Whole Kids Foundation Awards Bee Hive Grants to Two Washington, D.C. Schools
Schools Grants support school bee hives, children’s education and awareness about the vital role that bees play in food systems
AUSTIN, Texas, December 13, 2018 /3BL Media/ — Whole Kids Foundation announced today that it has awarded Bee Hive Grants to two schools in Washington, D.C. with money raised from the inaugural Give Bees a Chance campaign held this summer. Grant recipients include District of Columbia International School and Hearst Elementary School. Each school will receive support for an educational bee hive on campus, providing students with learning opportunities around science, ecology, nutrition, business and agriculture learning opportunities.
As a central element of the Give Bees a Chance fundraising campaign this past June, five top chefs from across the country joined forces with Whole Kids Foundation to host fundraising dinners in their respective cities. In Washington, D.C., Roberto Santibañez, culinary director of Mi Vida in D.C. and chef/owner of Fonda restaurants in New York City, hosted a dinner with with Susana Trilling, cookbook author, PBS-TV host, and a renowned authority on Oaxacan cuisine. In total, the month-long fundraising campaign raised $60,000 to fund 30 new educational bee programs at K-12 schools and non-profits in 23 states.
“One of the best ways we can teach kids about bees is through educational hives at their schools, where they get an up-close, but safe look into the world of pollination,” said Nona Evans, president and executive director, Whole Kids Foundation. “We have a well-established school garden network in Washington, D.C., and a small-but-growing number of schools with beehives. We are excited to increase our support at these two new schools as a result of this campaign.”
Whole Kids Foundation’s Bee Hive Grant program provides support for grant recipients in a variety of ways. All grant recipients receive consultation on safety and use of the hive from The Bee Cause Project and each recipient must have a ‘bee mentor,’ or a certified beekeeper that provides onging consultation and assistance.
Over the past three years, 270 hives have been awarded by Whole Kids Foundation, at a cost of $488,000 and impacting 226,317 students in the U.S. and Canada. The hives also support the health of bee populations, as an unprecedented amount of honey bees are perishing each year due to colony collapse disorder (CCD). The phenomenon occurs when the majority of worker bees in a colony disappear due to loss of habitat, immune system decline and attack of pest, mites and diseases.
Whole Foods Market covers all of the foundation’s operational costs to allow 100 percent of every dollar donated to directly support Whole Kids Foundation programs, including the Bee Hive Grant program.
For more information on Whole Kids Foundation Bee Hive Grants and how to apply, visit wholekidsfoundation.org/schools/honey-bee-grant. Additionally, those interested can also sign up for the Whole Kids Foundation newsletter to get up-to-date information on all of the foundation’s initiatives.
About Whole Kids Foundation®
Whole Kids Foundation, a Whole Foods Market foundation, is based in Austin, Texas, and operates as an independent, nonprofit organization. By empowering schools and inspiring families, the Foundation aims to help children reach optimal health through the strength of a healthy body fueled by nutritious food. For more information on the Foundation’s programs including school gardens, salad bars and nutrition education for teachers, visit wholekidsfoundation.org.
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