Heroes to Hives Course
Starting January 1, 2026, the Heroes to Hives program will be open to anyone passionate about learning how to support the world’s most important managed pollinator, Apis mellifera. All curriculum will be available for free through our YouTube channel so you can go through the material at your pace. However, please note that this is a program developed for US Military Service Members and their families and some of the materials will not be applicable to civilians or foreign service members.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel now to receive notifications so that you can stay up to date as we undergo this exciting new change to our course and view our 2026 Program Update to learn how the 2026 course will work
How does the program Work?
The Heroes to Hives Program includes:
- Online education delivered through nine educational modules provided free to anyone through our YouTube channel starting January 1, 2026. All course materials will be uploaded to the channel by April 1, 2026 – go to the Heroes to Hives YouTube channel
- Online training in beekeeping through over 75 hours of lectures and instructional videos delivered by some of the Nation’s leading beekeeping experts – View the full list of included curriculum below
- Small business training through the Small Business Administration’s VetBiz program
- Training on USDA programs and how to access them
- Training on the commercial beekeeping industry
- Online business marketing training
- Training on evidence based therapeutic beekeeping practices co-developed with the US Dept. of Veterans Affairs
- Certificate of Completion recognized by the USDA
Heroes to Hives Outcomes
Students successfully completing the Heroes to Hives program are eligible to receive a Certificate of Completion, recognized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
As part of our regular evaluation process we survey our students with entrance and exit surveys to determine their educational outcomes. Our students report the following outcomes: (2023 data from ~800 students).
- 95% report increased confidence in keeping bees
- 96% report increased understanding of disease and pest management
- 94% report increased ability to monitor varroa mites using a sugar roll/alcohol wash test
- 95% report increases understanding of varroa mite treatment use
- 96% report improved understanding of overwintering management of bees
- 84% report changes in management practices due to education
- 96% of students are happy with their Heroes to Hives education
- 96% would recommend Heroes to Hives to another person
Acknowledgments
Founded by Bee Wise Farms LLC and Michigan Food and Farming Systems’ Veterans in Agriculture Network.
This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under agreement number 2023-38640-39573 through the North Central Region SARE program under project number ENC23-229. USDA is an equal-opportunity employer and service provider. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.