer Licences across the world
  • The importance of study abroad
  • Social Media usage
• Training and workshops:
  • Web design (HTML, CSS, Javascript, MYSQL and related editors)
  • C, C++, Java and similar
• Joint classes with the Art project:
  • Video editing
  • Photo editing
  • Web design
• Visit to a technology workplace in Palestine
• Talking to businessmen, computer science teachers and students
• Meet with Palestinian university students who are studying technology
• Other activities (We strongly welcome your suggestions)

When you arrive at the Center in Hebron, Palestine

Before deciding a schedule, volunteers will be welcomed to the Center and will be given an orientation about Hebron and Palestinian culture, including both written and spoken Palestinian Arabic classes and an introduction to Palestinian culture.

In order for you to be as involved as possible with  Palestinian community and culture,  the Center will provide you with accommodation with a Palestinian host family who will help you in your acclimitisation and with any issues that might arise.  Male volunteers may instead stay at the Excellence Center dorm.

After the introductory week, you will get to decide what kind of activities you wish to develop and present to your students.  These will be based on your individual knowledge and topic interest, your field of specialty, and your level of experience and skills in the subject of Technology. We are very flexible and you will be free to choose which activities to introduce and implement in your own syllabus and schedule.

Benefits of the volunteer in Palestine

Participants of the Volunteer in Technology and Computer Science Program in Hebron, West Bank, Palestine will receive the following benefits:

• 12 hours of conversational Palestinian Arabic lessons per month, with the option to study MSA, Fusha, or colloquial Arabic.

• Accommodation with a Palestinian host family or in a shared flat.

• Breakfast with other participants six times a week.

• Support throughout their stay in Palestine.

• Visits to various sites in Hebron, including refugee camps, the old city, and different factories.

• An understanding of Palestinian politics and an experience of the occupation of the West Bank.

• Exposure to human rights situations and the opportunity to help Palestinian refugees.

• Engagement in educational, community, and social activities.

• Hospitality from Palestinians and pleasant weather.

• An opportunity to live and gain impressions from one of the most politically divisive and ambivalent regions of the Middle East.

• A chance to visit unique tourist attractions with a native perspective, including Bethlehem, Ramallah, Nablus, Hebron, Tulkarm, Qalqilyah, Jenin, and the Dead Sea in Jericho.

• The option to visit nearby cities such as Akko, Herzliya, Beersheva, Eilat, Tiberias, Netanya, Safed, Haifa, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Masada, Amman, Aqaba, Wadi Rum, and Nazareth.

• Well-qualified and attentive Arabic teachers ready to help.

• A certificate of completion provided by the Excellence Center.

A typical day at the Excellence Center

• Your work commitment will be approximately 30 hours each week between the hours 9 am until 5 pm, Saturday to Thursday, with two days off –  Friday and another day of your choice.

• Normally, international volunteers start the day with a breakfast at the Excellence Center together with teachers, volunteers from other programs and directors.  You will also have the opportunity to go on sightseeing trips in Hebron coordinated by the Excellence Center.  You will generally have your evenings free, although the Center will organize occasional optional activities as well.

• In conclusion, we would like to recruit more volunteers who have a technology background to support the skill-set of Palestinian youth in a technology-dependent world.  The volunteers will benefit greatly from this experience. It is an opportunity for self-development through teaching, creating workshops and experiencing the welcoming Palestinian culture, whilst also improving their language skills through Arabic.

Other Volunteering Opportunities Available

In addition to our Volunteer in Technology Program, the Excellence Center offers a variety of volunteer opportunities and programs in Hebron, West Bank, Palestine. These opportunities showcase the range of volunteering experiences available at our center and include:

Participants in the Computer Technology Program have the opportunity to combine their volunteering experience with other programs at the Excellence Center, Hebron, West Bank, Palestine. For example, participants can volunteer for two weeks in the Computer Technology Program and then volunteer for a week in the Journalism and Media Program to gain a broader range of experience.

Summary of the Volunteer Program

Program fees

The Excellence Center charges a program fee of 750€ per month or 250€ per week to cover various expenses related to the program, including pre-departure support, accommodation, breakfast, full coordination during the volunteering period in Palestine, 3 hours of Arabic lessons per week for each week of volunteering, and visits to different sites in the city of Hebron.

When it takes place

The Excellence Center welcomes international volunteers year-round for the Technology Program in Palestine. Participants can choose their preferred start date and duration, with flexibility for stays ranging from 1-13 weeks in the city of Hebron, West Bank. The Excellence Center will work with volunteers to arrange their schedule and accommodation.

Awards And Recognitions 

We continue to strive towards “excellence”: In 2022 we were rated one of the top three programs worldwide in offering volunteer opportunities and one of the top three language schools worldwide by Go Overseas. We received a total of five Go Overseas Community Choice Awards in 2022. The Excellence Center was  also recognized as one of the top Teach Abroad Providers for the category of “benefits” and one of the Top Internship Abroad Providers for the categories of “growth” and “support”. 

In 2021, we were also rated one of the top three programs worldwide in offering volunteer opportunities. We received the community choice awards by Go Overseas in the categories “Best Language School”, and voted best on “fun” and “instruction.” 

In 2019, we received our first “Go Overseas Community Choice Awards” to acknowledge the Excellence Center’s impact on the community of travelers around the world. The Excellence Center continues to be a highly rated travel organization across its selection of programs. Check out our many great reviews here:

• 560+ Reviews (96%) on Gooverseas.com
• 120+ Reviews (94%) on Goabroad.com
• Participants’ video testimonials

Safety Of Our Volunteers And Interns

The region of Palestine is perpetually unstable. While there is always unrest and war, the situation sometimes becomes more volatile. Nonetheless, each year millions of tourists visit Palestine and the West Bank, including Hebron, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jenin, Tulkarem, Nablus and many other cities without any safety issues. Palestinians in general are a welcoming and hospitable people and they recognize the politics of a country may differ from its people.  

Since its formation in 2011, the Excellence Center has welcomed over 1,000 international visitors. These visitors have lived and worked in Hebron for weeks or months at a time and overall they never faced any threats or safety issues while in Hebron or the West Bank in general.

Moreover, the Excellence Centre is situated in an area of Hebron which is under the Palestinian authority and in the heart of the city. Our Palestinian host families and the male dorms are located near the Excellence Center as well.

Do I Need A Visa To Volunteer In The West Bank, Palestine?

Most of the Excellence Center’s participants in the Volunteer with Palestinian Children and Youth in Local School Program receive a tourist visa for three months (90 days) when they fly into Israeli airports or cross the checkpoint from Jordan to the West Bank. This tourist visa is sufficient to participate in any of our programs. 

In general, no prior visa is needed for Americans, Canadians, Britons, Australians and most Europeans in order to enter Palestine (and Israel), as these interns usually qualify for the visa exemption agreement. When you arrive at the Israeli Airports in Tel Aviv or Eilat or the land border, you will be granted a tourist visa that is valid for 90 days which allows you to travel in Palestine and Israel.

Traveling To Hebron, Palestine 

The Excellence Center has all the resources you need to answer your questions about how to travel in an efficient, safe and practical manner. Please read our articles below for guidance:

• How to travel to Palestine
• How to get to Hebron, Palestine
• Planning your trip to Palestine
• How to get from the Ben Gurion Airport (Israel) to Hebron

Tel Aviv Airport Pickups

The Excellence Center staff can organize a taxi to pick you up at Ben Gurion Airport and take you straight to Hebron and the Center. This is the easiest and fastest way (about an hour, 60 km/37 miles) to get to us.

Additional fees apply and the trip costs about 160 Euro. Please contact us if you are interested in this option and we can arrange it for you.

How to Fly to Palestine?

The easiest way to get to the Excellence Center is to fly to:

• Ben Gurion, Tel Aviv Airport in Israel. It takes about two and a half hours from the airport to the Excellence Center via shared taxi.

Alternatively:

• Flying to Eilat airport in the south of Israel and then traveling by shuttle or by taking a bus to Jerusalem and then to Hebron. However, the duration of the trip can last between six and seven hours.

• Flying to Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan and then crossing the border to Palestine. However, this takes more time and is more expensive.

Pre-departure Support

The Excellence Center in Palestine is pleased to offer comprehensive support to volunteers who wish to join us. Our team will be available to communicate with you via WhatsApp, provide invitation letters, furnish travel instructions, and offer advice on a range of topics related to your travels.

We aim to ensure that you feel comfortable and confident in volunteering with us, and we are committed to providing you with the support and guidance you need every step of the way.

Summary

The Volunteer in Technology Program in Palestine offered by the Excellence Center provides an opportunity for individuals to make a positive difference in the lives of Palestinian children, youth, refugees and community members through sharing their knowledge and skills in the field of information technology, computer science, and digital media. Participants will receive Arabic language lessons, accommodation with a Palestinian host family or in a shared flat, and support during their time in Palestine.

They will also have the opportunity to visit various sites in the city of Hebron and nearby cities, gain an understanding of Palestinian politics and experience the occupation of the West Bank, engage in educational, community and social activities, and receive a certificate upon completion of the program. Those interested in applying can contact the Excellence Center for an application and additional information.

How to Apply

Here are the steps to apply for the Volunteer in Technology Program in Palestine:

1. Email co-founder Rafat Shantir at Rafat@excellencenter.org and request an application for the “Volunteer in Technology Program in Palestine”.

1. Once you receive the application, fill it out and send it back to us.

1. If you have any questions or need more information about the program, don’t hesitate to contact us via email, WhatsApp or phone: +972 599-479880.

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