CCHBA Scholarship Application

Objectives

  • To educate youth in the art of beekeeping to promote a better understanding of the value of honey bees 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 full-time vocation.
  • To further CCHBA’s mission of educating the public about the importance of honey bees.

The Recipient Will Be Provided

  • A set of woodenware for a beehive.
  • A nuc or package of honey bees for the hive.
  • Beekeeping equipment: hat, veil, gloves, hive tool, and bee smoker.
  • A beginning beekeeper seminar (20 hours, over 5 classes, held once a month in the first part of the year), registration and textbook.
  • A one-year family membership in CCHBA.
  • Mentoring by a CCHBA member for one year.
  • Location to extract honey, free of charge to the student for the first year.
  • One free entry in the annual honey contest (including two free jars).
  • A yellow “Worker Bee” t-shirt, to be worn at all meetings and activities.

Eligibility

  • The applicant must be between the ages of 12 and 17 by December 1st of the current year.
  • The applicant must be willing to travel to monthly meetings and classes.
  • The applicant must be currently enrolled in public, private, or home school.
  • The applicant must have permission and agreement from parent or guardian.
  • The applicant must reside in Collin or a surrounding county.
  • The application must be submitted to CCHBA no later than October 25th of the current year.
  • The applicant or the applicant’s immediate family cannot already be maintaining honey bee colonies.

Program Committee

  • Finalists will be selected by the Youth Program Committee.
  • The Program Committee will arrange an interview with scholarship finalists and their parents/guardian.
  • The scholarship will be awarded to those applicants selected by the Program Committee and presented at the CCHBA December Banquet preceding the scholarship year.

Required Student Development Activities

  • Attend all beginning beekeeping classes (both the student and parent/guardian).
  • Attend at least 10 of the association monthly meetings during the scholarship year.
  • By January 31, the student will write a paragraph about themselves for the Beeline, as introduction to the club.
  • In the course of the scholarship, the student will: (1) present a short progress report of their beekeeping activities to date. This is called the hive report; (2) research and present a honey bee related topic to an audience; (3) write a follow up report of researched topic for the Beeline by the 21st of the month of their presentation.
  • Assist in the Texas Beekeepers Association Honey Booth with an experienced beekeeper during the State Fair of Texas (late September-October).
  • Help facilitate the regular monthly meetings by assisting in various roles.

The Award

Upon successful completion of all requirements, a Certificate of Completion and full ownership of the colony and the equipment will be presented at the December Banquet at the conclusion of the scholarship year.

For additional information, contact Shannon LaGrave, CCHBA Youth Scholarship Program Chair.