Urban Beekeeping as a tool for STEAM Education

STEAM education uses art and design as an approach to STEM disciplines in a creative and engaging way. In this paper, we provide an overview of what urban beekeeping is, and how students of all ages successfully use bees as a means of project-based learning. We provide an overview of the uses of bees, their nest within the greater hive structure, their pathogens and parasites and their phenotypic gambit, with a special focus on practical applications. We delve into case studies of multiple, actual classrooms to demonstrate practical uses for bees with STEAM learning in elementary through advanced education. Bees are a viable means with which to advance STEAM education for learners of all ages, backgrounds, origins, nationalities, colors, races, and interests.