The first week of staying in Halle

Activities at the Excellence center vary from week to week. Nonetheless here is an idea of what to expect from your first week of volunteering or interning in Halle.

The people of the Excellence Center

The Excellence Center runs off an ethos that the people who work or study here are its foundations, so it is a very social place. Upon arriving, you will meet the permanent staff and founders of the Center.

In time you shall meet all international volunteers, and friends of the center including students, refugees, and other locals to Halle. As the week goes on, you will find yourself meeting more and more people.

Host family

Meeting your host family the day that you arrive in Halle is exciting. It is settling to find out where you are going to stay and being able to unpack your bags.

The first few days of sharing stories and asking questions really helps you to bond with the family and learn a lot about these people, their culture and life.

Work

When you arrive to work at the Excellence Center, you will be shown the weekly schedule from Monday to Friday including your work or study timetable as well as extra activities that the center is carrying out.

This is useful so that you are sure of what you are doing, and so you can plan for when you have time for any of your independent activities like exploring Halle.

Different types of work

Depending on the type of work, volunteering, studying or interning that you are completing at the Excellence Center, your average day will vary. Any resources that you might need for your work in Halle will be provided to you.

Whatever your role, you will be in contact with a variety of people here at the Center. The center works hard to ensure that you are comfortable in your role and are sure of what you are doing for the first week.

Tour of Halle

The Excellence Center sees a lot of value in showing visitors around the city on a tour so that you can gain your bearings and some insight into what Halle has to offer. For more information on the tour, see the article “Tour of Halle”.

Activities at the center

In your first week at the center you will come across a range of the activities which the center carries out. This includes cultural exchanges, lessons of German, English and Arabic, holiday camps, organised trips to uplift refugees, social events and more.

Events in Halle

Outside work, there is more fun to engage in. This may be a visit to the biggest city in East Germany Leipzig, going to a shisha bar or the opera house, trying out Halle’s cuisine or a picnic in the sun.