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
designWerx makes room for growing makers in North Kansas City
A home garage workspace can be a lonely, stifling place for a maker trying to grow his or her business, said Pam Newton, who is leading the artistic vision for designWerx, a new coworking space and incubator specifically for makers in North Kansas City. “You’re alone constantly. Sometimes it’s hard to get motivated,” she said.…
KCultivator Q&A: Tyler Enders talks his biggest failure, the ‘Made In’ concept and Obama
Seated amid vintage mosaic tile and striking black-and-white portraits by Kansas City photographer Cameron Gee, founder Tyler Enders seems at home within the walls of the Made in KC Cafe. He’s an art lover with a finance degree — not to mention one of the minds behind Made in KC, a retail showcase for local…
Kimberly Gandy: Proof a startup can emerge stronger from its founder’s cancer diagnosis
Cancer needn’t mean can’t, Kimberly Gandy said. When the Play-It Health founder and CEO was diagnosed with an aggressive, mid-stage cancer in May 2016, her startup found itself at a crossroads. Gandy had just joined the Kansas City-based Pipeline fellowship and her company was poised for growth through its web- and mobile-based health regimen tracking…
Code Ninjas uses karate format to punch into KC youth STEM scene
Students often want more than their schools can offer, said Jason Hansen, of Code Ninjas. For some, that’s competitive sports teams or specialty athletics, he said. Others yearn for greater STEM-based learning opportunities — like those offered at Hansen’s Leawood center. “It’s just like you might have a dance studio, or a baseball academy,” Hansen…