Ensuring safety in the implementation of Apipedagogy
Apipedagogy is an innovative pedagogical program, a new branch of education. It enjoys trademark protection and full copyright protection of the approach, activity and substantive validity, either in individual parts or as a whole.
The essential feature is the protected pedagogical-apitherapeutic approach, i.e. the implementation of apitherapy as part of pedagogical work at any location (apitherapeutic apiary, institute, association, etc.). It is used in kindergarten or organized care or school or as part of kindergarten/school/organized care; an approach in which bee products enter the pedagogical process to achieve curricular goals in the form of structured or unstructured didactic elements, with simultaneous goals of strengthening resilience, exercising children's rights in the field of a healthy environment, supporting developmental difficulties, and the development of children themselves. The pedagogical-apitherapeutic approach focuses on supporting children to develop their potential.
The founder and author of Apipedagogy is Nina Ilič from Slovenia. In her manual Apipedagogy & Apitherapy for Children in Kindergartens, Schools, and Parent Schools, she defines Apipedagogy and its individual elements in greater detail. She combines her gentle love for children, enthusiasm for bees, and dedication to creativity with a vision of a society where people live in solidarity with one another and in harmony with nature. Apipedagogy is a professional program for education and upbringing that supports sustainable development, enhancing the concept of sustainable urban development.
Apipedagogy is not just a pedagogy but a way of life, focusing on sustainable coexistence with nature. It is characterized by seven principles that serve to promote "the life of human rights and fundamental freedoms" and sub-programs: API kindergarten, API school, Apipedagogy for the classroom, Apitherapy camp, Honey massage for children, API sensory path, Etiquette of good behavior in the vicinity of bees, Safety and responsibility at the apiary, API-workshops according to the pedagogical-apitherapeutic approach (including aerosol apitherapy in kindergarten/school/organized childcare, magic with propolis, etc.), API school for parents.
Apipedagogy is co-financed by the City Municipality of Ljubljana and supported by the Ministry of Education and Training.
The network of API Kindergartens and Schools: APIS RETIS
Ensuring the safety of children in use and participation
Benefits for children
Methods of collaboration
Human rights and ethics
Scope of safety and protection
Apipedagogy provides beneficial support for the health and immunity of children in kindergartens and schools, along with numerous developmental benefits: it aids in the development of concentration and perseverance in activities, fosters imagination, promotes intellectual development, encourages motor and mental development, supports prosocial growth and empathy, aids in speech development, fulfills emotional needs, and more. Through Apipedagogy, children feel comfortable, better cope with the challenges of adjusting to kindergarten, enjoy the activities, experience learning as a pleasant activity, and build a positive self-image.
For educators and teachers, Apipedagogy offers opportunities for career development, workplace health, and the freshness of new activities. The knowledge they gain also benefits their personal lives.
Apipedagogy is implemented exclusively through the Network of API Kindergartens and Schools APIS RETIS, which applies to all stakeholders (individuals and legal entities) worldwide. When collaborating, it is mandatory to mention that it is Apipedagogy and include the APIS RETIS logo. The APIS RETIS network is responsible for carrying out activities based on Apipedagogy in a way that is safe for children and contributes to the good reputation of the kindergarten/school.
For the use of the program, it is mandatory to obtain written consent from the author and/or a license to use the Apipedagogy program. Otherwise, it constitutes a violation of copyright and trademark abuse.
Collaboration currently takes place in the form of a program introduction or as a project. Educators and teachers and daycare providers who successfully complete the annual program and submit their report receive a certificate of participation, which they can use for career advancement.
The forms and methods of collaboration are determined by the author of Apipedagogy, Nina Ilič.
In the case of trademark or copyright abuse, unprofessional endangerment of children's health and well-being, and causing market confusion, the rights holder is legally entitled to compensation for business damage and the removal of the situation caused by the damage, as well as reimbursement for the unconstitutional violation of the author's material, moral, and personal rights.
The APIS RETIS network promotes the realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms, therefore advocating for children's rights on one hand and respecting intellectual property rights on the other.
The most typical pedagogical-apitherapeutic activities of Apipedagogy in kindergartens/schools/daycare providers, which first appeared exclusively through Apipedagogy, and are consequently subject to protection, are as follows: aerosol apitherapy, i.e., inhaling bee air from a hive or with the help of a device within the kindergarten/school, the use and preparation of apitherapeutic products in educational activities that achieve pedagogical and apitherapeutic goals according to the pedagogical-apitherapeutic approach in regular educational work in kindergartens/schools/daycare organizations to support children's health and development (excluding honey tasting and oral presentation of the benefits of bee products), Apitherapeutic camps in the form of nature schools for children within the kindergarten/school (apiturism, which does not include pedagogy, is excluded) and for professional activities of the kindergarten/school, the Api-sensory path, honey massage for children, API school for parents, Rules of good behavior near bees, and others listed in the manual.
Annual training and professional development programs for education professionals, beekeepers, and apitherapists ensure safe professional work in accordance with the Apipedagogy programs.
Use of the Apipedagogy Program
in Modified Form
Copyrighted work can be reproduced not only in physical or non-physical form but also through creative processes (such as translation, arrangement, adaptation, etc.), resulting in a new work. When using copyrighted work in a modified form, it essentially involves the transformation of the original work, i.e., a derivative reproduction, where the essential features of the original work are retained. Adaptation is the act of incorporating foreign creations into one’s own work. The existing work is perceptible in the adaptation. By exploiting the new work, the original work is also used, which means that the author of the original work holds the exclusive right to exploit the newly created work. According to the Copyright and Related Rights Act and International treaties the provisions of the law recognizes the author's monopoly over creative interventions in their work.
~ Repas, M., Ovčak Kos, M., Zirnstein, E. (2023).
Intellectual Property Law. Ljubljana: Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia.
