The tuition-free public high school — called the Excel Center — will be run by Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake, and will open at Goodwill’s former headquarters in downtown Baltimore this September.

The application process will open this summer. Initially, Goodwill will recruit 150 students and later will expand to 350 students per session. Learn more and find out how to apply at the Excel Center’s website: https://excelcentermd.org.

Ideal for Working Adults & Parents

The Excel Center will award an actual State of Maryland diploma, not a GED. It’s a streamlined, highly individualized academic program for working adults and parents, and will include:

• Free drop-in childcare
• Transportation assistance
• Flexible class schedules
• Embedded job training

When students get close to graduating, the Excel Center will provide coaching to help them manage work, life and family as they take their next steps toward new opportunities.

• For students who want to go on to college, Goodwill life coaches will help them through the enrollment process.
• For those who prefer to get a job in a particular industry, coaches will help them get post-secondary skills training to pursue their desired career.

Accelerated Program

The Excel Center will use what’s called an “accelerated competency-based high school curriculum” to condense high school down to its essentials: no sports, no prom, no clubs. Just the vital subjects a high school student needs to learn to earn a diploma.

The actual length of the Excel Center experience varies for each student based on how many high school credits a student had already earned before beginning the program.

• A student starting with no credits, but taking Excel Center classes full-time, could obtain their high school diploma in two years.
• However, data from the other Excel Centers shows that it takes a student, on average, three years to obtain all of the credits needed for their high school diploma.

Why a Diploma Matters

An estimated 80,000 Baltimore area adults don’t have a high school diploma. Not having a diploma severely limits a person’s income potential, job opportunities and the ability to build a better life. The Excel Center is an attempt by Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake to change that.

“A high school diploma is a passport to the education and training you need to secure and retain good employment and build an independent life,” said Lisa Rusyniak, President & CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake.

Proven in Other Cities

Baltimore’s Excel Center is modeled after more than 30 existing Excel Centers around the U.S. Other Goodwill chapters in seven states have opened Excel Centers.

Studies led by the University of Notre Dame show that of the Excel Centers programs’ nearly 10,000 graduates:

• 70% either earned an industry certification or dual college credits
• 40% went on to enroll in college
• 40% saw an increase in employment
• 39% saw an increase in earnings

Learn more about Baltimore’s new Excel Center at https://excelcentermd.org.

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WBAL TV 11 News and WBAL News Radio featured a great interview with Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake CEO Lisa Rusyniak, who talked about the impact she expects the Excel Center to have on the lives of Baltimore residents whose lack of a high school diploma made them fall to the wayside in the job market. “When people get jobs, they have an intense sense of dignity,” Rusyniak told reporter Kim Dacey.

WMAR 2 News’s Ryan Dickstein ran a well-written article that also linked to our YouTube video that explains more about The Excel Center. And Fox 45 TV News featured an excellent video-only segment in its News at 5 report.

Lillian Reed wrote a wonderful article in both the The Baltimore Sun and the Capital Gazette, giving readers a deep dive on the Excel Center. The Daily Record likewise offered a thorough article, and the Baltimore Business Journal included a succinct piece in its news roundup section by Carley Milligan.

CityBiz ran an intro piece to the Baltimore Fishbowl article written by Latrice Hill, which included a link to our Excel Center website: ExcelCenterMD.org. And Baltimore Fishbowl also featured our news in an Editor’s Pick item.

The generous coverage by Baltimore media outlets generated inquiries from some 250 local residents about attending the Excel Center (with more coming in daily).

Another great result from all the stories: A number of Baltimore-based organizations have reached out to us asking how they could become a student-referral source or partner. The exposure also garnered interest from potential volunteers.

“We so appreciate the positive news coverage by Baltimore-area media as we realize our dream of building The Excel Center in Baltimore,” said Rusyniak. “This educational resource will change many lives for the better here in our city, and I know we will have a lot more great news yet to come. Stay tuned!”

Even though the Excel Center isn’t slated to open until September, our high profile in the news sparked a number of employment opportunity inquiries. Three positions happen to be open right now: Lead Coach, Lead Teacher, and Career and College Readiness Coach. Watch this blog for a more in-depth post soon about job openings once we begin accepting teacher applications.

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