Volunteer with Refugees in Palestine: This program caters to undergraduate and graduate students, professionals, employees of human rights organizations, retirees, and anyone interested in engaging with the work concerning Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Palestine. Getting involved in refugee assistance presents an excellent opportunity for university students and recent graduates seeking to gain experience in the human rights field.
Through this project in the West Bank, volunteers can work with Palestinian children, women, and youths to enhance each other’s skills, create mutual understanding, engage in language exchange, and make a difference in each other’s lives.
The Volunteer with Refugees in Palestine program is open to individuals between the ages of 18 and 70. People from all countries and majors are welcome to join this program. There are no specific degree requirements. All that is required is a willingness to participate and help.
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Support Palestinian Refugee Camps
Palestinian refugees fall under the purview of the United Nations, with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency–more commonly referred to as the UNRWA–supporting 19 Palestinian refugee camps within the West Bank alone. Conditions in these camps, such as Al Fawwar or Al Arroub, are notoriously cramped and uncomfortable, lacking necessities, services, and infrastructure, including hospitals and enough schools to accommodate the camp populations adequately.
These Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank originally began as expansive tent cities; however, as time passed and it became clear a return would not happen anytime soon, stone structures gradually replaced tents, causing cramped, concrete quarters. Palestinian Refugee camps, therefore, have an exceptionally high population density where people often experience housing shortages and overcrowding.
About Displaced Peoples In Palestine
Many are surprised to learn that there are, in fact, Palestinian refugees within Palestine itself. The Palestinian diaspora is the largest group of displaced peoples globally, with approximately 7.1 million dispersed globally. This phenomenon finds its roots in two key years within the mid-20th century.
The first was in 1948, during the Nakba, when Palestinians fled from their homes to escape Israeli militias, and the second was in 1967, during the Six-Day War, which ended in Israel occupying the Syrian Golan Heights, the West Bank, Gaza, and the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula, while also illegal annexing Jerusalem. While Jordan and Egypt had administered the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, respectively, between the time of the Nakba and the Six-Day War, these territories both fell under Israeli control thereafter.
Over 700,000 Palestinians who fled during the Nakba from what was to become the new state of Israel to territories under Jordanian or Egyptian control thereafter became refugees, and their children to this day are still assigned refugee status. Palestinians also fled to other parts of the region, including Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan; however, the latter was the only country in the world to offer citizenship to the newly displaced refugees. Many eventually also migrated to other parts of the world, such as Europe and the Americas.
Stay Between 1 and 13 Weeks in Hebron
Volunteers with Palestinian refugees can stay in Hebron from 1-13 weeks. They can choose their preferred start and end dates. The Center hosts volunteers year-round (spring, summer, fall, and winter) for all individuals interested in working with Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, have an interest in political sciences, human rights, or the political situation of the Middle East, wish to pursue a career in teaching, or are simply looking for ways to give back to the community.
Volunteer with Palestinian Refugee Children
This volunteer program is specifically geared towards helping and supporting children in both an educational and vocational capacity, giving them practical life skills and helping them in their academic progress.
Volunteers in this program will have opportunities to work with refugee children in local schools and Palestinian community centers within refugee camps. Workshops run by previous volunteers have included:
- Drama for Palestinian refugees
- Fun days for Palestinian kids in the refugee camps
- Conversational English language for Palestinian kids
- Arts and music for disabled Palestinian children
- Media training for Palestinian school students
- Environmental camps for young school students
- Mathematics lessons
- Journalism workshops for high school students
- Medicine (First Aid Courses)
In addition to these courses, volunteers will have opportunities to work with children in the local refugee camps. These children often suffer from a lack of schooling and educational support and crave fun and exciting projects in which they can immerse themselves and build their self-esteem.
Volunteer with Palestinian Refugees in the Summer
While we operate our Palestinian Refugees Program year-round (Summer, Winter, Fall, and Spring), we also have summer volunteer programs specifically designed for students seeking opportunities to go abroad while gaining university credit.
Through a partnership with the Palestinian Ministry of Education, the Excellence Center in Palestine can offer academic credit to our currently enrolled university students. This makes for the perfect opportunity to travel to Palestine/Israel during the summer, gain hands-on experience in a related field, and work towards your degree simultaneously.
Our Programs Make a Great Impact
Our Volunteer and Internship programs in the West Bank, Palestine, have been meticulously researched and precisely tailored and are a perfect fit for anyone seeking profound insights into daily Palestinian life, the rich Palestinian culture, the Levantine Arabic language, legal affairs, and human rights. We aim to effect lasting change within the Palestinian local community by fostering the exchange of ideas and promoting “walking in each other’s shoes.”
Volunteering and interning in Palestine represents an exceptional opportunity to genuinely transform your life and the lives of others, including Palestinian children, women, refugees, youth, and community members in the West Bank, Palestine. Your contributions can make a meaningful and lasting impact on the lives of Palestinians you engage with during your time at Engage in Palestine.
Arabic Lessons for All Our Volunteers
All our international volunteers in Palestine receive 3 hours of Arabic classes a week or 12 hours a month from one of our experienced Palestinian teachers.
In addition, all volunteers will have multiple chances to meet many people in Palestine to learn and practice their Arabic speaking skills. Volunteers at the Excellence Center in Palestine can choose what kind of Arabic they want to learn.
Arabic Dialects to Study
All volunteers at our base in Hebron will receive a choice of Arabic dialects to learn during their time in the West Bank. As part of your volunteer placement, we offer a choice of:
- Shami or Levantine Arabic (Amiyya dialect)
- Colloquial Palestinian Arabic
- Modern Standard Arabic (MSA)
- a mixed Program (Modern Standard Arabic & Shami Arabic)
- We can help you choose which Arabic dialect to study if you are unsure.
Where Is The Palestinian Refugees Program Held?
The Palestinian Refugees Program takes place in the city of Hebron, located 30 km south of Jerusalem. Activities will be hosted at the Excellence Center in Palestine building and the Community Development Activities Center in the Al Fawwar Palestinian refugee camp, situated south of Hebron.
Who Can Participate?
The Excellence Center in Palestine does not discriminate based on any basis, including a person’s nationality, ethnicity, religious standing, gender, sexual orientation, or any other discernable means. The EC has a long history of welcoming people from around the globe.
Participants have visited the Palestinian the Excellence Center in Palestine from the following countries: The United Kingdom, the United States of America, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Canada, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Brazil, Mexico, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Australia, Japan, South Africa, Singapore, South Korea, Ireland, China, and New Zealand! All people with a passion for helping refugees are welcome!
The Excellence Center in Palestine has over 13 years of experience welcoming international volunteers. Since opening in 2011, we have welcomed many applicants to participate in our volunteer work with the Palestinian Refugee Program. These include:
- University students who wish to have experience in the Palestine and Israel area
- Gap Year Students
- Older or retired people seeking adventure
- People who are interested in studying and practicing Arabic
- Participants who would like to know more about Israel/Palestine and the political and humanitarian situation there
- College Students who wish to write articles or conduct research in Palestine
- People who are interested to spend a short time in a community and family setting
- Everyone willing to help Palestinians and make a difference in the area
One thing all our volunteers share is an open mind and a willingness to learn and engage with the Palestinian culture and customs. They arrive smiling, and we do our best to ensure that they are still smiling when they leave, returning home with fond memories.
Stay with a Palestinian Host Family
When residing in Hebron, Palestine, volunteers can live in a dorm or with a Palestinian host family – there are advantages to both cases. For those who reside in a dorm, there is extra time to become acquainted with the other participants and volunteers of the Excellence Center in Palestine. Further, the dorms are located next to Hebron’s metropolitan Center, providing ample opportunity to explore the City of Hebron with fellow dormmates, which offers many new and exciting experiences!
The second option available to participants is to stay with a Palestinian host family. This option provides a firsthand view of Palestinian life, customs, and culture. In addition, residing with a Palestinian host family provides ample opportunities to become acquainted with Palestinian home cuisine and family structures. Further, participants residing with a Palestinian host family will likely be invited to family gatherings and cultural events, guaranteeing a cultural immersive experience!
Interacting with Palestinian Culture
Volunteers in Hebron, West Bank, will find that most Palestinians are incredibly friendly and open to foreigners. When participants utilize their Arabic skills, no matter how developed, they will find that most Palestinians are enthusiastic and patient communicators—eager that people have taken an interest in their language and culture.
In addition, Palestine is located in the heart of the Levant (the area associated with the eastern Mediterranean), providing ample opportunity to visit cultural sights, historical monuments, and other landmarks! Although Palestine faces difficult circumstances, participants will find that the Palestinian people are friendly and open—and that Hebron itself is a safe place to learn, intern, and volunteer!
Daily/Weekly Schedule for Volunteers
Volunteering with Palestinian refugees through the Excellence Center in Palestine requires commitment and flexibility. Volunteers are expected to work approximately 30 hours a week between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (Saturday – Thursday). They will have two days off per week: one mandatory day off, Friday, and another of their choice.
Breakfast will be provided every workday morning at the Center. It will be made from diverse food groups and prepare volunteers for the workday ahead. In addition, breakfast will be shared between all the Center’s staff, volunteers, and interns; this is designed to create stronger communal bonds throughout the Center and chat with all participants regarding their experiences and ambitions for the coming day.
The Center will also run weekly excursion trips around Hebron and neighboring cities, connecting volunteers with local activists and organizations. Evenings are usually free, allowing volunteers to explore the city of Hebron, its many restaurants, shops, and historical sights.
In addition to their daily work-related tasks, volunteers will have their Arabic language courses, which will require much study and preparation. Participants’ schedules fill up quickly, and their time in the program will go by quickly. However, volunteers are here to complete a mission; all their work will be done towards that goal.
Traveling to Hebron, Palestine
Traveling to Hebron, Palestine, will be a long journey. However, many feasible options are available to international volunteers – and the Excellence Center in Palestine is happy to assist. Although there are some hoops when traveling to Hebron, the Excellence Center in Palestine has all the resources you need to travel efficiently, safely, and practically. Please read our articles below on flying to Palestine, getting to Hebron, planning your trip, and Israeli/Palestinian taxi services.
- How to fly to Palestine
- How to get to Hebron, Palestine
- Planning your trip to Palestine
- How to get from the Ben Gurion Airport (Israel) to Hebron
Language of the Program
All of our volunteer programs are geared toward English speakers. However, for the sake of immersion, less English will be spoken in higher levels of Arabic lessons. When navigating through Palestine, participants will be required to utilize their Arabic skills to the best of their ability to create a fully immersive experience.
General Information Regarding Program Costs and Components:
| Place of Program | Hebron, West Bank, Palestine |
| Program Fees (Per Week) | 250 Euros per Week (for short-term programs) (See Prices Here) |
| Area of volunteering | Volunteer with Palestinian children Volunteer with Refugees in Palestine Work in Palestinian refugee camp |
| Suitable for | Students of Middle Eastern studies Arabic studies Political sciences Human aid workers Anyone who is interested in the human rights situation in the West Bank |
| Age | 18-70 Years Old |
| Minimum Duration | 1 Week |
| Maximum Duration | 12 Weeks |
| Weekly Arabic hours | 3 hours per week |
| One Teaching Hour | 45 Minutes |
| Number of Volunteers | Variable (3-5 Volunteers) |
| Class periods | Morning (9:30 – 12:30) Afternoon (12:30 – 17:00) |
| Starting/Ending Dates | Flexible – Anytime |
| Application Deadline | No Deadline |
| Program Reviews | Reviews and Ratings on Gooverseas Reviews and Ratings on Goabroad Video testimonials |
| University Credit | Available |
| Program Language | English |
Program Reviews
The Excellence Center in Palestine has been honored with several prestigious Community Awards and recognized as the Best Language School and Top Volunteer and Internship Program Provider for 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023. For more details, please visit our profiles on GoOverseas.com and GoAbroad.com.
Check out our many excellent reviews here:
- +850 reviews (94%) on gooverseas.com
- +170 reviews (96%) on goabroad.com
- Video testimonials
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Volunteer with Refugees in Palestine program provides a unique opportunity for individuals to immerse themselves in Palestinian culture, support refugee communities, and gain hands-on experience in human rights and community development. By participating in educational activities, workshops, and cultural exchange, volunteers contribute to enhancing the lives of Palestinian children, women, and youths while fostering mutual understanding and learning.
Open to people of all ages and backgrounds, the program welcomes anyone with a passion for making a difference, offering flexible durations and a supportive environment to engage meaningfully with the community. Through this program, participants develop valuable skills and insights and create lasting connections with the people of Hebron and the West Bank.
Whether staying with a host family, learning Arabic, or exploring the region’s rich history, volunteers leave with unforgettable memories and the satisfaction of knowing they’ve contributed to a greater cause. This transformative experience is a call to action for those who want to support Palestinian refugees and promote positive change on a global scale.
How to Apply
If you are interested in our volunteer opportunities in Palestine, please email us at Rafat@excellencenter.org. We should respond to your initial inquiry within 1 – 2 business days.
In the subject line of your email, indicate “Volunteer with Refugees in Palestine.” We will attach an application form to your reply, which you will fill out and return to us to begin onboarding.
