When children say, “I’ve heard that book before,” I love to answer: “You’re so lucky to get to hear it again. Good books are worth reading again and again!”

Even though school is out, summer is full of opportunities for learning. Good news: keeping your kids engaged doesn’t have to feel like work. In fact, we encourage play — especially when that play involves exploring options for their future. To help you make the most of family time this summer, we’ve compiled a list of activities you can do to have fun, make memories and inspire your children.

“What do you want to do with your life?” 

Some kids will talk your ear off when you ask them this question, while others will simply roll their eyes, shrug and say, “I don’t know, I’ll figure it out later.” 

Whether they realize it or not, later is coming sooner than they think! Instead of waiting for that class assignment on career pathways, here are some books your family can enjoy this summer to inspire your kids to start thinking about their futures.

Is your son or daughter thinking about enlisting in the military after high school? As the senior transitions manager for the USO Pathfinder Program, a nonprofit organization to help service members make the shift from military service to the civilian workforce, my job is to give them the tools and resources to become successful employees after their service ends.

The end of the school year can really test parents. We see these humans (who aren’t so tiny anymore) completing major milestones, and we’re so proud of everything they’ve accomplished. We revel in every awards ceremony and final competition and tear up with every certificate of participation or recognition given. It feels good to see the rewards of all their work and know you’ve both survived another long academic year (especially this one!).

Many parents and guardians find themselves coaching their offspring in the basics of job interviewing. As a mom and someone who has spent much of her professional career coaching young people in the Junction City area on job employability skills, I’ve compiled this list of tips parents can use when helping your nervous son or daughter prepare for their big day.

By Dr. Cynthia Lane, Co-Chair, Governor’s Council on Education 

How many times have you asked, or heard a young person in your family ask, “Why do I have to know this?  I’ll never use this _____ (fill in the blank).”

You may be hearing the acronym “IPS” used at your child’s school and be wondering what that means. Introduced in 2014, the individual plan of study (IPS) is a tool to help students explore possible future careers. An IPS includes all the processes and products that work together throughout a student’s educational career to help the student make informed decisions about a post-secondary education and career path. Knowing more about the IPS can help parents like you help your child get even more out of the process.

WorkKeys is a system of foundational skills assessments that ACT developed in the 1990s to help businesses match the skills of current or potential employees to the requirements of positions. As part of the Kansans Can vision for the future of public education in our state, the Kansas Legislature appropriated funds to provide one free WorkKeys suite of assessments to all public high school juniors.

Hi! I’m Jim Genandt, President/CEO of Manhattan Area Technical College (MATC) in Manhattan, Kansas. MATC is an institution of higher education, and our emphasis is on HIRE education. We help our students enter the workforce with skills for essential occupations.