"I am looking for strategies to employ to get the community engaged"

Forget the adults.  They are too set in their ways to be able to think.  You need to go after the kids.  Form a kids bee club and have enough equipment so the kids can go in small groups and watch you open the hives and inspect frames and do bee maintenance and do it without getting stung.  Get stung yourself so you can show the kids it is no big deal and also show them the stinger stuck in your skin and explain if there is no stinger left behind they were stung by a yellow jacket or yellow hornet and those hurt far worse than a honey bee.  If you get the kids on your side the parents likely will not be an issue.  Kids are very curious so it is not that hard to get them interested.

Dick

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