Editorial: Education

To quote shock-rocker Alice Cooper of years gone by, "School's out for summer."

Lee County wrapped up the academic year a week ago, and Collier public schools wrote the final chapter of 2005-06 on Friday.

Students are released from the rigors of education to a summer of ... who knows?

Some will work. Others will volunteer their time to local charities or maybe a vacation Bible school, or they might take a summer trip to — gasp! — an educational location such as Washington, D.C., or a national park.

Let's not stop there.

A cruise, if you peek beneath the obvious, offers a chance to find out how the Caribbean was influenced by the horrors of the slave trade. Or, maybe you'd prefer a lesson in how our country was founded with a visit to New England and its bountiful offering of history.

A trip west will open the opportunities to learn about cowboys, mountains, deserts and, if you go far enough, a perfect California surfing wave or even our 49th and 50th states.

Who knows who might film the next great teenage epoch? The digital world awaits.

Although it's time to "chill" from the demands of a school year, students should keep sight of their education. The right kind of fun is most likely educational, too, and looks great on a college application.

For returning students, have a great summer. Your next school year awaits.