The following School-Based Beekeeping Programs re being recognized by MSBA for their important work as educators helping to create the next generation of Maine beekeepers.
Bangor High Apiary at Bangor High School
The Beekeeping program at Bangor High School is new for 2025. Our mission is to educate students about the role of honey bees and other pollinators in our environment, teach responsible and sustainable beekeeping methods,and how we can best support native pollinator populations in our area. Our program has been made possible by a generous grant from Maine Bee Wellness. With their support we will be constructing our apiary on the BHS campus as soon as weather permits this spring.
Products for Sale: none at this time
Bee Club at South Portland High School
The Bee Club at South Portland High School was founded in 2016 by a group of students passionate about beekeeping and environmental conservation. The club’s primary goal is to educate students on the art and science of beekeeping while fostering an appreciation for pollinators. Each year, members care for the school’s beehives, which typically number two but often expand to four during the summer months. In the fall, the club harvests and sells honey as a fundraiser, and to maintain a sustainable hive population, they occasionally sell colonies or overwintered nucs. Through hands-on experience, the Bee Club continues to provide students with valuable skills and knowledge about beekeeping and hive management.
Products for Sale:
– Fall honey sales to SPHS staff & students
– Overwintered nuc’s as needed
– Colonies as needed
Contact: Email
Cape Elizabeth High School Beekeeping Club
The program was started about 6 years ago by students who applied for a grant from CEEF (Cape Elizabeth Educational Foundation) to learn about beekeeping. Over the years students have been active in hive inspections, honey extraction and overwintering colonies. At the moment they have one live colony, and are hoping to split it this spring.
Products for sale: honey when we have it
Contact: Jen Gray, at 860-944-4706 or Email
Georgetown Central School – Bee Friends Honey
Our program was one of the first of its kind in Maine, established in 2016 by kindergarten students with the support of a $1,500 honeybee grant from the Whole Kids Foundation, in partnership with the Bee Cause Project. Our mission is to educate children about the importance of honeybees, including how to care for them and understand their benefits. While our long-term goal is to harvest honey, we have faced challenges with maintaining healthy and strong hives over the past three years. Recently, we applied for a grant through a local foundation to help rebuild the program from the ground up. Remarkably, this initiative has not incurred any costs for the school, a testament to the dedication and hard work invested in its development. Although we encountered initial resistance, the program has now become an integral part of our school community.
Products for sale: We have been able to sustain our program through the generous donations of our products, including t-shirts, honey, and honey fluff in the past.
Contact: Laurie Martin Email, (207) 371-2160, 52 Bay Point Rd
GHS Beekeeping Club – Gorham High School
Our club’s goals are 1. to be trained beekpeers with healthy hives and 2. to educate our community about the amazing honey bee We were started by a high school student named Brooke Philips and we have been operating for 6 years.
Products for sale: seasonally we have honey but not currently we also sell water bottle stickers and lip balm when in stock
Contact:Email
MeANS Bee Apiary at Maine Academy of Natural Sciences
Tony Judczak and Kevin Fabian taught a beekeeping course at our school in 2013. Every since then, we have been maintaining 2 to 3 hives on our campus. Each summer, our 10th graders, participate in a 2 week intensive, learning the basics of beekeeping.
Products for sale: honey
Contact: Jeffry Chase 13 Easler Rd Hinckley Maine 04944, 419-6500,
Email
Morse High School Apiary
The Morse High School Bee Club goal is to engage students in the importance of bees and other pollinators for environmental health, biodiversity, and agriculture. Educational Outreach: Teach students about bee biology, behavior, and the ecological roles of bees, focusing on how crucial they are for pollination and food production. Environmental Stewardship: Promote awareness about environmental challenges that bees face, such as habitat loss, pesticides, and climate change, and encourage students to take actions that benefit local ecosystems. Hands-on Beekeeping Experience: Students learn about and participate in managing a beehive, which can give them practical skills in beekeeping, hive management, products of the hive, and honey extraction. Pollinator Garden Creation: Create and maintain pollinator-friendly gardens around the school, planting native flowers and plants that attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Community Engagement: Share knowledge with the school and local community through workshops, presentations, and honey sales, in order to raise awareness and appreciation for pollinators. Scientific Research: For students interested in science, the club might undertake small research projects related to bee behavior, hive health, or pollinator diversity, which could lead to science fair projects or other academic opportunities.
Ultimately, Morse High School Bee Club aims to foster environmental awareness, scientific curiosity, and practical skills in students, while encouraging them to act as advocates for bee conservation.
Products for sale: Honey and on special occasions honey chocolates, lip balm, salves, lotions, and candles.
Contact: Carolyn Nichols Email
Mountain Valley Community School (RSU10)
The 4th graders will be learning about honey bees and beekeeping, then they will share their knowledge with the other students at Meroby Elementary. The 4th graders will become Beekeeping Ambassadors for the school and community. The 5th graders will continue learning about beekeeping and expand their knowledge through additional experiences and research. There will be summer youth beekeeping experiences offered as well.
It is our hope that through engaging with beekeeping, student attendance will increase and they learn more calming/coping skills to help them deal with emotional struggles. Each time students come into the apiary enclosure, a beekeeper will be there to teach, guide and facilitate their experience. Products for sale: MV Bees offers the sale of honey, queen bees, and crafts made by students.
Contact: Email
Website: MV BeesSkowtown Honey at Skowhegan Area High School and SCTC
In the spring of 2020, we began raising bees at SAHS as a fundraising initiative for the Eco-Team—a school club dedicated to addressing environmental issues in our local community. We wanted a fundraising method that aligned with our mission, and bees felt like the perfect fit! What started as a simple project quickly grew into a full-fledged beekeeping program, which has since expanded into a summer class offered through SCTC. Our mission is to provide students with an authentic learning experience that equips them with valuable skills benefiting both themselves and their community. In the short term, we aim to sell more honey (we are drowning in it) and establish a second apiary. Our long-term goals include rearing our own queens and investing in a large, weather- and mouse-proof shed to store all of our equipment.
Products for sale: Summer and Fall Honey
Contact: Email
South Bristol School
We started the apiary in conjunction with our garden program to help teach our students SEL and other important learning that comes from Green Care practices.
Products for sale: n/a
Contact: Deb Thibodeau 644-8177, Email
UNE Honeybee Conservation Club – University of New England
The UNE Honeybee Conservation Club is dedicated to promoting and organizing educational and hands-on learning activities relate to honey bee conservation and bee-keeping husbandry. The club works closely with other environmentally-oriented campus organizations, such as Earth’s ECO and the Edible Campus Initiative to maintain healthy bee colonies and contribute to UNE’s overall sustainability.
Contact: Althea, Email