JMU School of Professional & Continuing Education (SPCE) is designed to engage the community in a lifetime of learning opportunities. Located in the Shenandoah Valley and a stone's throw from our nation's capital, JMU is uniquely positioned to connect with a variety of communities – rural, governmental, corporate, educational, nonprofit, civic, and others. SPCE is committed to serving these vibrant communities through learning in both credit and non-credit scenarios, as well as a variety of engagement initiatives including youth programs, professional development, and enrichment activities. Part of Academic Affairs, SPCE serves as a catalyst by leveraging JMU resources to create mutually beneficial partnerships. SPCE connects with countless community partners to provide services locally, nationally, and globally to create new knowledge in multiple forms with those on campus and off and to engage members of the JMU community in embodied and innovative learning. Our mission is "to provide access to anyone seeking opportunities for educational or personal growth," and we honor all possible pathways to such learning. At the heart of this university's mission is the commitment to prepare students "to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives" and so positions JMU as "the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world." This desire for engagement speaks to faculty teaching and research, student learning and flourishing partnerships with the many communities beyond our campus. In 2010, JMU was classified as a Carnegie Community Engaged University. As one of only 361 of the more than 4,000 universities in the U.S. to receive the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, JMU's commitment to engagement is obvious. This prestigious ranking recognizes the tradition of meaningful, valuable and sustainable community engagement built into the DNA of JMU.