New funding to fuel Excel Center expansion
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana has received $4 million in grants to further the national expansion of its tuition-free high schools for adults.
The Excel Center network operates 41 schools in nine states and the District of Columbia but plans to expand to 85 schools by 2030, according to a Goodwill news release. The $4 million in grants from the Truist Foundation of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Baltimore-based The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation will help support that expansion.
“The Excel Center’s unique model is changing the lives of adults who were struggling to move forward professionally due to their lack of a high school diploma,” Kent Kramer, president and CEO of Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana, said in the release. “We recognize that adults have responsibilities outside of the home, and we support them by removing the obstacles that are blocking their paths to success.”
The Excel Center was launched with 300 students in 2010 by a not-for-profit formed by Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana. The tuition-free high school for adults offers flexible scheduling, free on-site child care and transportation assistance. The school also offers college credits and certification courses at no cost.
The $4 million in grant funds will be geared toward assessing where to launch additional schools, developing curriculum, providing training, and working with community leaders to promote the Excel Center model, Goodwill said.
“Truist Foundation invests in transformative ideas and proven solutions — and The Excel Center has the data to show that this unique learning environment works,” Truist Foundation President Lynette Bell said in the news release.
Since its launch by the Indianapolis-based Goodwill, The Excel Center has helped more than 13,000 adults earn their high school diploma, the release said. Graduates also have earned more than 8,000 certifications and more than 12,000 dual college credits.