Goodwill’s ‘adult high school’ in KC just scored major funding wins (and hired its first leader)
May 20, 2025 | Startland News Staff
A first-of-its kind adult high school in the region hit two big funding milestones this month, said organizers of the Excel Center, announcing six-figure financial contributions from the City of Kansas City, Missouri, and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, as well as a key hire.
Led by Goodwill of Western Missouri and Eastern Kansas (MoKan Goodwill), the Excel Center — dubbed an adult high school — is envisioned as a way to open doors to continued education, good-paying jobs and industry certifications through local business partners and post-secondary institutions.
The Excel Center — which has operated at sites across the country for more than a decade — is expected to enroll 500 students annually. This opportunity is open to any Missourian aged 21 and over who doesn’t have a high school diploma. The Excel Center will offer students assistance with childcare, trained life coaches, transportation, and food and housing insecurity to help with common challenges to education.
“More than 60,000 Kansas City-area adults without a high school diploma will benefit from the Excel Center,” said Ryana Parks-Shaw, who represents the 5th Council District and is mayor pro tem for KCMO. “Access to educational opportunities is critical to unlocking the potential of individuals throughout the community. The Excel Center will be a life-changing tool for many families.”
KCMO is contributing $250,000 in funding for the center, which is expected to open in fall 2025 near the intersection of Bannister Road and I-435.
“I’m so proud that this tremendous asset will be located in the 5th district, but even more excited for the community-wide impact it will have,” said Parks-Shaw.
Funding from the Kauffman Foundation also will help make the Excel Center’s opening a reality, organizers said. The Goodwill program was awarded $606,027 in funding through the inaugural round of Project Grants from the influential philanthropic organization.
RELATED: Kauffman earmarks $32M in grants to boost entrepreneurship, workforce, education efforts
“This funding acknowledges the importance of bold, strategic efforts,” said Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace, president and CEO of the Kauffman Foundation. “Project grants allow organizations to pilot new ideas, scale proven models, and create momentum around programs that support long-term community transformation.”
In addition to the funding announcements, Dr. Romeo Michael has been hired as the Excel Center’s inaugural director.
He previously led successful turnaround projects for two different K-12 school districts in Texas where he lived before relocating to Kansas City. He also has experience leading programs that focus on increasing access to opportunity, as well as crisis prevention and behavioral support intervention for both the K-12 system and higher education institutions.
“Opening the Excel Center means opening doors to brighter futures,” said Michael. “We’re not just building a facility, we’re creating an inclusive space where people can take ownership of their education, build skills, and equip themselves to thrive in the workforce.”
Featured Business
2025 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Teenage inventor creates retro game console that fits in your palm
For teenage entrepreneur Ernest Pereira, gaming is going small. The 18-year-old innovator is releasing a limited run of his retro game console, the Duinodrive, before shipping off to the Naval Academy in the summer. The Duinodrive — which can fit in the palm of your hand — comes in a kit that users assemble themselves…
Popular TEDxKC won’t return in 2018; organizers to focus on women, youth events
TEDxKC — one of the largest and most-popular independently-organized TEDx events in the world — won’t be back for 2018. While TEDxYouth@KC and TEDxKCWomen are expected to return in 2018, hitting pause on TEDxKC’s “general ideas” event will allow organizers to reflect on accomplishments, missteps and milestones, said Mike Lundgren, co-founder of TEDxKC. “We asked two…
Fitbit integrating Sickweather illness forecasting into new wearables
Sickweather is stepping into the wearables market. A new partnership with industry leader Fitbit is expected to see the Kansas City-based startup’s illness forecasting technology integrated into Fitbit’s new products. “Smartwatches provide a powerful platform to deliver important health tools that help our users manage conditions more conveniently than ever before,” said James Park, co-founder…
Surveys, rewards dying: Tapyness scores customer feedback with one-tap, 3-second experience
No one takes 15-minute surveys anymore, said Matthew Korte, co-founder of Tapyness, a Lawrence-based customer experience platform that provides real-time feedback via kiosks in client businesses. A typical Tapyness interaction takes three seconds, he said. “We’re down to the millisecond, and we’re aggregating hundreds of tablets simultaneously within one brand to go: ‘Here’s the health…