Bee Buddies Pollinator Program
The Bee Buddies Program is a K–12, hands-on, student-led learning experience that turns pollination into something students can see, touch, and care for. Using gentle, region-specific Mason bees, students observe the full pollination cycle right on their own campus while building a deeper connection to their local ecosystem.
Each accepted classroom receives a FREE Bee Buddies starter kit, with Mason bee cocoons, reusable wood nesting trays, and a easy to use clay-mud mix. Everything is designed to be easy to manage, classroom friendly, and flexible enough to fit school schedules with no beekeeping experience required.
Through the seasons, students connect to growing food, sharing harvests, and caring for the living world just outside the classroom door. The result? Curiosity takes off, stewardship grows, and science becomes something students don’t just learn about, they participate in!
Open to schools nationwide (excluding Hawaii and Alaska).
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Low lift for teachers
Designed for short learning blocks and flexible schedules. -
Real science, right outside
Students build, observe, record, and reflect. No lab needed. -
Safe and school-friendly
Mason bees are solitary, gentle, and rarely sting.
K–12 classrooms
Works for a wide range of grades and learning styles, from simple observation to data tracking and design challenges.
15–30 minutes
Short learning blocks for setup, release day, and observation walks during the active season.
Spring learning
Students watch mason bee nesting begin, pollination happen, and change unfold in real time.
What Your Classroom Receives
Each accepted classroom receives a starter kit that’s easy to manage.
- Reusable 48-hole wood trays for Mason bee nesting
- A starter set of region-appropriate Mason bee cocoons
- Clay-mud for Mason bee nest building
- Build guidelines for a bee house
- Optional virtual lesson from Planet Bee Foundation
What’s included: A simple, classroom-friendly kit that supports student observation, care, and seasonal learning.
How Bee Buddies Works
A clear flow helps teachers plan and helps students care from day one.
Build day
Students help plan and build a simple Mason bee house. Great for design and problem-solving.
Spring release
When conditions are right, students release Mason bee cocoons and begin observation.
Observe + record
Weekly or biweekly walks to watch nesting behavior and seasonal changes.
Reflect + connect
Students connect pollinators to food systems, biodiversity, and community impact.
What Schools Need
Outdoor Space
- An outdoor location with morning sun and some afternoon shade
- A place to mount the bee house at eye level for easy observation
- An existing garden area, bees need blooms!
Time and Supervision
- A point person to coordinate the program
- Short learning blocks of 15 to 30 minutes
- Observation walks during the active season
Optional idea: Schools can involve their PTA, a high school shop class, or community members in building the bee house. This often becomes a shared school project students take pride in.
Teacher Support and Program Commitments
Accepted classrooms are invited to a teacher webinar covering setup, spring release, and seasonal care. A recording is available if you can’t attend live.
The goal is confidence so the program feels doable year after year.
To support long-term success, the lead teacher agrees to:
- Continue the program year after year when possible
- Follow Crown Bees’ Mason bee care guidelines
- Share a few photos with permission
- Complete a short end-of-year reflection
- Confirm that an outdoor space or school garden is available
As pollination turns into growing food, classrooms often discover the joy of sharing their harvests with the community. Students light up as they realize that small actions, like caring for bees, can create big, feel-good ripples far beyond their school.
Planet Bee Foundation
Planet Bee Foundation supports Bee Buddies classrooms with optional live lessons and curriculum resources focused on pollination, engineering design, community science, and climate action.
- Live lessons taught by Planet Bee educators
- Curriculum materials teachers can use independently
- Aligned with Next Generation Science Standards
- Developed for kindergarten through high school, with emphasis on grades three through five
Planet Bee programs are provided at no cost to schools through the support of grantmakers, donors, and corporate partners.
FAQs
Yes. Mason bees are gentle and rarely sting. Schools should follow standard allergy protocols.
Kindergarten through high school.
No. The Quick Start webinar and guidance provide everything needed.
A setup day, spring release, and brief observation walks during the active season.
Yes. The program is designed to continue year after year.
Ready to Apply?
Space is limited. Classrooms are selected based on readiness and outdoor space.
Apply to the Bee Buddies Program