For 20 years, Beehive Science & Technology Academy has been reshaping what education looks like in Utah. 

What began in 2005 as a small, ambitious charter school focused on STEM has grown into a nationally recognized institution known for academic excellence, innovation and a sense of community. It’s a journey defined by vision, resilience and people.

When Beehive began, there were 65 students in seventh and eighth grades, operating out the basement of an office building in Salt Lake City. Physical education and science experiments took place in its parking garage and lunch was supplied from nearby fast-food restaurants.

The idea behind the school came from two doctorate students.

“They felt students, especially those of different backgrounds, entering the STEM fields were not prepared enough,” said Beehive Executive Director Hanifi Oguz, who has served the school 15 years. “They decided to start a school to help students go into the STEM fields.”

At a time when STEM education wasn’t yet a priority, Beehive was ahead of the curve. They were one of the early pioneers in Utah’s charter school movement, launching five years after charter schools were first introduced in the state.

“Beehive’s story is also a Utah charter school story — educators identifying a need, building something new and adding to a statewide community of schools committed to public options, strong outcome and continuous improvement,” said Molly Hart, Utah state superintendent of public instruction. 

Growth came steadily, adding one grade level each year. Beehive moved to Murray in 2009, then graduated its first student in 2010. The school moved into Sandy, growing from under 100 students to 300 in a few years. The school faced the same challenge: space. 

In fall 2022, after eight months of renovation, Beehive moved into a former Shopko building and expanded their enrollment to include elementary students. (Julie Slama/City Journals)

 In 2022, after eight months of renovation, Beehive moved into a former Shopko building sitting on a 95,000-square-foot campus. The move included the addition of elementary grades, making Beehive Academy a kindergarten through 12th-grade school with 900 students.

Beehive’s approach has been hands-on. Students build, design, program and experiment — approaches used before they have been commonly adopted.  

That methodology is most visible in its robotics program.

“They started these ideas with the robotics team,” Oguz said. “They traveled to other states because competition wasn’t here in Utah then. Now, our seven teams are imbedded in Utah robotics and they’re mentoring many teams, not only in the state, but out of state and out of country.”

He said the strength of the programs lies in the same force as the school: people. Teams are supported by a network of dedicated teachers, mentors, parents and community volunteers.

“That has been our great strength. The community is very much involved and that’s what makes the huge difference,” Oguz said.

Taha Abdallah, a 2016 graduate, agrees: “When I think about Beehive, I don’t just think about is rigorous STEM curriculum. I think about the people.”

Asim Kablan, class of 2022, agrees, feeling “at home” at Beehive.

“I learned a lot of teamworking skills, engineering skills, problem solving,” he said, recalling his years of doing robotics. “But really it was the community I enjoyed and having teachers who cared about me. Beehive prepared me for college, but it’s the people who support and uplift each other.”

Beehive Secondary School Principal Halis Kablan said that community, which includes members from 48 different countries, is unique.

“Beehive is diverse, bringing students from all these backgrounds into the STEM field,” he said. “We celebrate our cultures and connections.”

In classrooms, that same hands-on, collaborative spirit extends across the school, from STEM labs and makerspaces to debate teams, art programs and more than 50 student clubs.

With funding from the Utah STEM Action Center, Beehive has invested in tools such as 3D printers, laser cutters and robotics equipment, ensuring all students, from elementary through high school and special education, are learning by doing. All the teachers have STEM training.

It has resulted in Beehive’s widespread recognition. The school has received multiple Best of State awards, named Charter School of the Year, earned Utah STEM school platinum designation and has been ranked No. 1 high school in Utah by U.S. News & World Report for five consecutive years.

Beehive Academy sixth graders engineered a balloon they created out of tissue paper and tested it outside of the school’s former campus in 2022.  (Julie Slama/City Journals)

 Its Technology Student Association team has won more than 21 national medals while the robotics team has competed and placed in the world championships.

Oguz, again, points to success stemming from people.

“Once you have people who are really mission-driven and believing in what they are doing, bringing their best, our job is to guide them, support them, put a vision in front of them, with the tools, resources, trainings they need,” Oguz said. “That’s been our greatest strength.”

Teachers are given autonomy and trust, playing a central role in shaping curriculum and school direction. The staff collaborates to assess progress, identify gaps and set shared goals.

They instill the culture of ownership and collaboration to the students.

“Beehive’s focus on curiosity, problem solving and real growth thinking, that's exactly the kind of foundation that carries Beehive forward,” said Marie Steffensen, interim executive director of the Utah State Charter School Board. “While the world will absolutely change…they'll still need to know how to ask good questions. They'll still need to know how to try something, how to fail and then how to try again. They'll need to know how to think critically. And that’s what Beehive does so well.”

As Beehive enters its third decade, Oguz said they’re concentrating on what it does now and how it can serve students even better.

“We are well established with our programming so now we’re making sure our programs are meeting the needs of every part in the school so that we can further grow and provide these options to more students,” he said.

Oguz said leaders are initially exploring new pathways to help students graduate with industry-ready skills, possibly in computer science, engineering and health science. 

Already, new programs are being piloted at Beehive including a course that teaches not just how to use artificial intelligence, but also, the science behind it. It complements other STEM offerings such as flight and space, game development and cyber defense principles and ethics.

Former board chair Calvin Zulich said Beehive also is exploring future expansion, possibly bring its model to more communities across Utah. 

“Their model is successful,” he said. “Many more families and students and kids will benefit from their offerings.”

While the 20th anniversary was met with celebration — from a time capsule, cake and assembly to a community gala, Oguz said the milestone is more than looking back.

“It’s a celebration of vision, courage and our community,” he said. “Schools are not built by buildings or programs. They are built by people — people who believe in the possibilities, who invest in their time, their expertise and their hearts into creating opportunities for the next generation.”