Build Challenge Winners

Teachers, group leaders, and homeschool parents - thank you so much for your "Kids and Bees Build Challenge" submissions! 

While we are excited to gather together, in the future, for the American Beekeeping Federation Annual Convention’s “Kids and Bees Event” – in 2021 we turned challenges into opportunities by partnering up with our friends at MINECRAFT: EDUCATION EDITION.

This year’s event was an adventure in creating habitat for our bees, virtually, using our “Build with Bees!” game.

Students were challenged to work collaboratively in groups to design either a bee-friendly garden or farm.

We want to acknowledge what a crazy time this is for educators. We know many educators are teaching remote school, mixed remote and classroom, or classroom laden with pandemic protocols. Yet we still received many submissions from all over the world! The Build Challenge Committee wanted to send an extra shout out of gratitude to all who participated, as we know how overwhelming this time is for teachers, and we so appreciate you taking the time to lead your students to learn how to care for our bees!

Though we have selected only a few builds who met, or exceeded, the objectives to receive prizes, they are all winners - as they made the Build Challenge Committee so happy as they reviewed the videos!

Also! A big thank you to the committee who put in many hours in our weekly meetings over the last two months, and to the Foundation for the Preservation of Honey Bees for sponsoring this virtual event!

Our Team:

  • Karelia Ver Eecke, Jackson Soil & Water Conservation District Education & Outreach Coordinator

  • Tara Laidlaw, Southern Oregon Land Conservancy Education Program Manager & Kids and Bees Educational Content Developer

  • Mike Klem, American Beekeeping Federation Education Committee Member & Kids and Bees Super Volunteer

  • Alessandro Broido, Two Way Immersion Bilingual Teacher, Hanby Middle School

  • Annika Bowman, Dartmouth College, Environmental Studies and Geography & Kids and Bees Intern

  • Sarah Red-Laird, American Beekeeping Federation Kids and Bees Director

The committee is already cooking up a few ideas for our next build challenge, and we hope you join us again in enrolling your students in the challenge, or helping us to spread the word.

See this link to enjoy the winning builds, we’re sure you will be as inspired as we were!

 

Sarah Red-LairdComment