School's out for summer, but that doesn't mean learning has to stop! If you're looking to pick up a new skill, try programming. It's fun, challenging and can potentially be a very valuable (and lucrative) skill.
With a plethora of languages to choose from, I recommend starting with Ruby. The code is intuitive, relatively easy to read as a non-programmer and you can make some really cool projects fairly easily. Best of all, there are a variety of resources, both online and offline to help you learn.
San Francisco's Blazing Cloud regularly runs low cost classes for aspiring developers. If you're more of a self starter and work best in a less structured environment, Noisebridge has a free weekly Ruby class that meets on Tuesdays. If you'd like to meet Ruby developers, learn even more about the language and solve unique challenges, The SF Ruby Meetup is the perfect place. With meetings scheduled every couple of weeks, you can attend a hack night where you can work on your projects and get help from your peers.
Finally, there are a variety of resources online to help you pick up the language. Chris Pine's "Learn to Program" is a great website, and covers all the basics. Ruby Koans and Ruby Warrior are also excellent guides that teach you how to program interactively.
What skills are you taking up this summer? Let us know in the comments.