Whole Kids Foundation is built on a spirit of collaboration, and we act as a catalyst for change by investing in partnerships with respected experts in the fields of nutrition and education.

Together, we amplify each other’s efforts to improve children's nutrition and wellness.

Throughout 2023, we are spotlighting our current partners and how these organizations are growing the next generation of healthy eaters.

The Bee Cause Project inspires the next generation of environmental stewards while protecting our planet’s precious pollinators. They teach collaboration, inspire curiosity, and foster STEAM skills through discovery-based learning in schools around the world.

Since 2015, Whole Kids Foundation and The Bee Cause Project have worked together on our shared Bee Grant program, providing support for educational beehives and bee programming so students can observe bees up close and learn about the vital role these pollinators play in our food system. Our partners at The Bee Cause Project are true bee and hive experts and together we’ve awarded over 850 Bee Grants across the U.S. and Canada helping to bring the wonder of bees to over 1.4 million students.

We reached out to Emilee Ellingburg, Director of Educational Programs at The Bee Cause Project, to get the scoop on how they are helping kids learn to love fresh, nutritious, whole foods.

WHOLE KIDS FOUNDATION (WKF): WHAT IS THE BEE CAUSE PROJECT’S APPROACH TO ADVANCING CHILDREN’S NUTRITION AND WELLNESS?

The Bee Cause Project: We believe that it is important for everyone, especially children, to know where their food comes from. That means starting at the beginning of the food system to understand why pollinators are key players. Bees are responsible for pollinating 70% of the top 100 food crops worldwide, accounting for 90% of the world’s nutrition. Our grant programs, including the Bee Grant, are designed to provide educational pathways to making real-world connections between bees and food ecosystems.

Wellness also includes mindfulness, a much-needed element in schools and child-care centers in today’s post-pandemic world. Our network of educators that share our mission embrace the value of students spending time in the garden to reconnect with the sights and sounds of nature. We provide resources for practical and meaningful ways to spend time in the outdoors including Garden Journaling, Garden Find and Seek, designing Phenology Wheels, finding Sit Spots, creating Sound Maps, and so much more in our curricula and newsletters. We feel like we could use a little more sunshine and fresh air in our lives!

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR KIDS TO LEARN ABOUT OR BE EXPOSED TO LIVE BEES?

Watch any busy beehive for a few minutes and you’ll quickly see: honey bees are most powerful and productive when they work together. They are the very definition of a community whose survival is based on every bee doing its job in harmony with the hive. Bees are fascinating to watch as they bring pollen and nectar to the hive, clean and groom the queen, carry away debris, build honeycombs, and complete their cosmic tasks. The hive has been described as a miniature farm that can be utilized in both urban and rural settings no matter what your campus fence lines may look like – making a beehive the perfect learning tool.

HOW DO YOU CHANGE THE MINDS OF THOSE WHO MIGHT BE AFRAID TO HAVE LIVE BEES ON THEIR CAMPUS?

It is natural for people to fear bees. After all, sometimes they sting, but most of the time, they don't. And that's for good reason--honey bees die after stinging! And while most people have some experience with being stung, it is most often a pain brought on by wasps, yellow jackets, or hornets rather than honey bees or other native bees. Honey bees that you may find on the playground are only interested in finding resources like food and water, they are not interested in humans in the least. And as long as the hive’s entrance is away from foot traffic and doorways, the bees will happily go about their “bees-ness” with no incidents.

When schools and other non-profit organizations add new hives or add bees to an existing apiary, we provide suggestions to quell the fears of students, educators, and families who may still be hesitant about having live bees on campus. We recommend reading over our Bee Campus Safety document to learn more about how to create a safe space for students and for bees!

IF A SCHOOL IS NOT READY TO HOST LIVE BEES, WHAT ARE SOME WAYS THEY CAN GET STARTED SUPPORTING POLLINATORS?

There are many ways that you can get involved in pollinator education even if your organization is not ready to host live bees. We suggest starting with the Bee A Friend to Pollinators lesson plan and campus assessment to see if pollinators find your campus to be a hospitable home for food, water, and nesting resources. The lesson highlights actionable steps towards making changes to encourage more pollinating visitors to your school or organization.

From there, pick a virtual field trip, or book club challenge, or dig deeper into one of our full curriculum offerings to learn more about the wonderful world of bees. The 6-Week Bee Unit provides hands-on activities for all ages to learn more about types of bees, why they dance, what the queen’s job is, and how they make honey. The I Speak for the Bees! Student Workbook and Educator Guide provide a wonderful opportunity to help students begin to form opinions and advocate for real-world changes to support pollinators using their own unique voices. Check out our Resource Library on our website at thebeecause.org and start exploring ways to get involved!

WHAT CURRENT OR UPCOMING PROJECT OR PROGRAM IS YOUR TEAM EXCITED ABOUT RIGHT NOW?

We are thrilled to announce our Pollinator Habitat Grant! This program is designed to “teach the teacher” via an online 6-week course with our partners at Clemson University Extension about the importance of pollinators and how to design and build pollinator-friendly habitats on school and non-profit campuses throughout South Carolina. Our educators receive certification credit hours, one-on-one guidance from our team, state and local resources, educational tools, and a monetary stipend to build the pollinator habitat of their dreams! To date, we’ve given over 50+ digital badges, and over 1,000 renewal credits toward certification, and provided unlimited food resources for thousands of bees, butterflies, beetles, birds, and beyond. We hope to expand beyond our own backyard in the future!

We are also working with Medway Park Community Gardens and Conestee Nature Preserve to create Interpretive Pollinator Gardens as examples of ways to support pollinators on a macro-scale. The goal is to create the ideal space for anyone to visit and learn ways to support pollinators at home or school on a micro-scale. This is a very exciting opportunity for The Bee Cause to help create and promote pollinator health on multiple levels in our community.