Volunteer in Journalism and Media Program in Palestine: Engage in the West Bank is proud to offer our Journalism and Media Internship Program, based at our headquarters in Hebron, West Bank. We invite students, undergraduates, travelers, and anyone with an interest in the Israeli and Palestinian political situation to create journalism and media projects with our team. We will help you learn the ropes for reporting the news, writing articles, finding/fact-checking sources, and using various media forms. 

Interns with the Journalism and Media Program in Palestine will gain valuable experience teaching Palestinian children, school students, and refugees about the power of media and journalism. This program is an excellent way to meet and network with Palestinians throughout the West Bank, to learn about their lives, and to give them a voice by reporting on daily life in Israel and Palestine. This course is also a great opportunity for anyone interested in traveling throughout the region, whether to Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Ramallah, Jenin, Nablus, Tel Aviv, Haifa, or Hebron. You can help report on the local political situation and assist the local youth in doing the same. 

Our Journalism and Media volunteering opportunity will allow you to plan and execute classes, seminars, workshops, and activities focused on teaching journalism skills. Workshops will be provided for the Palestinian community, university and school students, and local inhabitants of refugee camps. These workshops will allow volunteers to explain the power of digital media and show students how they can use the internet, social media, and smartphones to portray their story to a global audience. 

Brief introduction to the Program

Participants of the Journalism Volunteer Program will be based out of Engage in the West Bank’s headquarters in Hebron, West Bank. This is a great opportunity for anyone who would like to share their knowledge and experience with citizens here, or for those who would like to create and execute projects or programs of their own. 

This program is available in either a short term or long term capacity. This program is often popular with gap year and university students seeking summer volunteering opportunities in Media and Journalism. However, we are happy to welcome volunteers to Engage in the West Bank at any point throughout the year. 

As with all of our programs, volunteers with the Journalism in Palestine Project are eligible for 3 hours of complimentary Arabic classes each week, taught in 1-on-1 classes or in small groups with 2-3 students. We provide accommodation for all program participants. This program is flexible according to volunteer needs and we accept volunteers at any point throughout the year. 

Where do volunteers of our programs come from?

In short, everywhere. At Engage in the West Bank, we pride ourselves on international openness toward people of all nations, religions, and cultures. For us, there is no ‘foreigner,’ there are simply people with unique cultural perspectives! We are delighted to share our time and experiences with anyone. 

The largest proportion of our Arabic students in Palestine include: the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Canada, France, Spain, Belgium, and Switzerland.

We have also been graced with students from: 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. 

Is your country missing from this list? In that case, this is your chance to become a trail blazer and be the first representative for your nation in our ever-expanding international community. 

Who can join our volunteer program in Palestine?

This incredible volunteer opportunity is provided to anyone with an interest and/or competency in journalism or media. You can participate whether you are pre-college, a postgraduate with a degree in Journalism, English, or other relevant fields, or you are an adult simply looking for an entry level experience in Journalism and Media. Our programs offer a great chance for volunteers to gain formative experience in their chosen fields and so we try to offer our program to as broad a field of applicants as possible. 

For all applicants to the Journalism and Media Volunteer Program in Palestine, some basic requirements include: 

• Age 20+
• Ability to communicate in English
• Patient and enthusiastic 
• Willing to work with an international team
• Eagerness to learn 

What you don’t need?

• Ability to speak Arabic 
• Travel or work experience 
• To be a native speaker of English 
• A degree in Journalism 

Opportunity to meet Palestinians

All of our programs at Engage in the West Bank provide participants with an enriching, entertaining, and dynamic stay in Hebron, West Bank. Furthermore, volunteers in Palestine will get the opportunity to meet Palestinian university and school students as well as community members.

The Journalism and Media Volunteer Program is an excellent opportunity to promote international dialogues. Interns are provided with a gateway for communicating with local citizens, and through this program, children and young people will be given advice for communicating with the global community. This is especially valuable for many young Palestinians, who want to feel that their voices are respected and that they are being heard. 

This is a great opportunity for volunteers who are interested in learning more about Palestinian culture, working with Palestinians, and gaining a deep understanding for the daily experience of living in the West Bank. 

Other Volunteering Opportunities Available

Outside of our Journalism and Media Program, Engage in the West Bank provides a diverse list of opportunities and programs. Areas for volunteering include: 

Interns can also combine volunteer opportunities if they wish. For example, participants can volunteer in the Journalism and Media program for two weeks and then the Computer Technology Program for a week or so to gain a broad set of experiences. 

Flexible Volunteering Program

Participants in the Journalism Program in Palestine are encouraged to choose the activities they would like to organize during their program, their target group for activity participants (university students, school students, women, or community members), and the age of individuals they would like to work alongside. Volunteers will be assessed for who they work best with; some people are better at working with school students, while others have the proper skills to train university students or community members, and we are cognizant of how best to assign and place individuals. 

Activities you can organize during the volunteering period?

There are many activities that are suitable for all levels (whether primary school, university, or community) that you can carry out during your time at Engage in the West Bank: 

• Lectures and workshops about the digital world, which may include:
  • Introduction to journalistic terminology and information (What’s a news agency? How do they work and which are the most important ones?)
    • The roles people cover in a newsroom and their responsibilities 
    • Workshops about writing articles in a journalistic style 
    • Workshops about designing and organizing a newspaper
    • Taking photos and producing short films
• Visits to local radios, newsrooms, and TV broadcasters
  • If the number of students permits it, organize a contest where students are divided into two or more groups, where they will:
    • Participate in the above-mentioned activities in the morning and run research and interview activities in the afternoon 
    • Produce a short documentary about a particular issue
    • Additional activities (We encourage volunteer suggestions!) 

Arabic Lessons for Volunteers of the Journalism Program

All of our international volunteers in Palestine receive 3 hours of intensive Arabic classes a week and 12 a month with a Palestinian teacher. On top of this, all volunteers have changes to meet people in Palestine, and to learn/practice Arabic skills. Volunteers can choose what type of Arabic they would like to learn during their time in Palestine at Engage in the West Bank. 

Arabic dialects to learn

All volunteers at our base in Hebron will receive a choice of Arabic dialects to study during their time in the West Bank. As part of your volunteer placement, we offer choices between: 

• Shami or Levantine Arabic (Amiyya dialect)
• Colloquial Palestinian Arabic 
• Modern Standard Arabic (MSA)
• A mixed program: Modern Standard Arabic and Shami Arabic

General Overview

The table below provides you with some general information about the Volunteer in Journalism Program in Palestine:

Associated Fees

Due to the fact that Engage in the West Bank does not receive any funds from any governmental or non-governmental organizations, Engage in the West Bank charges a fee of 695€ Euro a month or 230€ a week, depending on your length of stay.

Included in these costs are:

• Community breakfast at the Center every morning
• The accommodation
• In-country and pre-departure support
• Arabic classes (3 hours per week) 
• Certificate of completion
• Visits to different institutions in the city of Hebron. Examples include:
  • The old city 
  • Glass and ceramic factories
  • Local companies
  • Refugee camps 
  • Public parks 
  • Local universities (Palestine Polytechnic University and Hebron University) 

Homestay during your time in Hebron

Engage in the West Bank aims to achieve social discourse through cultural immersion. The center provides the Volunteer in Journalism Program’s participants’ homestays in Hebron, West Bank, through the following means: 

• Female participants have the opportunity to live with a designated Palestinian host family in the local Hebron area
• Male participants are able to stay in male dorms provided at Engage in the West Bank
• Private rooms can also be arranged, although these come with an additional fee

When you arrive to Hebron, Palestine

Prior to deciding a schedule, volunteers will be welcomed to the Center and will be given an orientation about Hebron and Palestinian culture, which includes both Arabic classes and an introduction to Palestinian culture.

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

After the introductory week, you will get to decide what kind of activities 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/skill with the subject of Journalism. We are very flexible and you will be free to choose which activities to introduce and implement in your own syllabus and schedule.

A typical day for Journalism and Media Volunteers in Palestine

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

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

In addition to your work in the classroom, you will have your own Arabic class schedule, you will prepare lesson plans for the workshops you will oversee, and you will break for sightseeing excursions in and around Hebron.

Reviews from former participants 

Engage in the West Bank in Hebron has over 10 years of experience, and prides itself on the positive feedback received from over 800 international interns and volunteers to the Center. Reviews of our all our Volunteer and Internship Programs, including Media and Journalism, can be found through the following links:

• Reviews and ratings (96.8%) on gooverseas.com
• Reviews and ratings (96%) on goabroad.com
• Participants’ video testimonials

Traveling to and from Hebron, West Bank

We know that many participants of the Journalism and Media Program in Palestine, especially those traveling in the Israel/ Palestine region for the first time, naturally have queries on issues such as:

• How to get to Hebron, West Bank
• How to make your way to Engage in the West Bank once arriving
• Transportation in the area; i.e. which taxi you should take
• How to cross the checkpoints in the West Bank.

All the necessary information about how to get to Hebron, Palestine, and useful contact information is provided in these four articles:

• 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

For any further questions, you are always welcome to get in touch with us.

Flying into Palestine

Unfortunately, there are no airports in Palestine; as such it is currently impossible to fly directly into the West Bank. Palestinians use either the airports in Jordan or Egypt to travel abroad. However, international volunteers and interns can fly to Israeli airports and then cross to Palestine. We believe the easiest ways to get to Engage in the West Bank in Hebron, Palestine are:

• To fly to Ben Gurion, Tel Aviv Airport (Israel). It takes about two and a half hours from the airport to Engage in the West Bank in Hebron via shared Taxi.
• You can fly to Eilat airport and then travel by booking a shuttle or taking a bus to Jerusalem and then to Hebron. The whole trip can last between 6-7 hours.
• You can also fly to Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan and then cross to Palestine, but this route takes more time and is more expensive.

Safety of our volunteers and interns

The region of Palestine has not been stable for the last few decades and there is always unrest and war. At times, it has become more volatile, and at other times, it has been calmer. Nonetheless, each year millions of tourists visit Palestine and the West Bank including Hebron, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jenin, Tulkarm, Nablus and many other cities with zero safety issues. Palestinians in general are welcoming and hospitable people. They recognize that the politics of a country and its people may differ from their own and they are respectful to foreigners. 

Since it was formed in 2011, Engage in the West Bank has welcomed over 1000 international visitors. These visitors lived and worked in Hebron for a few weeks or months. Overall, they have not faced any threat nor were they unsafe in Hebron or the West Bank. Engage in the West Bank 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 Engage in the West Bank as well. 

How to get a volunteer Visa for Palestine

There is unfortunately no way to directly apply for a Visa to volunteer with the Journalism and Media Program at Engage in the West Bank prior to travelling out to volunteer in Palestine. Upon arrival in Israel, internationals are given a 3 month Visa, applicable to Israel and Palestine. With this Visa, volunteers are able to travel freely in the Israel and Palestinian territories for up to a 3 month period.

In conclusion

Our Journalism volunteer opportunity in Palestine offers a unique chance to gain valuable experience in journalism in addition to learning precious first-hand information about Palestine, the people/culture, while also making a major contribution to the community.

Steps to apply to the Journalism and Media Program:

1. Email center co-founder Rafat Shantir at Rafat@excellencenter.org requesting an application, listing ‘Journalism and Media Program’ as your desired program. 
2. We will send you the application. You will fill it out and send it back to us.

In the meantime, you can contact us via email: Rafat@excellencenter.org , Whatsapp or phone: +972 599-479880. If you have any questions or would you like to know more information about us or our programs please do not hesitate to get in touch. 

After we receive your application:

1. We review the application with our team (this usually takes a week).
2. You may be invited to a short talk on a Skype call, Zoom, or WhatsApp to give you more information and answer all of the questions.

Selections process

1. We will send you an acceptance letter and a program contract.
2. Sign the contract and send it back to us.
3. Pay the fees online in advance.