Mark your calendars: Time to sign up for free summer science program

Registration begins next week for GlaxoSmithKline's very popular Science in the Summer enrichment program.

These half-day summer science programs are free ... you read that right, free!! ... for rising second graders to rising eighth graders. The program is administered through Morehead Planetarium and Science Center here in North Carolina, but it takes place at libraries and other sites across the region.

My daughter attended last year for the first time and absolutely loved it. She learned all about simple machines and was excited to go back to camp each day.

This year, the focus is on genetics. According to the program's website, "students will learn about genetics through investigations of cell structure, chromosomes, DNA, and animal adaptations." The program is led by a certified teacher, who is assisted by a high school student.

The camps are open to anybody and, as you can imagine, fill up very, very quickly. There is a rolling registration period for the camps. It begins Monday and continues to the end of March.