Youth Beekeeping Education Grants

The Texas Honey Bee Education Association (THBEA) seeks to increase the number of Texas youth (ages 13–21 as of December 31, 2026) who are interested in beekeeping. To that end, THBEA is offering financial grants to Texas Beekeepers Association (TBA) member beekeeping associations, FFA chapters, and 4-H programs. Grant funds will be used for the development and partial funding of Texas youth beekeeping education programs.

Grant Purpose

Funds from this THBEA grant may be used to:

Create new youth beekeeping education programs in organizations that do not currently have one.
Restart an organization’s inactive youth beekeeping education program.
Assist organizations with limited resources in expanding an existing youth beekeeping education program.

Youth Education Program Elements

For the purposes of this grant, a youth beekeeping education program must contain at least the following elements:

A program sponsor assigned by the awardee organization. This sponsor will be responsible for program oversight and will serve as the primary contact for THBEA.
Instruction in basic beekeeping methods using written materials and/or a published beginner beekeeping book. (See https://texasbeekeeping101.com.)
Instruction in basic honey bee biology using written materials and/or a published beginner beekeeping book.
A structured schedule of instruction covering at least a nine-month period utilizing experienced beekeepers as instructors and mentors.
Youth participants will have access to experienced mentors who can provide individual education, assistance, and encouragement.
Opportunities for youth participants to share their knowledge with other youth interested in beekeeping.
A final presentation by the youth participants to their own organization and to the THBEA Board. Presentations may include written reports, photographs, videos, PowerPoint presentations, or other creative formats. Selected presentations may be featured at the TBA Convention, on the THBEA or TBA websites, in the TBA Journal, or through THBEA social media.

The grant may be used to establish a new youth beekeeping education program, restart a dormant program, or assist organizations with limited resources in expanding an existing program.

Grant funds may support traditional youth beekeeping programs as well as scholarship-based programs. THBEA also encourages applicants to consider innovative, non-traditional approaches to youth beekeeping education. Creativity is encouraged. The goal is to increase the number of Texas youth who become involved in beekeeping as either a hobby or a profession.

THBEA is offering a total of $15,000 in grants, with awards of up to $2,000 per organization during the 2026 grant cycle.

Eligible applicants include Texas Beekeepers Association member associations, FFA chapters, and 4-H programs that do not currently have a youth beekeeping education program or have limited resources to expand an existing one. For example, an organization with a youth scholarship program may wish to establish a hands-on beekeeping education program for local students or create a Honey Queen or Youth Ambassador program. Another example would be using grant funds to purchase honey bees, hives, protective equipment, or educational materials for an FFA or 4-H beekeeping program.

Grant Award Criteria

THBEA will appoint a three-person review committee to evaluate all grant applications and make funding recommendations to the THBEA Board.

Applications will be evaluated using the official THBEA Youth Beekeeping Education Grant Rubric to ensure a fair, consistent, and transparent review process. The committee will consider:

Eligibility of the sponsoring organization and identification of a qualified adult program sponsor.
Alignment of the proposed program with the purpose of the grant, with priority given to new youth programs, the restart of inactive programs, and the expansion of programs with limited resources.
The quality and completeness of the proposed curriculum, including instruction in both basic beekeeping practices and honey bee biology.
A structured program schedule covering at least nine months.
The qualifications and experience of instructors and mentors, along with meaningful mentoring opportunities for participating youth.
Hands-on beekeeping activities that provide practical learning experiences.
Opportunities for youth participants to demonstrate and share what they have learned through presentations or other educational outreach.
A realistic and responsible budget that demonstrates effective use of grant funds.
Innovation, creativity, community involvement, and the long-term sustainability of the program beyond the grant period.

Applicants are encouraged to organize their proposals around these evaluation criteria to assist the review committee in evaluating their application.

Following committee review, the THBEA Board will review and approve the recommended grant recipients before grants are awarded.

Upon grant approval, THBEA will assign each awarded organization a liaison with experience in youth beekeeping education who can provide guidance and serve as a resource throughout the grant period.

Grant Payment and Reporting Requirements

Each awarded organization will provide the current THBEA Director, Freddie Benjamin, with a reliable primary contact, including telephone number and email address, within one month of award notification. Contact information must remain current throughout the grant period.

Each awarded organization will submit two reports during the 2026–2027 grant cycle.

An interim report is due before March 1, 2027, and should summarize the program’s progress, accomplishments to date, and provide an accounting of grant funds spent and how those funds were used.

A final report is due before August 15, 2027. The final report must summarize the completed program and include a presentation prepared by the youth participants. Presentations may consist of written reports, photographs, videos, or PowerPoint presentations.

Each awarded organization is encouraged to submit at least one article describing its youth beekeeping program for publication in the TBA Journal. Whenever possible, the article should be written by one or more youth participants with guidance from their mentor. Each participating organization will receive a one-year subscription to the TBA Journal.

Participating beekeeping equipment suppliers may offer discounts to grant recipients for equipment purchased to support their youth beekeeping education program. THBEA will provide participating organizations with information about participating suppliers.

Grant Timeline

Click Here for Grant Applications Open: August 1, 2026
Grant application deadline: September 30, 2026
Committee and Board review completed by October 2026
Award letters issued on or before November 1, 2026
Acceptance agreements due: November 15, 2026
Grant funds distributed within 30 days of receipt of the signed acceptance agreement.

For questions regarding the THBEA Youth Beekeeping Education Grant Program, please contact:

John “Skip” Talbert
Chairman
Texas Honey Bee Education Association