Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The goal of theproject is to train secondary school teachers through in-service trainingand by providing teaching resources needed to innovatively stimulate Generation Z student interest in the sciences and address pollinator decline utilizing honeybees. Twelve (12) to sixteen (16)teachers from Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and South Dakota will be selected for training and long-term support. They will receive training in beekeeping and in effectively using the multiple facets of beekeeping in the classroom. Curriula will be developed to initially serve the core group of teachers and later other teachers in the region. The use of apiculture represents a significant basis for innovative cross-cutting inquiry with a high potential to galvanize interest and participation of current Gen Z students. The teachers will be led by a skilled curriculum creator, regional industry representatives, mentors, researchers, and leaders to develop varied and engaging curricula including audio-visual materials. This content will be made available using a free open resource depository. Teachers will receive long-term support through enrollment in the Great Plains Master Beekeeping Program. Local mentors and a technician will make onsite visits to answer questions, offer direction and encouragement, and assess progress. The teachers will be challenged and supported to provide leadership at the state level enabling them to share with other teachers the opportunities that exist for them to utilize apiculture in their respective schools.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
This project will address the goal to train secondary agriculture and environmental studies high school teachers through in-service trainingby providing four (4) 2-day summer workshops over two years plus provide the teachers teaching resources needed to innovatively stimulate Generation Z student interest in the sciences in the context of addressing local and regional pollinator decline issues utilizing honeybees as a focus. Twelve (12) to sixteen (16) teachers from Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, and South Dakota will be selected for training and long-term support.They will receive training in beekeeping and in effectively using the multiple facets of beekeeping in the classroom. A skilled curriculum creator, regional industry representatives, extension personnel, mentors from bee organizations, government agency representatives, researchers, and skilledaudio visual personnel will be used to train and develop engaging curricula. This content will be made available using a free open resource depository. There is the goal of providing the teachers withlong-term support through enrollment in the Great Plains Master Beekeeping Program. Local mentors and a technician will make onsite visits to answer questions, offer direction and encouragement, and assess progress during the duration of the project. The teachers will be challenged and supported to provide leadership at the state level to their peers enabling them to share with other teachers the opportunities that exist for them to utilize apiculture to support STEM education while addressing an agricultural need in their respective schools.
Project Methods
Four (4) 2-day workshops will be administered in the summer of 2023 and 2024 that will train and equip teachers in the fundamentals of beekeeping, expand the environmental knowlege base of the teachers, assist teachers in the development of appropriate curriculum, and assist the teachers in the implementation and testing of the curricula in their respective schools with the support of localmentors and technical support provided by the university. Teachers will be connected to state support groups that exist such as the Bee Squad at the University of Minnesota, the Great Plains Master Beekeeping Program at the University of Nebraska-L,the university extension services of their respective states, state apiarists, local bee clubs, state bee organizations, and business groups that supportbeekeeping activity.The activity will be done with the utillizinguniversity faculty, experienced beekeepers, representatives from beekeepin organizations, representatives from local government, and business representatives from various facets related to beekeeping.