The „ApiHealth Project: Improving the professional development opportunities in the Apitherapy sector in terms of health“ is Strategic Partnership for Adult Education project, consisted of 7 partners from 6 countries, represented by public institutions (Universities), adult education providers, NGOs (training & counseling providers) and Local Action Group, all connected by their work in beekeeping and where relevant, in direct contact with beekeepers. Project intends to update and improve knowledge of target groups and related professional groups and meet the environmental institutions and training centres needs for training within the area of bee products and use of alternative medicine, and subsequently to increase incomes of beekeepers through the use of bee products in alternative medicine. The APIHEALTH project overall goal is to develop a new curriculum for an awareness of the beneficial aspects of bee products to beekeepers, agricultural, medical sectors and it focuses at finding alternative solutions to human health problems in Europe. APIHEALTH project will further define the needs of rural and remote regions in participating countries and beyond, adapt the curriculum and materials to specific regional and national needs, develop modules and chapters on complex issues such as scientific methods of use of bee products in alternative medicine. The project will be a sustainable project and will develop innovative practices which are fully transferable to other areas. The main targets are adult education institutions (public,private); adult education centres’ teachers from the fields of beekeeping, alternative medicine and food sector; related vocational high school teachers (Agriculture, Veterinary, Pharmacy) and agricultural vocational schools, environmental institutions and training centres dealing with beekeeping. The project end users are adult professionals: beekeepers and people interested in apitherapy, retired people from rural areas who are interested in beekeeping and apitherapy. The main aims of the APIHEALTH project are: • Create a curriculum based on apitherapy and bee products and to create completely updated teaching materials on bee products in alternative medicine; • Promote entrepreneurship education for developing active citizenship, employability and creating new business (including social entrepreneurship), support future learning and career pathways for individuals, in accordance with their personal and professional development; • Update and improve instructors’ knowledge and support related professional groups and environmental institutions and training centres needs for training related to bee products and use of alternative medicine. • Creation of a network of stakeholders at local and regional level for keeping the attention of decision makers and other relevant institutions about the APIHEALTH • Increase of incomes of beekeepers through the use of bee products in alternative medicine. The results of the project will be materialized in the following intellectual outputs: O1: Training methodology O2: Curriculum of the apitherapy course O3: Training content on apitherapy O4: E-learning platform O5: Pilot testing course O6: ApiHealth Handbook Since the project will develop user-driven, professional products and sustainable services, which are unique in Europe, APIHEALTH project plans to attract beekeepers, students, agricultural, veterinary and pharmacy advisors and consultants from the alternative medicine sector across Europe. The partnership anticipates having a large impact not only in terms of targeted beneficiaries but also through the relevance and usefulness of the project outcomes.
The importance of the beekeeping sector is much greater than we might judge from the amount of its contribution to the gross production value of the economy, as 84% of plant species and 76% of Europe’s food production depend on pollination by bees, so that the economic value thus produced exceeds the value of the honey produced by a long way. The significance of production of honey and bee products in maintaining the ecological balance and biological diversity is also plain to see. This importance is also clearly presented at EU level: The European Parliament resolution of 1 March 2018 on prospects and challenges for the EU apiculture sector (2017/2115(INI)) calls on the Commission to adopt recommendations in order to support different national high-quality basic and vocational beekeeping education programmes in the EU; considers that programmes such as Horizon 2020 and Erasmus+ should nurture research and training in the field of apitherapy; stresses the growing importance of apitherapy as a natural alternative to treatment using conventional medicines, and therefore encourages all Member States to promote those products among medical and paramedical practitioners and the public in the EU. The ApiHealth Project: “Improving the professional development opportunities in the Apitherapy sector in terms of health“, aimed at designing a training curriculum in apitherapy, complemented by up-to-date and technology-enhanced training materials to meet the needs of training in this field and indirectly to promote the benefits of apitherapy as a means of increasing income for beekeepers, medical staff and other interested professionals. The project implementation period had initially been scheduled for 24 months but due to the pandemic situation this period has been extended by 6 months, with the end in April 2021. APIHEALTH project adapted the curriculum and materials to specific regional and national needs, developed modules and chapters on complex issues such as different aspects of the use of bee products in alternative medicine, gathered examples of good practice examples from all participating countries and provided interactive and innovative open educational resources in apitherapy sector. The main target groups were beekeepers and people interested in apitherapy, young farmers, agricultural advisors, students and learners of agricultural schools; additionally, the project addressed educational institutions (public, private), adult education centres’ instructors ( in the field of beekeeping, alternative medicine and food sector), related vocational high school instructors (agriculture, veterinary, pharmacy, beekeeping) and environmental local and regional development foundations / agencies. The main aims of the APIHEALTH project were: • Create a curriculum based on apitherapy and bee products and to create completely updated teaching materials on bee products in alternative medicine; • Promote entrepreneurship education for developing active citizenship, employability and creating new business, support future learning and career pathways for individuals, in accordance with their personal and professional development; • Update and improve instructors’ knowledge and support related professional groups and environmental institutions and training centres needs for training related to bee products and their use in alternative medicine. • Create a network of stakeholders at local and regional level to raise awareness of relevant institutions in the field; • Increase the income of beekeepers through the use of bee products in alternative medicine. The results of the project were materialized in the following Intellectual outputs: • O1: Training methodology • O2: Curriculum of the apitherapy course • O3: Training content on apitherapy • O4: E-learning platform • O6: ApiHealth Handbook In the final stage of outputs development, these were validated by selected participants during pilot testing, and the final results were improved according to their feedback and recommendations. The project has developed user-driven, professional products and interactive training tools, which are unique in Europe; it had a major impact not only in terms of target beneficiaries, but also through the relevance, usefulness and transferability of the project results. ApiHealth is a sustainable project and it developed innovative practices which are fully transferable to other areas. The project outputs- Training methodology, ApiHealth Curriculum, ApiHealth Manual and the main training tool within the project- e-Learning platform- all these can be used as a model for educational processes, as a guideline how to proceed with the educational and methodological aspects of trainings not only in the subject of apitherapy, but it can also be adapted into other fields and sectors in adult education.