The Community Development Program offered by Engage in Palestine provides a distinctive chance to immerse yourself in the Palestinian community through meaningful volunteer work with local organizations. This program is designed for individuals who are passionate about making a positive impact by supporting Palestinian children, youth, and refugees in camps. You will have the opportunity to engage directly with community members in and around Hebron, West Bank, contributing to various development projects and initiatives.

If you’re eager to be part of a transformative experience that not only benefits those in need but also enriches your understanding of Palestinian culture and society, this program is ideal for you. By joining, you’ll help foster growth and development within a vibrant and resilient community, creating lasting connections and making a significant difference in the lives of many.

Empower Community Members 

Through this program, you can assist in empowering community members to develop themselves personally, professionally, and economically. Volunteers can make a real difference in many ways for Palestinian people: children, people with disabilities, orphans, Palestinian refugees, school and university students, and the wider community.

Personal Development Opportunities

At the same time, volunteers gain additional valuable experience in their personal development: running seminars, giving lectures, offering employment advice, and building interpersonal relationships in the local Palestinian community. As a volunteer, you will be immersed in Palestinian culture while meeting new people from Palestine and abroad, studying Arabic, and making a real difference in the lives of people.

Who Is This Program Most Suitable For?

We welcome anyone to our Community Development Program who has either a strong interest or competence in economic development, self-development, leadership, communications, or related fields. This volunteer and internship program in Palestine is open to university students postgraduates with degrees in economics, international relations, or political science, professionals, retirees, and anyone in between. We also welcome anyone with relevant work experience who would like to share their knowledge in the field by carrying out their customized activities.

What Is Community Development?

Your Community Development program is based at the Engage in Palestine’s facilities in Hebron in the West Bank, Palestine. Your volunteering will include planning and executing educational lessons, workshops, programs, and activities that are aimed at teaching our Palestinian youth about community and economic development in and around the city of Hebron. Participants must engage particularly with the local youth, to improve their self-confidence and discuss career and job opportunities with them. You will be encouraged to work with the local Palestinian youth to enhance their prospects for employability and find their career path, education, or guidance on how to start a business.

Past Activities And Projects

Below are some ideas of projects you can run and activities that you can take part in during your time in the Community Development Program with Engage in Palestine:

• Classes on personal and professional development
• Working or studying in an international environment
• Employability skills (How to write a resume, how to conduct yourself in a job interview, how to write business, formal emails, etc.)
• How to start up a successful small business
• Communication skills
• How to be successful in your community
• Leadership and problem-solving
• The job market in Palestine
• The benefits of studying abroad for a job prospect
• Meet with and learn from other programs in Hebron and gauge their effectiveness (such as the UN, USAID, and other NGOs)
• Attend cultural nights featuring entertainment and activities
• Other activities- we welcome your suggestions!

Your Impact

Our Community Development Program in Hebron, West Bank is well-researched, targeted, and suitable for anyone who wants to gain insights into daily Palestinian life, education, human rights, and community development. With all our programs, we aim to make a long-term difference for the Palestinian local community through the exchange of ideas and “walking in each other’s shoes”. Our programs foster shared and mutual learning, for both our community and our volunteers and interns. 

Even when you are teaching or facilitating an activity such as a workshop, you are sure to learn from your students as much as they learn from you. During this program, you will have the opportunity to share valuable knowledge and skills with members of the community to help them develop themselves personally, professionally, and economically. Volunteering and interning is a unique opportunity to genuinely make an impact on your life as well as others including Palestinian children, refugees, youth, and community members in the West Bank, Palestine.

A Unique Cultural Exchange Opportunity

To effectively work for Community Development, one must first learn about the culture and life of the people living there. Engage in Palestine provides an immersive, educational opportunity for cross-cultural learning through multiple strategies. In addition to being immersed in Palestinian culture and daily life in Hebron, participants will take Arabic classes, stay with a host family, and have plenty of free time to travel to different cities such as Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Nablus, Jenin, Bethlehem, and Jericho. Traveling between Palestine and Israel is easy and inexpensive for internationals, the program includes free time to discover the area and the local community.

Arabic Classes

As part of this unique cultural exchange opportunity, you will have the opportunity to learn or improve your Arabic. During the program, each participant receives 3 hours of Arabic classes per week (12 hours per month). There will also be ample opportunities to learn and practice Arabic with locals in the wider community, both in your project and in your free time. Your Arabic lessons will be taught by an experienced and knowledgeable Palestinian teacher, either one-on-one or in small groups. Whether you have studied Arabic before or this is your first time, we make our Arabic lessons suitable for you and your level.

Volunteers can freely choose what form of Arabic they would like to learn during their time in Palestine, such as:

• Fusha/ Modern Standard Arabic (MSA)
• Shami/Levantine Arabic
• Colloquial Palestinian Arabic  (Amiyya)
• A Mixed Program

We are always here to offer advice if you are unsure about the differences between these dialects or which one is right for you.

Staying With A Host Family

Engage in Palestine aims to achieve social discourse through cultural immersion. The center provides mandatory homestays in Hebron for female participants, while male participants are welcome to apply for host families, but are subject to the number of available spaces. In the event no spaces are left, males can stay in social dorm rooms with other male volunteers, participants, and interns. Private rooms can also be arranged, although these naturally come with an additional fee, and come with seclusion that prevents a fully immersive experience.

A Day In The Life

Your day generally begins at 10 am and finishes at approximately 5 pm. Your expected commitment hours are around 25-30 per week, and you will have two days free each week – Friday and a second day of your choice. 

Every day begins with a breakfast at our center at 10 am (except Fridays), shared with teachers, directors, and volunteers from other programs. Breakfast gives you the chance to not only try traditional Palestinian food such as hummus and labneh but to socialize and practice your Arabic if you wish. You can take a break for lunch whenever you have time in your schedule, and it is easy to find supermarkets, cafes, restaurants, falafel, and shawarma nearby for your lunch. 

Once You Arrive In Hebron, Palestine 

Before setting a schedule, volunteers are welcomed to our center. As a volunteer, the first few days are important to orient yourself and you will start with Arabic classes, getting information about the city of Hebron, and an introduction to Palestinian culture. Afterward, you will decide what kind of activities to develop and present to your students. These will be based on your knowledge and topics of interest, your field of specialty, and your level of experience and skills in the subject of Community Development. You will have freedom in choosing what activities you would like to do, as well as if you would like to work with certain target groups (for example, children or students of a certain age or a certain section of the community). We understand that our international participants have different skills, expertise, and interests, so we are very flexible with the kinds of activities and projects that you wish to develop and there are almost no limits to what you can do. 

Your Schedule

Your schedule is likely to be different each day and can include your Arabic lessons, visits to local organizations, sightseeing trips in Hebron organized by Engage in Palestine, as well as your program commitments. Additionally, there will be time used to prepare your lesson plans for the workshops you will oversee. 

Free Time

Our volunteer programs in Palestine are designed to give you plenty of free time to explore the exciting destinations within Palestine and Israel. All of our programs are located in the city of Hebron, Palestine, a beautiful and historic city with many shops, cafes, and other offerings. Evenings are usually free, although we will organize occasional optional activities as part of our commitment to showcasing Palestine’s culture. Volunteers often arrange to go to a cafe to study or socialize, have dinner at a restaurant together, spend time with their host family, or go to a local gym.

Days Off

On your days off, you are welcome to spend them how you choose. Many of our volunteers arrange to visit other cities together on their days off. This includes, but is not limited to cities such as Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Jericho, the Dead Sea, Nablus, Tel Aviv, Jaffa, Haifa, and many more. Traveling around Palestine is relatively easy and affordable.

A Flexible Volunteering Program

We know that schedules are subject to change, and planning can be difficult. Therefore, we make the length of all our programs flexible, you can participate anywhere from 1 to 13 weeks, enabling you to choose the option that best suits you. This program is offered the entire year, with starting and end dates up to your decision.

Summer Internship Program

We also have a dedicated summer program, specifically designed for students seeking volunteer opportunities during their summer break. Our Community Development Summer Program is ideal for anyone who seeks to engage and volunteer with the Palestinian community, especially with members such as children, youth, students, and refugees in the field of community development. 

This program is especially suitable for university students who are looking for volunteer opportunities or internships abroad to gain practical hands-on experiences in the West Bank, Palestine Israel, or the Middle East more broadly. Additionally, Engage in Palestine can grant academic credit to currently enrolled university and college students thanks to collaboration with the Palestinian Ministry of Education. So students can gain practical hands-on experience while working towards their degree. 

Benefits of Volunteering with Us

• Immersion in Palestinian culture, daily life, and society while living in Hebron 
• Undertaking trips to the old city, holy sites, other sites, local organizations, a refugee camp in Hebron, and more during your time
• Spoken Arabic language lessons (12 hours a month/ 3 hours a week)
• Well-qualified, attentive Arabic teachers, each with an excellent educational background, ready and happy to help you
• Visits to NGOs in Hebron, West Bank
• Meetings with a Palestinian university, school students, and teachers;
• Visits to historical locations and nearby cities including Jerusalem, Jericho, Ramallah, Nablus, Bethlehem, etc.
• The ability to visit nearby cities as well as those in Jordan and Israel including Akko, Beersheva, Eilat, Tiberias, Netanya, Tel Aviv, Masada, Amman, Aqaba, and Wadi Rum
• Accommodation either with a Palestinian family or in our male dorm
• Attendance at Palestinian cultural nights, such as weddings, or those featuring entertainment
• A participant’s certificate upon completion.

Volunteer Requirements

At Engage in Palestine, we do not discriminate on any basis, this includes a person’s nationality, ethnicity, religious standing, gender, sexual orientation, or any other discernible means. No special skills or experience are required for this Community Development Volunteer Program, but many kinds of skills can be put to use. Volunteers in Palestine with expertise in computing, leadership, life skills, soft skills, employability skills, business, and many other areas can often put this knowledge to work assisting the Palestinian community in Hebron, Palestine. 

There are only a few actual requirements:

• Between the ages of 18-70
• Ability to communicate in English or Arabic
• An open mind and eagerness to learn

Quick Facts About Our Short-Term Internships And Volunteer Programs In The West Bank  

How To Apply

Send an email to info@ecpalestine.org requesting an application, listing “Community Development Program” in the subject line. We will send you the application. Please fill it out and send it back to us. After we receive your application, you may be invited for a short talk on a Skype call, Zoom, or WhatsApp to give you more information and answer all of your questions. We will send you an acceptance letter and a program contract, sign the contract send it back to us, and then pay the fees online in advance. Then, you are ready to come to Hebron, Palestine, and join our Engage in Palestine family!

In the meantime, you can contact us through any of the means listed at the bottom of this page. If you have any questions or would like to know more information about us or our programs please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

Reviews and Awards

Engage in Palestine has been offering Arabic courses for non-native speakers since 2011. We have developed many Arabic immersion programs and online courses over the years. We use the most advanced teaching methods, which we develop and enhance year after year. Education is an active process always advancing, and you will be part of the development. 

Despite continuous program improvements to ensure the best learning experience, our core goal remains connecting, teaching, and developing individuals. Additionally, we aim to promote and encourage exchange in the local and international communities. 

We continue to strive towards excellence:

In 2022, we ranked as “one of the top three organizations worldwide in offering volunteer opportunities”. We also ranked as “one of the top three language schools worldwide” by Go Overseas. We also received a total of five Go Overseas Community Choice Awards. Among others, Engage in Palestine earned recognition as one of the top Teach Abroad Providers for the category of “benefits”. Besides that, we were also one of the Top Internship Abroad Providers for the categories of “growth” and “support”. 

In 2021, we were one of the top three volunteer programs in the world. Go Overseas awarded us the community choice awards in the categories of “best language school”, “fun”, and “teaching”.

In 2019, we received our inaugural “Go Overseas Community Choice Awards.” This award recognized Engage in Palestine’s positive effect on the global travel community.

Overall, Engage in Palestine is a highly-rated travel company.

• +800 Reviews and ratings (96.8%) on gooverseas.com
• +160 Reviews and ratings on goabroad.com
• Participants’ video testimonials

Final Remarks

We here at Engage in Palestine are in real need of committed and competent volunteers who can empower our Palestinian youth, children, refugees, school students, and community members in community development. By sharing your knowledge and passion in the field of community development, you can make a real contribution to the local Palestinian community, particularly the youth. This program is very flexible and there are many activities that you can carry out, depending on your interests and expertise. The ways that you can participate in this program and contribute are nearly endless. 

You will also benefit a great deal from our community volunteering program in terms of personal development as well as gaining valuable work experience. During your time in Palestine, you will be immersed in Palestinian culture and daily life through Arabic lessons, socializing in the community, and homestays. Whether you are a university or college student, a graduate, professional, or retiree- if you are looking to make a difference in the lives of Palestinians, this is a wonderful opportunity for you. Apply today and begin your volunteer journey! 

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Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us: Info@ecpalestine.org and on Whatsapp:+972 599 479 880

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