Excel in learning.Excel in life.
An adult learning high school that awards industry recognized certifications and high school diplomas to adult learners in Colorado.
What is The Excel Center?
Did you know there are more than 300,000 Colorado adults without a high school diploma? After age 22, these individuals had no opportunity to attain an in-person high school diploma—which significantly limited their earning power and career options–until now.
To help address this issue, in collaboration with the Colorado Department of Education, Goodwill of Colorado is launching a no-cost adult high school in Aurora, Colorado—The Excel Center—which opened on August 5, 2024.
The Excel Center is an evidence-based adult learning high school created in 2010 with one school in Indianapolis, Indiana, and has since grown to become The Excel Center National Network with 41 adult high schools in nine states and Washington, D.C., graduating more than 13,000 adults across all Excel Centers since the program’s inception.
What makes the Excel Center different than other high schools?
The Excel Center® directly addresses many of the issues that prompted students to drop out of high school in the first place, such as needing to work full-time to help support their family, a medical issue, or other challenges. We do this by providing wraparound services to create a community of support around our students, including:
- Free drop-in childcare at our Adventure Center
- Transportation assistance
- Dual-credit courses to give students a head start on their college journey
- Micro-credentials and certifications to jump start a new career
- Career counseling and life coaching
- Job placement assistance
How does The Excel Center help improve our graduates’ lives?
It’s a big commitment to re-enter high school–is it worth it? We think so! Here are some ways that graduating from The Excel Center benefits our students, their families and Colorado’s economy:
The Advantage of a Diploma
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of January 2024, full-time workers aged 25 and over without a high school diploma had median weekly earnings of $713, compared with $917 for high school graduates.
Positive Family Effects
78 percent of Excel Center students with school-age children reported an increase in their own child’s academic achievements
Boosting Local Economy
In Aurora, Colorado, there are approximately 32,000 adults over the age of 25 without a diploma. With a potential 22-percent increase in full-time earnings of 1,300 Excel Center graduates by 2028, Colorado’s first Excel Center could represent an influx of $10.8 million into Colorado’s economy annually (not including the multiplier effect)*.
How do you apply?
Get Started
If you are a Colorado resident age 22 or older without a high school diploma, and are interested in boosting your career options and earning power, we want to talk to you!
Best of all, we will meet you where you are–if you dropped out of school in elementary school, middle school or high school, we will tailor a program exactly suited to your needs and support you every step of the way to ensure your success.
The Excel Center curriculum is specifically designed to serve adult learners with accelerated learning, individualized attention, and a fierce commitment to preparing students for their next step in life—college or career.
Colorado Schools
15445 E Iliff Avenue
Aurora, CO 80013
The Excel Center will begin classes on August 5, 2024, at our flagship campus in Aurora, CO.
Get Started
Ready to take the next step towards a brighter future, or interested in supporting the Excel Center?
Fill out this form and we will be in touch!
Words from our Students
At this school, I never feel alone. The staff here care about students, and the learning is in-person, so I feel more comfortable talking to teachers now than I did before.”
“I was embraced by every single staff member at The Excel Center, even if I slacked off, my teachers did not take it easy on me. They made sure I stayed on track to graduate.”
Why The Excel Center?
There are approximately 300,000 Coloradans 25 years of age and older without high school diplomas. Goodwill of Colorado believes the best way to end the cycle of poverty is to provide these individuals with educational opportunities so they may increase their earning potential and strengthen their families.
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