It’s well documented that here at the Excellence Center classes are given to all ages and abilities of pupils, that there are no barriers to learning, and that the students here come from all corners of the world.

However, it is also very important to note that this works both ways as well with the volunteers. The team is incredibly international, and various languages can be heard bouncing off the walls of the office but more importantly, the Center has a family feel to it, people of all ages come to help and teach in Halle.

The Centre and the Volunteers

Of course, for some potential volunteers, a question that may be bubbling around their heads is “Am I too old to volunteer?”. This is perfectly understandable, perhaps it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that a stereotype exists for volunteering abroad in which it’s mainly completed by students on gap years or breaks from university.

The Excellence Center, on the other hand, does not abide but that assumption. Many of our volunteers are aged 40+ and play an important role in the team and the culture of the language school. The support and maturity that they can offer compared to other volunteers is very important before even considering the impact in the classrooms.

Volunteering and the Real World

When teaching in the Excellence Center or especially meeting refugees in and around the opportunities that the Center gives experience is key. The families are comprised of multiple generations and the ability to empathise with the older members of the family can only be seen as a positive heading into the Centre.

Although the Language School does have a family feel to it, it ultimately is run professionally and efficiently. Any experience with office and business culture is seen as valuable and the skills used in any professional capacity can be easily transferred within the Centre.

The Center’s Group

One of the integral aspects of the experience of volunteering in a group in Halle is sharing stories about home with other members of the team. To come in from a different perspective and to be able to present ideas from another point of view would be not only useful when tackling problems and creating solutions, but would be interesting for the other members of the team.

Diversity within the group is very important for ensuring that classes can be engaging and applicable for people who may not be from the same cultural background as the teachers.

Overall, the Center benefits greatly from having volunteers from all backgrounds and ages. Experience can only help us and gaining insight from a different perspective on problems can prove to be vital. We look forward to hearing from you and of course if you still have any doubts you can get in touch to discuss any questions about volunteering.