Who We Are

Bee U NYC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that engages urban communities through hands-on training in beekeeping, leadership, and environmental advocacy.

Bee U NYC envisions a New York City where every community has clear pathways into the green economy, starting with curiosity in the classroom and growing into paid experience and quality jobs.

Bee U NYC’s approach to addressing the climate crisis is ensuring that youth and young adults, especially those from communities most impacted by environmental challenges and climate change, have access to environmental education, leadership development, and green career pathways.

Through urban beekeeping, participants gain hands-on experience and build the knowledge, confidence, and skills needed to become future environmental leaders and changemakers in their own communities.

Our Approach

Bee U NYC uses urban beekeeping as a gateway to engage young people in environmental education, leadership development, and green career pathways.

Through hands-on experiences with live honey bee hives, participants explore broader topics such as environmental justice, sustainability, biodiversity, and climate resilience in an engaging and accessible way.

Rather than focusing solely on beekeeping, Bee U NYC uses honey bees as an entry point to help young people build confidence, technical skills, and connections to future opportunities in the green economy.

Bee U NYC’s work is intentionally designed as a continuum of engagement from youth to early adulthood. We ensure our outcomes by collecting data through pre- and post-program surveys and annual alumni surveys, on the following:

1) Environmental Literacy (knowledge of terms such as climate change, food miles, and renewable energy)

2) Technical Beekeeping Knowledge (bee life cycles, colony collapse, removing a frame, etc.)

3) Community Engagement (Effectiveness of UBF Environmental Action Projects, long-term increased commitment to environmental action)

4) Professional Development & Socio-Emotional Learning (communication, teamwork, leadership, confidence)

5) Career influence (whether Bee U programs influenced their education or career choices)

We beelieve in BEES

Building Community

Through an intergenerational educational approach, Bee U aims to foster a sense of community by bringing people together to learn about the importance of beekeeping.
Environmental Justice

Bee U aims to develop underutilized green spaces across low-income and marginalized communities. By understanding and encompassing environmental justice, future beekeepers gain a better sense of the socioeconomic context of urban communities in NYC.
Entrepreneurship

Bee U is designed to empower, inspire, and encourage people of all ages to become participants in the green economy by developing entrepreneurial skills.
Socio-Emotional Learning and Leadership

Bee U encourages the cultivation of socio-emotional skills through teamwork, personal responsibility, and collective leadership.