EDUCATION

Education At Kew

• Higher Education and Training
• Interpretation
• Schools Education

The role of education at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is to increase public knowledge and understanding of the value and vital importance of plants and to increase recognition of, and support for, the work of Kew.

Kew is one of the best equipped institutions in the world to undertake a wide array of teaching on plant science, botanical horticulture and plant conservation. This is because of the comprehensive and fully documented collections it houses and their systematic and ecological arrangement. The international and tropically biased nature of these collections further enhances the resource as does the presence, on site, of the largest body of expertise on plant taxonomy, the only unit in the UK dedicated to the study of economic botany, a research team in experimental plant science and a wealth of expertise in horticultural techniques. There is no better place to instruct and excite present and future generations about the Earth's natural plant richness and its management.

Our overall objective is to provide an education programme that promotes the role of RBG, Kew and an understanding of plants, conservation, biodiversity and environmental issues both through formal teaching programmes and informal interpretation of the collections, work and history of Kew. The aim of the training programmes is to build capacity in areas which, both nationally and internationally, require assistance in support of Kew's overall mission to better manage the world's resources.

Objectives of the Education programme

Our main objectives are:

• To share Kew's knowledge effectively on as wide a front as possible.
• To establish RBG, Kew as a world leader in the interpretation and teaching of systematic botany, conservation, biodiversity assessment and management, herbarium and botanic garden management, economic botany and horticulture.
• To assist actively in capacity building in biodiversity and related sciences.
• To network effectively with leading universities, colleges, schools and other botanical/horticultural institutions to develop relevant plant science education.

• to provide a high quality international botanical horticulture training course, the three-year Kew Diploma
• to run a co-ordinated graduate and postgraduate student programme at Kew
• to provide short-term (5-11 week) International Diploma Courses to develop technical and specialist skills. Currently we offer the following courses: Botanic Gardens Education, Botanic Gardens Management, Conservation Techniques and Herbarium Techniques
• to improve opportunities for professional training and capacity building throughout the field of Kew's activities
• to provide short courses (1 day - 2 weeks) on Kew related topics

• a Teletext information system at the Victoria Gate Visitor Centre provides regularly updated details of plants and events of interest.
• Information labels throughout the Gardens and Glasshouses highlight some of the plants and their uses. They also provide information on habitats, conservation issues and other items of interest at Kew and Wakehurst Place.
• Information sheets about certain plants, projects and buildings supply further details for visitors.
• Self guided trails are available, providing a route around the Gardens and linking plants or buildings.

• In service training for teachers (INSET)
• Preplanning visits to discuss the planning and content of a school or college visit with education staff
• Special topic events for children
• Guided tours or introductory talks
• Information sheets
• Teachers packs
• Teacher and student teacher placements