As standards rise, we expect more of our children academically than we probably ever have. And at a younger age.

Which means they can’t afford to let a whole summer go by without cracking a book or attending some kind of structured activity. Summer learning loss is a real thing, one that teachers note every August.

That’s why programs like the Flight Academy and the MESS Hall are important. Just as the UWF summer camps that offer students things such as marine science camp and “Mythbusters”-styled weeklong sessions.

Particularly those camps that focus on science and math-related skills, which our students lag in.