Education

• JMU’s Lifelong Learning Institute is a membership-based institute dedicated to enriching the intellectual and social lives of adult learners by offering stimulating non-credit educational, social, and travel opportunities.
• JMU’s School of Professional & Continuing Education’s Professional Development offers leadership development, non-credit certificates and certifications and test preparation for individuals and custom trainings for organizations. 
• Everyone is welcome at JMU Libraries! Visitors can access many of our collections, spaces, and services at a library location, including the Community Seed Library, events and workshops. Some community members can borrow and renew materials as Community Borrowers (restrictions apply).

Programs and Camps for Kids & Youth

• SPCE’s Youth Programs provide educational opportunities to K-12th grade students that inspire curiosity, growth, and success while expanding access. Programs include College for Kids, camps, and Honors Institutes, plus many more.
• The University Recreation Center (UREC) offers many different opportunities for children to participate in recreational activities, including Summer Camp UREC, Swim Lessons, Family Hours, and field trips.
• The Valley Scholars program supports first-generation, financially eligible students with academic promise from partner school districts across the Shenandoah Valley, beginning in middle school. Through year-round academic enrichment, program days, and weeklong summer camps from 9th–12th grade, the program fosters a love of learning and builds the skills needed for college success.
• The Gus Bus is a JMU community outreach program that brings free academic enrichment directly to children and families in Harrisonburg, primarily serving Pre‑K through 5th grade students. Through programs like mobile classrooms, after‑school programs, in‑home tutoring, and summer camps, the program promotes literacy, academic achievement, and a love of learning where children live and learn.
• Next Steps Summer Intensives are immersive, on‑campus programs for high school students offered by JMU’s School of Theatre and Dance, providing focused training in dance, musical theatre, and theatre. Participants study with JMU faculty and professional guest artists while experiencing college‑level instruction and facilities at the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts
• The JMU Young Children’s Program (YCP) is an early childhood education program operated by the College of Education, providing children ages birth-5 with high‑quality, developmentally appropriate learning experiences. Enrollment is open to community members. 
• Middle schools and high schools can schedule a group visit to JMU by submitting an online request through JMU Admissions. Group visits typically include an admissions overview and campus experience, and requests should be submitted at least two weeks in advance using JMU’s group visit request form.
• The Professors in Residence (PIR) program partners JMU faculty with Virginia middle and high schools, with professors visiting weekly to mentor students, collaborate with teachers and counselors, support academic development, and help students explore college and career pathways. Local partner schools include: Thomas Harrison Middle School, Skyline Middle School, Harrisonburg High School, and Waynesboro High School.
• The STEM Center connects JMU faculty, students, and community partners to create engaging science, technology, engineering, and math programs that spark curiosity, build STEM skills, and highlight real‑world applications and careers. The STEM Center offers hands‑on events, school partnerships, and outreach programs for K–12 students and educators, expanding access to inclusive STEM learning opportunities across the region.
• The John C. Wells Planetarium is a state‑of‑the‑art facility that offers free public shows on most Saturdays during the academic year (September-May), along with seasonal star talks, summer camps, and public talks and events. The planetarium also hosts weekday school field trips and group visits by reservation.

Arts & Culture

• The Forbes Center for the Performing Arts is a state‑of‑the‑art venue that presents a wide range of dance, music, theatre, and family‑friendly performances by JMU students and nationally and internationally acclaimed artists. Most events are open to the public. Visitors can view the full performance schedule and purchase tickets online at jmuforbescenter.com, by phone, or in person at the Forbes Center Box Office
• Galleries/Museums
  • A newly renovated space for integrative arts, 131 W. Grace is home to the Madison Art Collection, New Image, and artWorks galleries. Galleries are open for visitation Tuesday-Friday, 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. during the academic year. 
  • The Duke Hall Gallery of Fine Art is an active contemporary art space that hosts exhibitions by students, faculty, and artists from across the nation. The gallery is free and open to the public Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., during the academic year.
• The JMU ArtsMobile is a mobile arts site that makes arts and design workshops, performances, and exhibitions available in the community. ArtsMobile dates and locations are on the Office of Creative Propulsion’s Events Calendar.

Events

• Many campus events are open to the public! Explore events at JMU by audience type or category.
• Outside organizations can also rent space on campus for their own events, including spaces in the Festival Student & Conference Center, the Union, Grafton Stovall Theater, Wilson Hall Auditorium, and certain classrooms and computer labs.

Health & Wellness

• Health Resources: The Institute for Innovation in Health and Human Services hosts numerous clinics and outreach programs to support health and wellbeing in the region. 
• Arboretum: The Edith J. Carrier Arboretum  is a 125‑acre botanical preserve featuring themed gardens, woodland trails, and native plant collections that showcase the natural beauty of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. It is open to the public for free year‑round, dawn to dusk each day, and can be visited on a self‑guided basis.

Economic Development

JMU is committed to promoting innovation and economic prosperity across the Shenandoah Valley and the Commonwealth. Key partners include:

• JMU’s Office of Economic & Community Development connects businesses, industry, and economic developers with university resources to advance workforce development, technology transfer, and place-based initiatives. OECD is home to JMU’s Research 2 Impact program, as well as the Valley Internship Experience Workgroup.
• The Shenandoah Valley Small Business Development Center (SBDC) offers free business advising, training, and resources to firms of all sizes across the region. 
• As the region’s economic development organization, Shenandoah Valley Partnership connects investors and business leaders to economic development opportunities in the Shenandoah Valley.