Adult and Community Education (ACE) offers lifelong literacy programs and educational opportunities for all residents and students of Fairfax County through creative use of instruction and implementation of best academic and business practices. ACE programming typically offers approximately 4,000 classes with 20,000 enrollments annually. The core ACE mission is to preserve an operationally efficient adult education program that meets state and local requirements and provides opportunities for better alignment with FCPS’s mission both for lifelong learning and career and development instruction. ACE offers a combination of face to face classes at anchor sites throughout Fairfax County and virtual education opportunities with an emphasis on:

Adult English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes,

Apprenticeship as well as Trade and Industry,

Business and Computer classes and certifications,

Health and Medical Career classes and certifications,

Workplace Training,

Adult World Languages,

Adult Enrichment,

Driver Education, including Behind-the-Wheel training, and

Selected K-12 enrichment programming. 

In addition, ACE collaborates with regional organizations that promote workforce development and with the Fairfax County Government to ensure that vital, popular, and targeted enrichment classes such as world languages, culinary arts, personal improvement, and lifelong learning are offered.

Our administrative offices are in Falls Church, Virginia and our Registration office in Springfield, Virginia.

Established in 1955 by action of the Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) School Board, ACE began with 108 students. ACE is now one of the largest adult education, non-collegiate institutions in the nation. Most classes are supported by user fees and grants and are not funded from the school system’s operating budget.