They Keep Bees Queen School

Partnership & Grantee Highlights

They Keep Bees Queen School

Creating a network of budding professional beekeepers to collaborate and thrive

The NE LGBTQIA+ & BIPOC Beekeepers Alliance is spearheaded by They Keep Bees in collaboration with Island Bee Project. Through this network, they aim to engage both within and beyond their Queen School community to remove barriers to access, enabling more BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and women beekeepers to strengthen their skills as professional beekeepers.

This spring, the Alliance launched a pilot program supplying 12 BIPOC beekeepers in the Northeast with package bees, equipment, and mentorship to start or grow their beekeeping operations.

This summer, network leaders at Island Bee Project and They Keep Bees focused on their own professional development by visiting their mentor, Melanie Kirby of the Adaptive Bee Breeders Alliance. The visit aimed to deepen their knowledge of queen breeding systems, drone congregation areas, and sustainable apiary management.

This spring, the Alliance launched a pilot program supplying 12 BIPOC beekeepers in the Northeast with package bees, equipment, and mentorship to start or grow their beekeeping operations.

Next summer, they will again lead a series of convenings based on their Queen School Program, with expanded offerings. Queen School created space for beekeepers to connect and learn about raising queen bees and to connect across differences through hands-on learning, with honeybees as a common denominator. Their work will continue through 2026 and include:

– Quarterly online meetings for technical assistance and relationship-building in an open cohort model;
– Annual field weekend convenings with guest instructors, affinity groups, and recorded content for network distribution; and
– Paid apprenticeships with They Keep Bees and Island Bee Project.

– Quarterly online meetings for technical assistance and relationship-building in an open cohort model;
– Annual field weekend convenings with guest instructors, affinity groups, and recorded content for network distribution; and
– Paid apprenticeships with They Keep Bees and Island Bee Project.

In 2023, support from One Hive empowered They Keep Bees to lead a robust and inclusive Queen School, from which the NE LGBTQIA+ & BIPOC Beekeepers Alliance emerged. The One Hive Foundation provided supplemental funding that allowed Queen School to offer more comprehensive scholarships to LGBTQIA+ & BIPOC students traveling from as far as Maryland, Texas, and Michigan. This funding also enabled Queen School to hire guest speakers Melanie Kirby, Megan Mahoney, and Julia Mahood, all from the ABBA network, to share their expertise with students, covering both their travel expenses and wages.

Together, they are building a diverse beekeeping field!

Queen School video

Queen Rearing Guide