(NAPSI)—While schools continue to teach reading, writing and arithmetic, the blueprint for educators is shifting as teachers notice the value of hands-on science education. Many schools are bringing science to their own backyards—literally—by developing gardens and pollinator plots, where students can learn about agriculture’s hardest-working insects: pollinators.
Sowing Seeds for Bees
Learning about bees’ contribution to the food system in the classroom is certainly important; however, there’s no substitute for seeing these incredible insects in action. One example is Route 40 Elementary School in Maryland, where students are creating a garden maze. For this project, they’ll learn how to budget, oversee seed selection and use their math skills to design the maze.
Students at Cole Valley Christian Schools (CVCS) in Idaho have learned all about pollinators and the structure and function of plants that support them in the classroom. They’ll now take those learnings one step further by establishing a garden on campus to increase pollinator activity in the area.
“Students will be so engrossed in planting, observing and engineering that they won’t know they are even learning,” said Julie Morgan, the STEM coordinator with CVCS.
Pollinators Postgrad
Practical education shouldn’t stop after high school. Students at California’s Mills College are planting a “green screen” along a roadside fence next to a local dog park and farm; they’ll also maintain the area and act as “Bee Ambassadors” in the community, promoting sustainable agricultural practices that improve pollinator health.
By transforming a patch of bare ground into a thriving plant community, the Mississippi Entomological Museum at Mississippi State University will also showcase the importance of diverse forage. Assistant Research Professor JoVonn Hill hopes this project will increase awareness of Black Belt prairies and highlight their importance to local pollinators.
Plant Wildflowers to “Bee” Helpful
Want to help? You can begin by planting pollinator-attractant wildflowers of your own. To bring pollinator education to a school or community near you, do what these schools did: Apply for a Bayer Feed a Bee forage grant. The program has already reached approximately 140 projects in 47 states and Washington, D.C.
Learn More
You can check out the newest grantees and learn how you can apply at www.FeedABee.com.
