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Donned in white protective gear from head to toe, Dawn Huckelberry, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville integrative studies academic advisor, brought in an unexpected learning exhibit that was met with squeals of joy from students at the SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start Cahokia Center. 

Huckelberry, who is a part of the SIUE honeybee program and a member of the St. Clair County Beekeepers Association, visited the Cahokia Center on Monday, March 16. 

“We are currently studying insects as part of Head Start’s creative curriculum,” said Kim McClellan, Cahokia Head Start Center teacher. “Our curriculum encourages site visits by community members to provide extensions of classroom learning. I thought Dawn’s work as a beekeeper would be a fun and interesting way to offer enrichment activities to our students.”  

“The thing I like best about being a beekeeper is that I am helping my small corner of the world in several ways,” noted Huckelberry. “Bees pollinate to make flowers beautiful and to make many fruits and vegetables grow. Bees also produce honey that I can harvest and share with my friends and family.” 

The SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start program serves more than 14700 families and youth from birth to age five (including children with special needs) in St. Clair County. The program includes seven early childhood centers, seven managed directly and seven collaborations. Services include a rigorous school readiness comprehensive program that includes educational programs for family members, and health and dental screenings. 

Photo: Dawn Huckelberry, SIUE integrative studies academic advisor and part of the SIUE honeybee program, gave a presentation on the life of bees to children at the SIUE Head Start/Early Head Start Cahokia Center.