Beginning Beekeeping Course (2027) — DC Beekeepers Alliance

Category: Learning Also called: DCBA Beginning Beekeeping Course; DCBA Annual Course; DC Beekeepers Alliance beginner’s course (Washington, DC)

What it is

The DC Beekeepers Alliance (DCBA) Beginning Beekeeping Course is an annual, for-fee, non-credit beginner course in Washington, DC. Its official page says it aims “to provide resources, knowledge, and a network needed to begin to keep bees successfully and responsibly in the District of Columbia.” It is a “flipped” course: 8 required 2-hour recorded lectures (16 hours) plus 8 optional in-person, hands-on classes (12 hours). People who complete all lectures receive a Certificate of Completion, an introduction to a mentor, and connections to bee and equipment suppliers. This listing is for the course, not the club as a whole and not a store.

Official URL

Official course page: https://dcbeekeepers.com/annual-course/

DCBA home: https://dcbeekeepers.com/

About DCBA: https://dcbeekeepers.com/about/

DCBA Meetings: https://dcbeekeepers.com/dcba-meetings/

Join or Renew: https://dcbeekeepers.com/join-or-renew/

Last checked

2026-10-14. All URLs above returned HTTP 200 with a desktop Chrome user agent on that date.

Who it’s for

New beekeepers who plan to keep bees in the District of Columbia. A free prerequisite is required, and DCBA members get first access to seats.

Why it’s listed

This is a first-party Learning program with a printed 2027 schedule, a defined structure and a certificate.

• Prerequisite (course page, checked 2026-10-14): a free, 90-minute Zoom class, “Is Beekeeping Right for Me?”, offered October 20, 22 and 24, 2026. Only people who attend it get the registration link.
• Registration (course page, checked 2026-10-14): opens to DCBA members the weekend after Thanksgiving (November 28), opens to the public December 12, and closes January 2, 2027. Seats are first-come, first-served.
• Schedule (course page, checked 2026-10-14): the first recorded lecture is released January 13, 2027; the first in-person session is January 20, 2027, when students get textbooks and materials; the final meeting is March 10, 2027. In-person sessions run Wednesdays 6:30–8:00 PM. The hands-on classes are not offered on Zoom.
• Instructors (course page): community members, Certified Master Beekeepers, honey bee researchers and DC government staff, with volunteer beekeepers as mentors.
• Organizer (About page, checked 2026-10-14): DCBA is a 501(c)(3) educational non-profit under the Center for Urban Bee Research, Inc., founded in 2012. It runs the course in cooperation with UDC-CAUSES (University of the District of Columbia).

Location

Washington, DC. The course venue and fee are given only after the prerequisite. DCBA’s monthly meetings (third Wednesday, 6:30–8 PM) are held at 519 C Street NE, Washington, DC, per the DCBA Meetings page; that is not stated to be the course venue.

Notes

• Category is Learning. It is the first Washington, DC listing in the directory.
• The course page has date typos: it says member registration opens “November 28, 2027” and the prerequisite runs “October 20, 22 and 24 2027,” while also printing “October 20, 22 and 24 2026” and a close date of January 2, 2027. This listing uses the 2026 dates, which fit the January 2027 course.
• The fee is not printed on the public page.
• First-party image saved beside this listing as dc-beekeepers-beginning-course.png: the official DCBA dome logo from the site header, 148×148, served as JPEG and saved as PNG without other edits.
• Not affiliated with Beekeeping Plaza. No registration, contact or payment was made.

FAQ

Q: When does the 2027 DCBA Beginning Beekeeping Course run?
A: The first recorded lecture is released January 13, 2027, in-person sessions start January 20, 2027, and the course ends March 10, 2027. In-person sessions are Wednesdays, 6:30–8:00 PM.

Q: Is there a prerequisite?
A: Yes. You must attend the free 90-minute Zoom class “Is Beekeeping Right for Me?” (October 20, 22 or 24, 2026) to get the registration link.

Q: When does registration open?
A: For DCBA members, the weekend after Thanksgiving (November 28). For the public, December 12. It closes January 2, 2027.

Q: Is it online or in person?
A: Both. The lectures are recorded and required. The hands-on classes are in person, optional and not offered on Zoom.

Q: What do I get at the end?
A: A Certificate of Completion for finishing all lectures, an introduction to a mentor, and connections to suppliers.

Q: Is this a club or a store?
A: It is listed here as Learning. For clubs, see Local clubs (e.g. Utah County Beekeepers Association). For supplies, see Equipment (e.g. Pigeon Mountain Trading Company).