While there is about a month left before the new school year gets started, the ability for our youth to get an early introduction to college began this week.

The Ohio University Southern Academy of Excellence at both the Ironton and Proctorville campuses provide the ability for those in grades 1-6 to follow in their parents’ footsteps.

The two-week program, which features an abundance of activities offered to our youth, continues to be an asset to our community.

It can be difficult to get children engaged in learning while on summer break, but these courses allow children to learn in an environment that is unlike their normal classrooms.

Several offerings this year include cheerleading and dance, horseback riding, sports, history, culinary arts and computer technology.

Another element that is important is that these children get to see first hand what it is like to go to college. While it is much different from a traditional class, the program allows the students to experience collegem which can get the ball rolling on potential paths after high school.

The final element that makes this such a wonderful occurrence is that it provides a safe environment for two weeks out of the summer. This is a key component.

While all children enjoy being off for the summer, continuing to find ways to promote education is important.