For many students, learning ends with the last day of school and restarts in September.

Not so for the nearly 50 students taking part in a summer learning program in Lehighton.The program is led by Martha Cox, a second-grade teacher at Franklin Elementary.She started the summer program more than a decade ago, when a classroom reassignment from first to second grade meant she taught many of the same students for two consecutive years.Instead of reuniting in the fall, she offered her students a chance to stay connected and continue learning throughout the summer."I had so much fun that summer. I couldn't imagine doing a summer without teaching," she said.Cox now opens the program to all Franklin students entering first through fourth grade, and enjoys seeing both students she's already taught and a few children she might be teaching this upcoming school year.The theme for this year is

S.T.E.M.: science, technology, engineering and math.On one busy summer day, that meant lots of hands-on experiments and laughter as young students created rockets and planes to learn about gravity and how things fly.They also read a short book about rockets and living and working in space.Other weeks featured lessons on boats, simple mechanics, and ways to filter water."Children are going to need

S.T.E.M. concepts to be able to get jobs in the future. A lot of jobs are going to need a

S.T.E.M. background," said Cox."They're having a good time and they're learning," she added."It's not the pressure of school. When we read, we read together. They're asking questions and we do things that are fun. It's great for the kids to keep reading and building their skills up during the summer."