Honeybee, life is program topic

GRAY — Learn about the industrious life of the honeybee, its job as a pollinator of fruits and vegetables and the role of the beekeeper from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24, at the Maine Wildlife Park.

Parts of a beehive, beekeeping equipment and a small observation hive will be on display, and several experienced beekeepers will be available to answer questions. Pure Maine honey and other products of the hive will be for sale.

The Cumberland County Beekeepers Association (CCBA) is a local chapter of the Maine State Beekeeping Association (MSBA). They promote the art of beekeeping in the Cumberland County area through open-hive sessions, monthly meetings with guest speakers, and other educational events. Anyone with an interest in beekeeping is welcome.

The CCBA meets monthly from September to May on the first Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the library at the Mabel Wilson School, 353 Tuttle Road, Cumberland. For more information, visit http://www.mainebeekeepers.com

Visit www.mainewildlifepark.com for details about the Maine Wildlife Park.

College offers babysitter class

STANDISH —  Saint Joseph’s College will offer a babysitter certification class on Tuesday, Aug. 27, and again on Sunday, Sept. 15, in the Harold Alfond Center on the Standish campus.

The course provides children, ages 11 to 15, with the information and skills necessary to provide safe and responsible care for children in the absence of parents or guardians.

Topics include leadership skills, caregiving, first aid and safe play. Students will be given a comprehensive babysitter’s training manual and the tools needed to create a babysitter’s kit. With successful completion of the course, participants will earn an American Red Cross babysitter’s training certification.

Students should bring their own lunch, pencil and paper.

The class will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The cost is $75 (or $65 for recertification). To register, visit www.sjcme.edu/alfond/redcross/babysitting. For more information, call 893-6615 or email [email protected].

Maine Farm Days at Clinton farm

CLINTON — Maine Farm Days 2013 is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 21 and 22, at Misty Meadows Farm, Hill Road. Admission is free and open to the public.

A chicken lunch will be served each day, sponsored by Pine Tree Camp. A range of displays and exhibits will be on hand, spread throughout three large tents, with some of the larger exhibits outside in the fields. The exhibition is for folks of all ages and interests.

UMaine Cooperative Extension will hold workshops on agricultural issues. The workshops can earn CEU credit. There will also be whoopie pie and apple pie contests and milking contests.

Misty Meadows Farm produces 4,700 gallons of milk every day, enough to make between 2,500 and 3,000 gallons of ice cream.

Visit www.kcswcd.org and select the Maine Farm Days 2013 tab for more information, including a brochure.

Host families needed for exchange students

ASSE International Student Exchange Programs (ASSE) is seeking local host families for boys and girls from countries around the world. The students are 15 to 18 years and are coming for the upcoming high school year or semester.

The exchange students have good English and are anxious to learn about the USA by living as part of a family, attending high school and sharing their own culture and language.

The students arrive from their home country shortly before school begins and return at the end of the school year or semester. Each student is insured, brings his or her own personal spending money and expects to bear his or her share of household responsibilities, as well as being included in normal family activities and lifestyles.

To become a host family or find out more about ASSE and its programs, call Joyce at 737-4666 or 1-800-677-2773 or visit www.asse.com.

Funding available for local projects

ELLSWORTH — Start-up organizations and projects involving economically disadvantaged or disabled Mainers, libraries, symphonies and hospice care are eligible for funding from the Maine Charity Foundation Fund of the Maine Community Foundation.

The deadline for applications is Sept. 15. Apply online at www.mainecf.org.

Grant guidelines are available at www.mainecf.org. For more information, contact Cathy Melio at [email protected] or at 877-700-6800, ext. 1122.