Honeybees are a valuable teaching tool in schools, however maintaining a healthy bee hive requires an experienced beekeeper and careful planning. This document is meant to support schools with starting and maintaining bee hives for education purposes in District schools.
Are honeybees already in school gardens?
Yes! About a half-dozen District schools currently have honeybee hives either on-site or at a nearby off-site location.
Are honeybees allowed in DC public and public charter schools?
Yes, honeybees are allowed and even encouraged. Beekeeping was legalized with passage of the Sustainable DC Act of 2012 and the additional regulations in 2015. More information about the rules and regulations of beekeeping can be found here.
My school is interested in honeybees, where do we start?
- The first thing you should do is educate yourself of the basics of beekeeping by taking a short course through the DC Beekeepers Alliance. Information on courses can be found here.
- Next, you should discuss your plans with the school principal and staff, emphasizing the learning opportunities that bees can provide students. Below are two examples of free curriculum that are aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards:
- Next, contact the DC Beekeepers Alliance to find a beekeeper to partner with your school. All schools must partner with an experienced beekeeper.
- Next, educate the school community on how the honeybee hive(s) can support student learning. You may want to focus on one grade level to create a bee- based curriculum.
- Lastly, you should register your hive with the Department of Energy and the Environment.
If you have any additional questions about bees in school please contact Sam Ullery, School Garden Specialist at [email protected]. For questions about registering your hive please contact Natasha Garcia Anderson (DOEE) at [email protected]. Additionally, the DC Beekeepers Alliance is the most up-to-date and reliable source of information about beekeeping in DC.