Adult learners in Roanoke, VA, are getting a second chance.

According to a news release shared with AFROTECH™, history was made on Aug. 25 with the opening of The Excel Center, the first adult high school in the state. The Excel Center, operated by the Goodwill Industries of the Valleys, is a tuition-free, accredited high school that allows adults to earn a high school diploma, not a GED, as its website states. 

The Roanoke location aims to address poverty in the area. The center will offer Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses that prepare students with hands-on training and skills applicable to industry-wide jobs, according to its website.

“A high school diploma is more than a piece of paper; it opens doors to jobs, future education, and life opportunities,” said Kelley Weems, senior director of community impact at Goodwill Industries of the Valleys, in a news release.

Weems added that The Excel Center will support its students by offering childcare, transportation, life coaching and career support. The Roanoke center will also feature a fully equipped science lab, per the news release.

Furthermore, the school is housed in Melrose Plaza, which was created to address the area’s food desert and build pathways for financial empowerment, per the plaza’s website. With support from partners including the City of Roanoke and Goodwill Industries of the Valleys, the plaza also features a full-service grocery store, a fully operational banking center and a wellness center.

“The Excel Center is part of a bigger vision to eliminate poverty in our region,” Richmond Vincent, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Valleys, commented in a news release.

“By locating it within Melrose Plaza, alongside resources for health, wellness and financial empowerment, we’re ensuring that education doesn’t stand alone. It’s connected to the supports people need to transform their lives as well as the futures of their families,” he continued.