Schools & Scholarships

Sign up for one of our 2025 one day beekeeping classes!  Reserve your spot now as they ALWAYS sell out. To register, click on one of the links below, you only need to sign up for one of the dates. NOTE: All classes include a 1 year membership to ECOBA. 

January 18thSaturday 9am to 5pm 

January 19thSunday 9am to 5pm 

January 25thSaturday 9am to 5pm 

February 1stSaturday 9am to 5pm 

February 2ndSunday 9am to 5pm 

February 8th Saturday 9am to 5pm

Beekeeping classes make a great Christmas or Birthday gift!  Sign up now as we always sell out!

When our schools are in session, learning is fun and easy when you attend the ECOBA Earl James Bee School. You will learn about:

• The colony & its organization
• The equipment and tools involved & the components of a hive
• Starting with bees
• How to take care of your bees
• Managing Maladies
• Honey production & processing

We will teach you getting started with bees,  practical beekeeping, pest management, wintering your bees and so much more! The instructors are experienced beekeepers with a love for teaching.  Also included in the class is a one year membership to our club where we have hands on learning all year long, like a build day in March to learn how to build woodenware, bee installation in May, weekly hands on beeyard every Thursday nights from May to October, Honey Extraction/Bottling/Labeling class, and more!

All single registrant fees include a workbook with additional registrants having the the option to purchase additional workbooks for additional attendees, or share a workbook; a one-year membership in our East Central Ohio Beekeepers Assoc.; a first year complimentary membership in the Ohio State Beekeepers Assoc.; a hands-on teaching beeyard annually, & deep discounts on products & supplies available as a member of our association. Class fee is non-refundable. Classes will be held at the Taft Reserve South,  10383 Fairview Rd SE, Newark, OH 43055. 

Basic Hive kits will also be available for registrants to order at an extreme discount (kits only, does NOT include bees, we will assist you in finding a distributor).  Hive kit orders are limited when registering for class, but you will have an opportunity at the end of class to order additional kits. We will hold a Build Day weekend in March following beekeeping classes, and a Package bee installation day that kicks off our teaching beeyard in April. Hive Kits are purchases are non-refundable.

Additional hands on training, equipment building sessions, etc. will be offered and announced during your class session, and mentors will be available to you to assist after the classroom sessions are over. Monthly meetings are also held for our entire membership which provide for additional knowledge, bulk purchasing opportunities, volunteer and practical, hands on events. An active first and second year teaching beeyard round out the bundle of benefits realized through your class fee.

If you have registered, we will contact you closer to your actual class date as a reminder and to let you know what to expect, and with the details of the class. We look forward to seeing you in a class in 2025!

Want to just be a member?
Our Membership and dues renewal link for 2024 is now OPEN. Click here to become a member or renew your dues for the 2024 season.