Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona has launched The Excel Center in Arizona.
The Excel Center is a proven solution to Arizona that will increase salaries, reduce reliance on public assistance, assist in anti-recidivism, and drive economic value to the state and local communities.
More than 700,000 adults in Arizona currently do not have a high school diploma. And the problem is that there is a law in Arizona preventing individuals 22 and older from going back to school to earn their diploma.
The Excel Center is a first-of-its-kind adult public high school that offers a full high school curriculum to adults 18 and over, allowing students to earn an accredited high school diploma. Unlike other adult high school equivalent programs, the Excel Center meets students where they left off previously in their high school education, whether that be in need of 1 to 22 credits. This allows for a customized graduation plan for each student on their path for success!
This is important because high school diploma holders make, on average, between $7,000 to $17,000 more per year than individuals with a high school certificate. That equates to a $600,000 difference in earning potential (over one’s lifetime!).
By being allowed to earn a high school diploma, adults will have stronger opportunities to get the education and training they need to achieve a better-paying job. Here are some of the benefits for both students and teachers:
Students receive:
● Free Child Care
● Flexible Scheduling
● Accelerated Courses
● Small Class Sizes
● Coaching and Support
Teachers receive:
● Flexible Teaching and Retirement Plans
● Growth Opportunities
● Education and Leadership Development
● Comprehensive Health Plan
● Custom Education with Student Focus
There are several adult education programs in Arizona that offer online and in-person classes that prepare adults for the GED test. Obtaining a GED certifies students with an equivalency to a high school diploma. Goodwill’s Excel Center the state’s only in-person school for adults that gives an accredited high school diploma.
Phoenix’s Excel Center is not a new concept. Over a decade ago, Goodwill opened its first Excel Center in Indiana and saw much success with the program that they expanded the program to Texas, Washington, D.C, Arkansas, Tennessee and Missouri. The program has produced over 11,000 graduates.
The purpose of the program is to help boost to career advancement. In 2022, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that U.S. workers 25 and older, in which their highest level of education was a high school diploma, earned 25% more per week than those who didn’t finish high school.
Click here to learn more.
