EARN YOUR
HIGH SCHOOL
DIPLOMA

McKinney-Vento: Homeless Children & Youth Program Liaison Members

Elkhart:

Mike Gallo

School Director Excel Center Elkhart – McKinney-Vento Liaison

mgallo@excelcenterhs.org

2626 Prairie Street

Elkhart, IN 46517

574-850-8808 (cell phone)

Gary:

Maria Lopez

Lead Life Coach – McKinney-Vento Liaison

mlopez@excelcenterhs.org

219-980-6381

4830 W. Ridge Road

Gary, IN 46408

Hammond:

Joycie Brantley

Life Coach Hammond Excel – McKinney-Vento Liaison

Jbrantley@excelcenterhs.org

219-844-1911

3438 169th Street

Hammond, IN  46323

South Bend:

Melissa LaPlace

School Director Excel Center South Bend – McKinney-Vento Liaison

mlaplace@excelcenterhs.org

574-314-5570

2721 Kenwood Avenue

South Bend, IN 46628

IDOE Website McKinney-Vento Program:

https://www.in.gov/doe/home/mckinney-vento-homeless-children-and-youth-program/

Homeless students’ rights:

https://www.in.gov/doe/files/Students-Rights.pdf

Directory of State and Federal Resources:

https://naehcy.org/sources

https://www.ed.gov/

https://homelesslaw.org/

Bulletins and other resources:

https://garyhousing.org/

https://www.in.gov/fssa/dfr/snap-food-assistance/

https://foodbanknwi.org/

Enrollment is open to any Indiana resident who does not have a high school diploma. Submitting your application is an easy process: Click the button at the bottom of the page to apply and our staff will contact you. Please call if you don’t hear from us. If you have high school credits, please contact that high school to obtain a copy of your transcripts. Schedules are year-round with five 8-week terms.

Day and evening courses are offered Monday-Thursday with Fridays available for extra tutoring and support. Partial and full-day schedules are available with classes offered in the morning and afternoon to fit around your schedule. Some locations also offer evening classes.

Students graduate from The Excel Center with an Indiana Core 40 high school diploma, not a GED. Opportunities are also available at all locations for college credit and industry-recognized certification courses.

The Core 40 high school diploma marks a student passing all the requirements to graduate high school in Indiana. A GED is a General Educational Development program, or GED, is an alternative to the traditional high school diploma that’s given after a 7-hour test on five subject areas. Individuals who have a GED may still enroll to earn a Core 40 high school diploma.

Yes! You can follow us here!

If you are an adult enrolled in one of our Excel Centers: Yes! Kids Excel is a free drop-in childcare that’s available for all Excel Center students.

Kids Excel is built around the HighScope curriculum, which provides a consistent routine day-after-day that gives children the sense of security they need to make choices and take risks, which opens the door to exciting learning opportunities. Click here for details.

HighScope works side-by-side with teachers and programs studying classroom practice and child outcomes. The HighScope Curriculum is uniquely designed to provide a rich academic foundation while promoting independence, decision making, cooperation, creativity, and problem solving in young children.

Research proves that high-quality early education improves a child’s chances for long-term success and that the positive impact of high-quality early education goes beyond the child to improve the lives of future generations. Children who receive high-quality early education compared to those who do not:
• Are more prepared for school
• Are more emotionally mature and self-regulated
• Have higher graduation rates and college attendance
• Have more stable employment and higher salaries
• Create more stable home environments for children
• Are healthier adults
• Are more civically engaged