Illustrated Extension apiculture education STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics) book to support educators teaching youth in non-formal learning settings

Abstract

Honeybees and pollinators have received much media attention in recent years, leading to increased public curiosity about their wellbeing and role in nature. This curiosity has increased pressure on Extension educators to provide apiculture education to the public, both youth and adults. However, many Extension youth educators are unfamiliar with the complexities of apiculture and its relationship to agricultural sustainability and natural resources stewardship. Art can help people to better understand STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) topics like apiculture, agriculture and natural resources, making STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics) a suitable learning framework for those seeking to better understand or teach these topics. This creative component resulted in an illustrated apiculture book to support Extension educators teaching youth in non-formal learning settings. The goal of the book was to increase 5th-7th grade youth understanding of the interconnectedness of the natural world and agriculture so that they recognized the value of bees, made conscientious environmental and food decisions, and applied STEAM skills to future activities. The book was designed using the STEAM framework, and is composed of eight topics in chapters; 16 youth learning objectives (two per chapter); eight activities (one per chapter), and 15 illustrations original to the author