The Hagerstown Valley Apian Society announces the continuation of a Youth Partnership Scholarship Program. This program is to encourage young people between the ages of 12 and 17 to discover the pleasures, benefits, and rewards of beekeeping.

The importance of honeybees to our food supply cannot be overstated. Honeybees are responsible for 1/3 of all the food we eat. Honeybees pollinate more than 50 different agricultural crops valued at over $20 Billion. In addition, honeybees produce beeswax and honey valued at more than $150 Million annually. The National Honey Board estimates that in 2006, the average per capita consumption of honey was about 1.3 pounds per year.

As America’s population has continued to grow, the need for additional domestic food supplies has increased considerably. Yet, the number of managed honeybee colonies in the United States is half of what it was in the 1970’s. Even this reduced number is misleading, because prior to the 1990’s, millions of wild colonies inhabited our woodlands and agricultural areas. Parasites and viruses have decimated the wild population, making managed apiaries the sole source of these wonderful pollinators. To add another problem, a new threat to beekeeping, Colony Collapse Disorder, has been identified by the USDA as the single biggest threat to our nation’s food supply.

Another reason for the diminished supply of honeybees is that number of beekeepers in the United States has fallen dramatically. In 1976 there were about 212,000 beekeepers nationwide. Today there are 200,000. Older beekeepers are retiring and are not being replaced by a younger generation.

This is why we’ve created this new educational program – to introduce young people to the fun, value, and enjoyment of keeping bees. Our hands-on program is designed to help young people learn how to raise and care for bees. In addition, participants will learn about the beekeeping industry, and how to contribute to a critical agricultural pursuit. Of course, one ancillary benefit to the beekeeper is the honey that bees produce (a large productive colony can produce 150-200 pounds of honey in one season).

We ask that those interested complete the application and return to HVAS by October 20, 2008. We will review all applications and select up to four for a brief interview. Based upon the interview, we will select a single recipient of the HVAS Youth Partnership Scholarship.

The applicants accepted into our scholarship program will receive:
• A year’s complimentary membership to the Hagerstown Valley Apian Society,
• A colony of bees with the necessary woodenware,
• Free enrollment in an introduction to beekeeping course (including textbook),
• Mentoring by an experienced qualified beekeeper to help throughout the year.

Your help in forwarding this application package to interested youth is greatly appreciated, and we look forward to introducing the fascinating world of beekeeping to our next generation.

For more information, visit scoutbee.org, or contact HVAS by phone at (240) 217-4083 or email at scoutbee@britts.biz or by mail at
HVAS Youth Partnership Program Coordinator
6136 Rohrersville Rd
Boonsboro, MD 21713