Grant blog published 07 May 2026

International Day of Education Grants

To celebrate International Day of Education in Botanic Gardens, and the recently launched Declaration of Intent on Climate Action Education, BGCI and the Korea National Arboretum provided a number of grants to BGCI members undertaking education activities aligned with the climate declaration.

This blog provides an overview of one of the projects funded – Empowering youth as climate and biodiversity educators at the Buenos Aires Botanical Garden

The project

The Buenos Aires Botanical Garden is a public institution committed to environmental education, biodiversity conservation, and public engagement. Within this framework, the Garden runs an educational initiative for students in the final two years of secondary school. Each year, students participate in a 12–14 week program that combines theoretical training with practical experience in botany, native flora, biodiversity, and key environmental challenges, including climate change.

This program emphasizes experiential learning and science communication. Students support educational activities with visiting primary school groups and create digital content, such as short videos for social media, to share environmental messages with the broader community. The program is grounded in the idea that learning is strengthened when students actively teach and communicate their knowledge to others.

This year, we aim to expand the program’s impact by training students to act as climate and biodiversity educators. This will be achieved by engaging Botanical Garden visitors through a youth-led outreach stand during the International Day of Education in Botanical Gardens, fostering climate awareness, communication skills, and community dialogue.

Our objective is to empower the next generation of climate-conscious youth and communities by positioning students as educators and ambassadors, encouraging intergenerational dialogue, and strengthening the Botanical Garden’s role as a center for climate and biodiversity education.

To achieve this, we plan to deliver training sessions on climate change, biodiversity, and the role of plants. We will co-develop clear, visitor-friendly explanations with students, and design and produce printed reference materials to support their interactions. In addition, we will provide guided practice in public speaking and interactive dialogue, supported by educators. Reflection sessions will also be conducted to evaluate learning outcomes and the overall impact of the project.

We are also developing a mobile stand suitable for outdoor use, funded through a BGCI grant.

During the International Day of Education in Botanical Gardens, the mobile outreach stand will be installed in a high-traffic area of the Garden, where students will engage visitors of all ages in conversations about climate change, biodiversity, and the role of plants.

Students will use printed reference materials to support their explanations, ensuring accurate and confident communication. Interactions will focus on dialogue, questions, and shared learning, rather than one-way information delivery.

Botanical Garden educators will supervise and provide guidance as needed. The stand may operate on multiple days during the same week, if necessary, to maximize visitor engagement.

This activity highlights the Garden as a space for environmental education and empowers students to act as confident communicators and ambassadors for climate and biodiversity awareness.

Watch this video where the program coordinator talks about the program designed for high school students

Note: This video is in Spanish, English and Spanish subtitles are available.