158 students have earned high school diplomas since Goodwill of Colorado opened the Excel Center at its Aurora Iliff campus in 2024, offering free adult high school instead of a GED track.
The campus also runs free job-training programs, including the five-week BankWork$ course for banking careers and the Clean Tech Accelerator for maintaining EV charging stations.
Clara Stewart, who worked part time at the Iliff store while attending the Excel Center, said the program helped her rebuild after a divorce and pursue a diploma.
90 cents of every revenue dollar is reinvested into the community, Goodwill said, helping fund the education and on-the-job training programs for non-traditional students.