Come be a part of the Intern In Local Palestinian Schools Program and make a wonderful impact on the lives of Palestinian children, refugees, and youth! Our internship program in Hebron, West Bank, is open to everyone. This is whether you’re a native or non-native English speaker, a student, a graduate, a professional, or a retiree. If you’re passionate about improving the English and life skills of local Palestinian students, this is your chance to join us and make a difference. We’d love to have you on board!

As an intern in the West Bank, you get to visit local Palestinian schools, refugee camps, and villages around Hebron. Here, you’ll make meaningful contributions to the Palestinian community in the West Bank, Palestine. Furthermore, you will help Palestinian students gain important skills and knowledge while learning about their culture and way of life. It’s a perfect internship opportunity for anyone passionate about education, Palestinian community development, and making a positive impact in the West Bank.

Our Intern In Local Palestinian Schools Program is for everyone who speaks English. This can be whether you’re a student, professional, retiree, or graduate. It’s a fantastic opportunity for anyone interested in interning in Palestine, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, the Middle East, or the wider Arabic world.

A Wide Range Of Impact 

This internship is well-researched and targeted. It is suitable for anyone who wants to gain insights into daily Palestinian life, education, teaching English, and human rights.

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 volunteer and internship programs foster shared and mutual learning, for both our community and our volunteers and interns. When you take on the role of a volunteer teacher, you not only help others learn. You will also learn so much from your students. This will have an impact on your life even after you leave Palestine. 

Immerse Yourself in Palestinian Culture

Our Internship Program is designed to fully immerse you in Palestinian culture. It is also designed to forge strong relationships whilst challenging you as a person. You will be working alongside the Palestinian men, women, and children of the local area. This will allow you to meet plenty of new people and study a new language. Additionally, you will learn more about the local Palestinians and refugees living in and around Hebron.

First, you will arrive at Engage in the West Bank and complete your personalized orientation. Then, you will have the opportunity to design and create your workshops aimed at benefiting Palestinian children and youth. These workshops will make up the majority of your workload during your time in the West Bank, Palestine. Previous workshops created by volunteers have included:

• Fun days for Palestinian children in the refugee camps
• Conversational English language courses
• Arts and music courses for disabled children
• Media training for students
• Environmental camps for students
• Mathematics lessons
• Drama lessons
• Journalism workshops for high school students
• Medical workshops, such as first-aid courses

As long as you have the willingness to participate, this program is open to everyone from all countries, all majors, and all walks of life.

Intern With Palestinian Children And Youth In the Summer

The Intern In Local Palestinian Schools Program in summer is ideal for you if you are someone who is seeking to engage with Palestinian children and youth in the summer. This program is especially suitable for university students who are looking for internships to gain practical in-person experiences in Palestine and the Middle East.

We operate our internship programs year-round. However, we also have dedicated summer volunteer programs specifically designed for students looking for opportunities to volunteer abroad. One can intern by teaching and volunteering with children and youth while gaining credit towards their studies. Engage in the West Bank can grant academic credit to our already enrolled university students. This is due to collaboration with the Palestinian Ministry of Education. 

Please note that students in Palestine have school holidays in the summer. Therefore, our summer programs will be a little different from when they run throughout the rest of the year. However, there will still be many exciting and different opportunities to participate in, whenever you join us.

We invite you to join this program to make the most of this excellent chance to travel throughout the summer. You will obtain practical experience in a related profession, and work towards your degree all at the same time.

Experience The Palestinian School System

In this internship, we want to bridge the gap between the Palestinian students in Hebron and the international volunteers who come to the Center. This is for two reasons: 

1) To allow the students to become familiar with foreign nationals

2) To enable you to directly experience and understand the Palestinian school system yourself

Many Palestinians in Hebron have never met or talked to a foreign national. This is due to the Israeli Occupation limiting the prospects for Palestinians to travel abroad and greatly limiting the tourism industry in Hebron. Palestinian students may experience a range of emotions when meeting with internationals. Some might be a bit scared and shy and some will be very excited and eager to communicate with you and learn more about you. 

Palestinians learn English in school. However, they have limited opportunities to practice speaking English with fluent English speakers (whether native or non-native). This program helps to bridge that gap, by connecting international English speakers with Palestinian children and youth. This will not only help them improve their English through practice. It will also help them improve their confidence, which will benefit not only their English but their overall self-esteem. 

This program gives you a unique insight into the Palestinian school system by experiencing it for yourself. This allows you to both learn and teach at the same time. You will have the opportunity to learn from other teachers and students, while also getting practical experience through participating and teaching.

Program Overview

Program Fees Cover:

• Pre-departure and in-country support
• Accommodation
• Language courses
• Center’s operating costs
• Breakfast (Mon – Fri) 
• Group excursions within Hebron
• Certificate of completion

A Flexible Volunteering Program

As an intern, you are welcome to choose what kind of activities you would like to organize during your program. You can also choose if you would like to work with certain target groups.

We understand that our international participants have different skills, interests, and circumstances. Therefore, we are very flexible with the kinds of activities and experiences you wish to have. We also make the program length very flexible, anywhere from 1 to 13 weeks. You can choose the option that best suits you. 

When You Arrive In Hebron, Palestine

Before deciding on a schedule, interns will be welcomed to the Center and given an orientation. This will be about Hebron and Palestinian culture, including both Arabic classes and an introduction to Palestinian culture.

For you to be as involved as possible in the Palestinian community and culture, the Center will provide you with accommodation with a Palestinian host family. They will help you in your acclimatization and with any issues that might arise.  Male volunteers may instead stay at a male dorm.

After the introductory week, you will then get to decide what kind of activities to develop and present to your students. This will be based on your knowledge, interests, and level of experience. You will be given a lot of control over this process.

Which Kind Of Activities Can You Organize?

At Engage in the West Bank, we strive to provide our volunteers with a flexible and customized experience that aligns with their interests and goals. We are happy to work with you to create a volunteering plan that suits your preferences and skills.

Currently, our program offers a variety of opportunities, including:

• Teaching conversational English to Palestinian children, youth, and refugee children in local schools in and around Hebron.
• Planning and organizing interactive activities such as painting, photography, and writing workshops.
• Organizing activities aimed at entertaining refugee children in Hebron.
• Assisting in organizing weekly workshops for Palestinian refugees on educational-related subjects. This could be writing resumes and formal emails, teaching employment skills, and educational writing skills.
• Helping the Center’s staff in administration-related activities, such as writing articles and reports and printing materials for the students.

By participating in our volunteer program, you can gain valuable experience and make a meaningful contribution to the local community. We look forward to working with you to create a volunteering plan that aligns with your interests and goals.

Benefits Of Volunteering:

Our volunteer in local schools program in the West Bank, Palestine offers many benefits including:

• Living in Hebron, and undertaking trips to the old city, holy sites, and more
• Gain practical teaching experience and experience working with Palestinian children, students, and youth
• Learning spoken Arabic from native speakers
• 3 hours of Arabic lessons per week 
• Exposure to daily life in Hebron, Palestinian culture and society
• Accommodation with either a Palestinian host family or in our male apartment
• The opportunity to eat and enjoy local Palestinian foods and desserts
• Palestinian cultural nights featuring entertainment and activities
• Opportunities to visit unique tourist attractions with a particular native perspective, including Bethlehem, Ramallah, Nablus, Tulkarem, Qalqilyah, Jenin, and the Dead Sea in Jericho
• The ability to visit nearby cities as well as those in Jordan including Akko, Herzliya, Beersheva, Eilat, Tiberias, Netanya, Safed, Haifa, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Masada, Amman, Aqaba, Wadi Rum and Nazareth
• A participant’s certificate upon completion

Who Comes To Intern? 

Engage in the West Bank does not discriminate on any basis. This includes a person’s nationality, ethnicity, religious standing, gender, sexual orientation, or any other discernible means. 

Furthermore, we have a long history of welcoming people from around the globe including those from: 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, China and New Zealand. 

To volunteer in a local Palestinian school, you should be:

• Willing to work with diverse Palestinian children, youth, and school students
• A student or graduate who seeks teaching experience
• Someone interested in the educational system in Palestine
• An interest or major in English or education
• 18+ and willing to make an impact on the local community 
• Someone who desires to help the future leaders of Palestine

Required:

• 18+
• The ability to communicate in English
• The ability to work with an international team
• Patience and enthusiasm
• To be eager to learn

Not Required:

• The ability to speak Arabic
• Travel or work experience
• To be a native speaker of English
• A degree in English or any specialization
• Experience in teaching English as a foreign language

Do I need a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) certificate?

No, having a TEFL certificate is not a requirement. You will be provided with a teaching manual and all the necessary resources and materials.

Arabic Lessons For Interns

All our international volunteers and interns receive 3 hours of Arabic classes a week or 12 hours a month. This will be with an experienced and knowledgeable Palestinian teacher. With this foundation, all interns will have plenty of chances to interact with locals to learn and practice the language.

No matter what your Arabic level is, from total beginner to advanced, we make our Arabic lessons suitable for you. On top of that, you can freely choose what kind of Arabic you would like to learn.

Arabic Dialects To Learn

All of our participants receive a choice of Arabic dialects to study 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)
• Mixed Program: (Modern Standard Arabic & Shami Arabic)

If you are unsure about the difference or which dialect will best suit you, we are always here to help and offer advice. 

Accommodation

Engage in the West Bank aims to achieve social discourse through cultural immersion. The Center provides accommodation for participants in Hebron, West Bank as follows:

• Female participants have the opportunity to live with a designated Palestinian host family in the local Hebron area
• Male participants can stay in male dorms provided by the Center in Hebron

Private rooms can also be arranged, although these naturally come with an additional fee.

A Typical Day for Participants of the Intern In Local Palestinian Schools Program

You will be expected to work approximately 25-30 hours a week, from around 10 am until 5 pm, and from Saturday to Thursday with two days off. One of your days off will be Friday and another day of your choice.

Every morning, international volunteers start the day with breakfast at Engage in the West Bank. Breakfast is shared with Palestinian teachers, volunteers/interns, and the directors of the center. This offers you exposure to traditional Palestinian foods such as labneh and hummus and the opportunity to further practice your Arabic. You may arrange to have your lunch whenever you have a break in your schedule. It is easy to find supermarkets, cafes, restaurants, shawarma, and falafel shops near the Center.

During the day, you will also have the opportunity to go on sightseeing trips in Hebron. These are coordinated by Engage in the West Bank alongside your program’s commitments. Evenings are typically free, although we will organize occasional optional activities as part of our commitment to showcasing Palestine’s culture. During the evenings, interns often arrange to go to a cafe to study, socialize or have dinner at a restaurant together. You can also spend time with your host family (only for female volunteers), or go to a local gym.

In addition to your work on the local schools program, you will also have your Arabic class schedule and time to prepare for any workshops that you oversee. This is alongside your free time, where you are welcome to undertake excursions to other cities.

Indeed, you may be surprised by how fast your schedule will fill up and how quickly your time will fly!

When Does the Program Accept Interns?

Inter in Palestine welcomes international volunteers year-round and allows volunteers to decide when they would like to start their program. We are very flexible with starting and ending dates. You can choose your volunteer period anywhere between 1 and 13 weeks.

We understand that everyone has different schedules and availability. Therefore, we work with each intern to create a program that fits their individual needs. Whether you want to intern for a few weeks during your summer break or for several months during your gap year, we can help you design a program that aligns with your goals and availability.

Other Volunteering Opportunities

In addition to our Intern in Intern In Local Palestinian Schools Program, we offer a variety of other volunteer opportunities and internship programs in the West Bank. Some of these programs include:

Furthermore, there is also the opportunity for you to combine volunteer opportunities if you wish. For example, you can volunteer in the Local Schools in Palestine Program for three weeks and then the Human Rights Program for a week to gain as broad an experience as possible. 

Awards And Recognitions 

Engage in the West Bank has welcomed people from 40 different countries since 2011. For our influence on foreign visitors, we got our inaugural “Go Overseas Community Choice Awards” in 2019. Most recently, we were selected as one of the “Best Places to Teach Abroad, Top Spots for Volunteering Abroad, Greatest Language Schools, and Best Internship Abroad Providers of 2023” by Go Overseas. Connecting, educating, and advancing people within the local and global communities continues to be our mission.

Engage in the West Bank is well-known for its cultural immersion, welcoming staff and environment, and dedication to debunking myths about Palestine and Palestinians. If you are interested in Palestinian culture and want to visit the West Bank, please read our program reviews to see whether Internship in Palestine is the right organization for you.

• +748 reviews (96.8%) on gooverseas.com
• +120 reviews (96%) on goabroad.com
• Video testimonials

Safety Of Our Volunteers And Interns

The region of Palestine is perpetually unstable. While there is always unrest and war, the situation sometimes becomes more volatile. Nonetheless, each year millions of tourists visit Palestine and the West Bank, including Hebron, Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jenin, Tulkarem, Nablus, and many other cities without any safety issues. Palestinians in general are a welcoming and hospitable people and they recognize the politics of a country may differ from its people.  

Since its formation in 2011, Engage in the West Bank has welcomed over 1,000 international visitors. These visitors have lived and worked in Hebron for weeks or months at a time. Overall, they never faced any threats or safety issues while in Hebron or the West Bank in general.

Moreover, 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 the Center as well.

Do I Need a Visa to Intern in the West Bank?

Most of our international participants get a tourist visa for three months when they fly to Israeli airports or cross from Jordan to the West Bank.

Generally, no prior visa is needed for Americans, Canadians, and most Europeans to enter Palestine. But, please refer to the visa exemption agreement for further information. Upon your arrival at the Israeli Airports in Tel Aviv or Eilat, you will be granted a tourist visa that is valid for 90 days. This is sufficient for participation in Engage in the West Bank’s programs and to enable you to travel around Palestine and Israel easily.

Traveling To Hebron, Palestine 

Engage in the West Bank has compiled a vast amount of information for those wishing to travel to Hebron in an efficient, safe, and practical manner.  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

Tel Aviv Airport Pickups

Engage in the West Bank staff can organize a taxi to pick you up at Ben Gurion Airport. It will take you straight to Hebron and the Center. This is the easiest and fastest way (about an hour, 60 km/37 miles) to get to Engage in the West Bank.

Additional fees (about 170 Euros) apply to this trip. Please contact Engage in the West Bank’s staff if you are interested in this option.

Pre-departure Support

Engage in the West Bank will organize calls with you via WhatsApp, write invitation letters, and send travel instructions.  We can give you advice on different topics for your travels, ensuring you feel comfortable and confident in volunteering with us. 

Summary

The Intern In Local Palestinian Schools Program offers a unique chance for university students, graduates, and those on sabbaticals to make a difference in Hebron, Palestine while immersing themselves in Palestinian culture. Participants can apply a wide range of skills to engage with local communities, particularly children and youth, through activities such as English classes, art workshops, and healthcare initiatives. The program accommodates various interests and backgrounds, providing flexibility for volunteers to contribute in meaningful ways.

Volunteering in the West Bank presents an enriching experience regardless of language proficiency or academic focus. Participants can learn Arabic, deepen their understanding of Palestinian society, and gain valuable insights into fields like childhood education and refugee welfare. With opportunities for academic credit and flexible durations, the program invites individuals to engage in impactful work year-round, fostering personal growth and long-lasting perspectives on global issues.

How To Apply For The Intern In Local Palestinian Schools Program

If you are interested in volunteering with us at Inter in Palestine, please send an email to Info@ecpalestine.org with the subject line “Intern In Local Palestinian Schools Program“. We will send you the application form to get started on your journey with us.

Our team is happy to answer any questions you may have and guide you through the application process. We look forward to hearing from you and working together to make a positive impact on the lives of Palestinian children and youth.

Connect with Us!

For more information, please visit our Engage in the West Bank website.

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