Summer fun starts in Kansas!

What a difference a few months make! The grass is green, the sun is shining and the days are getting longer. And soon, Kansas students will be starting summer vacation and, before you know it, they will be bored.

What activities are available for students to enjoy that are often free and accessible? One of my favorites is a visit to the public library. Summer is a great time for children and families to discover their local libraries and find out everything they have to offer. Visiting the libraries is a fun way to keep students reading while also helping them retain the reading skills they acquired during the school year. Studies have shown that children who read during the summer are more likely to read at their grade level or above their peers who don’t read during the summer. Check out your local library for details regarding materials, programs and activities they might offer.

Summer is also a great time for learning more about the arts, sciences, government and history of Kansas. These opportunities abound across the state. Kansas has more than 317 museums just waiting to be explored including five that are national historical sites. For example, the Eisenhower Library and Museum in Abilene and the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum in Atchison are just two nationally recognized museums in Kansas that highlight famous residents. And don’t forget about Lecompton, which contains the first territorial capitol museum as well as Constitution Hall.

One of only 16 salt mines in the United States is located in Hutchinson. This mine is the only one with an underground museum open to tourists in the entire western hemisphere. This exotic environment is carved from salt deposits formed over 280 million years ago. A tram ride through the mine allows visitors to see naturally occurring geologic formations and artifacts left behind from decades past.

We must also not leave out some of the other great sites to visit, including:

• Fort Larned National Historic Site, one of the best preserved authentic frontier post in the American West.
• Pawnee Indian Museum State Historic Site, one of the only museums in the central plains that tells the story of an indigenous tribe.
• Brown vs. Board of Education National Historic site, the only site in the United States that commemorates the landmark Supreme Court decision to end racial segregation in public schools.

Finally, the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and the Flint Hills are one of the true wonders in Kansas. Tallgrass prairie once covered 170 million acres of North America. However, finding the prairie soils outstanding for growing crops, less than 1% now remains, mostly in the Flint Hills of Kansas. This makes it one of the rarest and most endangered ecosystems in the world.

This summer, gasoline prices might make long distance travel challenging for many families; fortunately there is plenty to discover right here in Kansas to make summer fun and educational. Here’s hoping all of you have time for some educational fun this summer. Remember, summer can be both healthy and fun for all of us. Take time to start traditions supporting a well-read, active family.

Alexa Posny
Kansas Commissioner of Education