Huneebee Project

Provision of employment and job skills training: 13 youth ages 15 through 21completed a 15-week therapeutic and transferable job skills training program. Youth worked 3 through 28 hours per week and were compensated $15.50 through $17.50 per hour. Youth services included: beekeeping instruction general supervision guidance in financial literacy and budgeting problem solving around obstacles to employment and timeliness and short-term counseling to address intersection of mental health and employment.

Hosting of free community-based workshops: Free weekly workshops help in 3 of the Huneebee operated gardens from July - September 2023. These workshops were open to the public and included lessons on honey bee biology backyard beekeeping planting for pollinators and identifying native bees. School-based workshops were available on a sliding-fee scale and held at local public schools private schools and daycares. These included lessons about honey bees beekeeping equipment and the importance of pollinators.

Installation and maintenance of bee hives in community gardens in disinvested neighborhoods. 40 bee hives and approximately 2.4 million honey bees were maintained from January - December 2023. Maintenance included regular hive checks honey harvesting integrated pest management feeding of sugar water insulation to protect against climate and installation of mouse guards.