Midwestern Beekeepers Association (MBA)
2 YEAR YOUTH SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
APPLICATION / AGREEMENT
OBJECTIVES
- To educate youth in the art of beekeeping and to promote a better understanding of the value of honeybees to our environment and to the food chain.
- To provide an opportunity for youth to experience responsibility and enjoyment through beekeeping.
- To provide an avenue for youth to engage in an avocation and gain the potential to pursue beekeeping as a sideline or a full-time vocation.
The Awards:
The Apis Award
- A Midwestern Beekeepers Association one-year membership.
- A beginning beekeeper seminar and textbook (February or March)
- Mentorship sessions in an apiary with a beekeeper
The Youth Scholarship Award:
Year One:
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- Protective clothing: Full Bee suit and gloves.
- A beginning beekeeper seminar and textbook (February or March)
- Three apiary visits with MBA beekeepers during the first year
- A Midwestern Beekeepers Association annual membership
- Mentoring by a Midwestern Beekeepers Association member.
Year Two:
- A complete set of woodenware for a beehive.
- A nucleus colony or package of bees for the hive.
- Basic beekeeping gear: hive tool, bee brush and bee smoker.
- A beginning beekeeper seminar and textbook (February or March)
- Mentoring by a Midwestern Beekeepers Association member until completion.
- A Midwestern Beekeepers Association annual membership
- In the event that there is more than one participant per family in a single year, there will only be one set of the materials and bees awarded.
ELIGIBILITY
- Be between the ages of 10 and 16 by June 1st of the Award Year.
- Be a resident of Missouri and live in Cass, Jackson, Clay, or Johnson
counties, Missouri.
Note: Winning the award is contingent on finding a mentor
geographically near or willing to travel to the applicant. If you
have questions about a mentor, please contact the Youth
Scholarship Chair or a MWBA Board Member.
- Be currently enrolled in public, private, or home school.
- Have permission to apply from a parent or guardian.
- Have no immediate family members that are currently beekeepers.
- Submit application to Midwestern Beekeepers Association no later than October 31, the year before the Award Year. (unless otherwise previously agreed)
SELECTION PROCESS
- The Midwestern Beekeepers Association Youth Program Committee will arrange an interview with applicants and their parents or guardians.
- The Scholarship Committee will award the scholarship and notify the applicant(s) after the January General Meeting of the Award Year its interview decision.
Midwestern Beekeepers Association
YOUTH SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF AGREEMENT:
The recipient of The Youth Scholarship Award will receive the following at the beginning of their second year of their scholarship:
- Woodenware consisting of either three medium hive bodies or two standard hive bodies with frames and foundation
- Bottom board, top cover, inner cover
- Two medium honey supers with frames and foundation.
- Queen excluder
- Hive Top Feeder
- Nucleus or package of bees with queen
- Beginner’s equipment to start the beekeeping project (smoker, hive tool, bee brush)
- Beekeeping text and instruction notebook.
The recipient will also receive the additional benefits:
- Midwestern Beekeepers Association membership for 2 years
- Mentoring by a Midwestern Beekeepers Association member until completion
- MBA assistance in extracting honey crop
- MBA Beginning Beekeeping Workshop
The recipient The Youth Scholarship Award will:
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- Agree to a (2) two-year commitment from the Youth Scholarship Recipient and Parent/Guardian. (Commitment begins in January)
Note:Parent/Guardian is expected to attend all activities with the student scholar. Attend the Midwestern Beginning Beekeepers Workshops, at no cost to parent/guardian or recipient.
- Visit at least three MWBA beekeepers (current members) during the first year.
- Ask the beekeepers any questions about beekeeping and provide a written summary report to the YS Chairperson of what they learned from those beekeepers, at the December meeting of the first year.
- Attend MWBA monthly meetings for the two years of this scholarship and assist in any way requested, including answering questions regarding facts and observations while visiting apiaries
- Must attend at least 8 of the monthly meetings each year, and be recommended by the MWBA board to progress to the 2nd year of the program.
- Keep a written record complete with dates, photos and other pertinent data sufficient to substantiate all progress of beekeeping experiences.
- Complete two service projects during the program term.
Service projects may include activities such as: speaking to a school class, speaking to a meeting of a youth civic organization (4-H or Scouts), speaking to a church group, assisting in fixing apiary equipment.
- Provide at least one State or County Fair entry related to honey or honey bees (honey, photo contest, gift basket, informative poster, etc.—ask for suggestions)
- Study the material provided in order to become an informed beekeeper.
- Present a final report of activities and progress including service projects and beekeeping records
Optional: Other optional opportunities to volunteer include but not limited to: State Fair, American Royal.
Upon conclusion of the 2nd beekeeping year, if the scholarship recipient has met all requirements, the MWBA President or Youth Scholarship Chairperson, will present her/him a Certificate of Ownership and full ownership of the colony and equipment.
If, at anytime during the beekeeping year, the youth scholarship recipient has neglected to care for the bees, no longer wishes to continue in beekeeping, or has failed to meet the end of year requirements, the scholarship committee will take custody of the hive (including bees) and all related equipment, and will move the hive from the property at which it is located, and will collect from the recipient all related equipment.
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- For complete information and Application; Download the
- Youth Scholarship Application Form Below