GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF THE CHESAPEAKE BRINGING FREE HIGH SCHOOL FOR ADULTS TO BALTIMORE
The Goal: Raising Incomes and Employment Opportunities for Better Lives and Economic Growth
Baltimore, MD (March 21, 2023) – It’s official: Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake is opening an Excel Center, a free high school for adults so they can earn a Maryland Department of Education-issued diploma.
The school, which opens September 25, 2023, will use a proven curriculum and approach developed over the past decade at more than 30 Excel campuses in seven states. Research led by the University of Notre Dame shows that the Centers’ nearly 10,000 graduates have seen a 40% increase in employment and a 39% increase in earnings. Nearly 40% go on to college and 70% earned either an industry certification or dual college credits.
“More than 80,000 adults in Baltimore don’t have a high school diploma, severely limiting their income potential and employment opportunities,” says Lisa Rusyniak, Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake’s President & CEO. “Our mission is to prepare people to secure and retain employment. Our Excel Center will enable participants to go on to higher education or vocational training so they can earn a better living and make a better life.”
Baltimore’s Excel Center is specifically designed to serve adult students with varying levels of previous education through accelerated learning, individualized attention and in-person, direct instruction. Its program is constructed to accommodate working adults and parents, with four-day class weeks and an eight-week academic term. In addition to classes, the school will offer on-site childcare and transportation assistance to help students stick with their schedules.
Upon nearing the completion of their graduation requirements, Goodwill life coaches will help students with college enrollment and entering post-secondary skills training to pursue careers in most any desired industry.
The Excel Center will be paid for by a mix of federal, state and donated funds. The Center will be located at Goodwill’s former headquarters at 222 E Redwood in downtown Baltimore. Initially, Goodwill is recruiting 150 students and will expand to 350 students. The Center is hiring seven teachers, four life coaches and four administrators. An executive director has been hired and started March 1.
