BGCI has an extensive Public Engagement programme that provides a wide range of tools and resources to support and promote the education work of botanic gardens around the world.

Public engagement current projects

Ongoing

Project

BigPicnic

BigPicnic is a three year project that brings together the public, scientists, policy-makers and industry to help tackle the global challenge of food security.

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Ongoing

Project

LearnToEngage

LearnToEngage is a suite of professional development modules for botanic garden staff and museum educators.

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Through a recent European project, we worked with botanic gardens to increase their social relevance, helping them to work with their local communities on common issues of social and environmental importance. In our current projects (BigPicnic and LearnToEngage) we are supporting botanic gardens to use participatory approaches (such as co-creation and team-based inquiry) to develop the way in which they work with their local community, and we are developing a series of learning materials to support education staff in their interpretation, science communication and evaluation.

BGCI’s education team produces a biannual journal ‘Roots’, and organises regular training courses and conferences (including BGCI’s International Congresses on Education in Botanic Gardens).

Public engagement past projects

Completed

Project

INQUIRE

INQUIRE was a European Union funded project which aimed to reinvigorate inquiry-based science education (IBSE) in formal and informal education systems (specifically Learning Outside the Classroom sites) throughout Europe.

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Completed

Project

Communities in Nature

Communities in Nature was a 5 year project that aimed to support botanic gardens to grow their social role.

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