Bledsoe Co. Middle School has established a foundational model of a school-based enterprise in our school and community which would use the medium of beekeeping as a catalyst from which to improve the academic growth of our students, better prepare them for their careers, and help them relate to the place in which they live.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Education Edge proposes to increase student academic performance and help all students and parents make better college and career choices and prepare for those choices. The beekeeping enterprise will involve each type of student in two groups of twelve from the 6th grade. They will be actively engaged in the planning, development, production, and assessment of the enterprise every year. The enterprise cycle includes the study of science, math, carpentry, accounting, marketing, advertising, and sales, as well as goal setting, and objective development with the support of one teacher. The use of local ASCS agriculture consultants and local apple producers in the advisement, presentations, and study of this beekeeping enterprise is required.

 

The Bledsoe Co. Board of Education Five Year Plan stipulates significant increases annually in student academic performance as well as entrance to post secondary training. The beekeeping enterprise portends to compliment both purposes through a "hands on", "real world enterprise" which motivates, teaches problem-solving and academic performance goals, encourages student awareness and explorations for post-secondary considerations in biology, natural sciences, mathematics, agriculture, produce marketing and related fields.

 

 Due to the rural nature of our school and the lack of diverse business partners we find this beekeeping enterprise to be a foundational activity program on which to build our future. Bledsoe Co. Middle School can become a middle school with heavy emphasis on school based enterprise - an exciting futuristic concept for us. This could be the initial driver to a "new school".

 

Beekeeping is both an art and a science. To be successful, it requires one to work hard, study scientific information, and be a keen observer of nature. Many students feel disconnected from the material they are asked to learn because we as educators have stripped knowledge of its necessary context. This project will improve academics by allowing students to gain important knowledge within its proper context of local place and economic importance. We believe that this type of learning is not only more expedient, but it will also translate empirically into better test scores, create community pride, and develop a viable work force able to sustain themselves locally.

 

Our rural children have been educated to believe that opportunity of every kind lies elsewhere. We believe that projects like this will help our students to understand basic principles of business such as supply and demand, cash flow, accounting, and the importance of marketing. Allowing our students to learn these lessons while working with business and community people can only help them in preparing for their future, and allow them the luxury of choice in career decisions.