This project aims to address two problems. 1. To promote awareness of the plight of native bees which are often overlooked in "save the bees" campaigns. 2. To address problems of literacy in those audiences this project will serve. According to CHILD-AID only about 50% of third graders in Guatemala reach reading and math national standards. In addition 50% of the population are below the poverty line in a country with one of the highest illiteracy rates.
The key objectives of the Smart Bee project will be to develop multilingual learning resources for elementary aged students in Guatemala and partnering Arizona schools serving largely immigrant and Hispanic students. The materials will integrate story, culture, and language with science as it relates to biodiversity, bee diversity, and other pollinators. Cross-cultural exchange between bilingual immigrants and English language learners in the U.S. with Guatemala students will be a focus of the program as learners share what they have learned about native bees and biodiversity in their local environments. This project is in partnership with FLAAR (The Foundation for Latin American Anthropological Research) which is a nonprofit organization based in Guatemala known for their science-based resources/media aimed at teaching children about the biodiversity of Guatemala. The project is sponsored by the Biodiversity Outreach Network (www.bon-earth.org) and the NSF funded project www.iDigBees.org
