Although it may not be official for a couple more weeks, summer is essentially here. George Rogers Clark High School seniors have taken the plunge into adulthood. Other students have gotten out early to attend 4-H camp, pre-planned family vacations or other excursions. The rest of the students will be out in two days, all excited to make the most of those two magical words: summer vacation.

Despite how much things have changed over the years, this remains a constant as youth everywhere cannot wait to enjoy this almost-sacred time.

As we have said many times in the past, that doesn’t mean learning has to end. Education and fun are not mutually exclusive to one another.

Our region offers so many opportunities to blend the two while simultaneously making memories that will last a lifetime.

We hope parents take advantage to bond with their children while continuing to further their education.

The possibilities are endless.

Educational field trip options are everywhere and many of them won’t cost a dollar. A trip to a local museum, a historic site, a state park or another attraction can all be low-cost, high-value entertainment.

The Clark County Public Library can be a great resource in terms of books, movies and educational activities — all of which are free — along with the summer reading program.

Leeds Center for the Arts and other local organizations are offering a variety of camps that expertly blend education and fun .

You don’t even have to leave the house. Creating your own lesson plans are easy enough with the help of the Internet.

If you have a child who won’t put down technology to take advantage of the great outdoors, then find some of the host of games offering education about math, science, history or the world around us.

Summer can also be the perfect time to teach critical lessons about independence and responsibility by giving children chores and tasks designed to help them grow up a little bit.

None of this means you can’t enjoy the pool, sleeping in, lazy days at the beach and more, but it certainly makes a difference when it comes to enriching the lives of our children and strengthening our community.