BY DI SNEDDON
Milbrodale Public School, a public school of just 20 students, has won a blue ribbon for their dark honey at the Newcastle Show.
It has taken a while for the school to lay their eyes on the ribbon with Project Humble’s Ben Durie presenting the school with its prize during his monthly visit last Thursday.
The school has been involved in Project Humble’s The Big Buzz for about three years.
This hands-on beekeeping and sustainability program blends science, business, and environmental awareness and the learning has involved every student at the school from kinder to Year 6.
The ribbon-winning dark honey scored 95 out of 100, a very high score according to Ben and something the school should be proud of.
The program involves students engaging in real-life hive management while exploring pollination, honey production and the power of community.
In a world where students are increasingly distanced from nature, Project Humble reconnects them through hands-on learning that inspires curiosity, confidence, and real-world impact.
Teacher Nicole Rosa spends lesson time once a fortnight on the school’s bee project and says it has been linked to the curriculum and syllabus and involves life lessons in English, maths and science.
There is also the commercial aspect where the students collectively voted on a graphic design and marketing program where the honey is sold with proceeds going to Milbrodale P & C.
“The kids love it and it has inspired individual research projects, built confidence in the students, they not only maintain the hive, but they also harvest the honey, sell, it label the jars and understand the commercial aspect determining the price the school should sell the honey for,” Nicole said.
“The community has been involved from the beginning helping us to sell the honey at cricket and tennis days which is fabulous.”
A working bee to build the hive was held at Bulga community hall and Nicole said it was far more complex than anyone imagined but brought the community into the school project.
So far the school has produced 20kg of honey raising an average $500 a year.
Since its inception, Project Humble has grown into a thriving learning movement, now partnering with nearly 50 schools and reaching over 5,000 students across the Hunter and into Sydney.
“Our Nature Spark Learning approach has struck a chord, helping students and teachers bridge classroom learning with real-world environmental action,” Ben said.
“From building beehives to restoring ecosystems, our programs prove that hands-on, engaging education sparks curiosity, confidence, and a deep sense of purpose.”
