Youth Forum

Join our Youth Forum to learn all about science, conservation and the environment.

Young people examining a plant

Our Youth Forum is open to young people aged 14-18. We meet every month to collaborate with artists and Kew experts on youth-led projects and to deliver specialist learning events.

We aim to:

  • Encourage young people and the public to explore why we need to protect and conserve plants and fungi.
  • Develop new ways to engage young people with Kew science and conservation.
  • Inspire more people to care about plants and fungi and make changes in their own lives to help protect the natural world.

The programme

    Young people will have the chance to: 

    • Learn about plant science and conservation, and the extraordinary work of Kew Scientists.
    • Explore behind the scenes and discover the largest and most diverse plant collection in the world.
    • Develop communication skills and confidence by learning from experts. 
    • Create fun and innovative activities and events to engage the public in science and conservation. 
    • Enrich their CV for use in applications for jobs, colleges and universities.

    How to get involved

    The Youth Programme accepts applications throughout the year. Please complete this online form to register your interest. 

    We meet monthly on a Saturday, with extra events during Kew's summer festivals

    We accept 20 young people (aged 14 to 18) into our Youth Forum each year.

    It is free to join. All sessions include lunch and snacks, and members can claim travel expenses up to £13.90 per session.

    Applicants must live in the Greater London area. If you are under 18, you will need written consent from a parent or guardian to attend.

    To find out more, email youth@kew.org

    Youth Forum projects

    • Group of young people sat around a table doing an activity

      Zine Project

      The Youth Forum are currently working with artist Kate Ducker to explore how our connections to plants and fungi affect how we value the natural world.

    • Smartphone photography in woodland

      Social Media Takeover

      We collaborated with Kew’s social media team to create our own Instagram story highlighting the importance of biodiversity, conservation and youth engagement in environmental issues.

    • Group of young people sat around a table doing an activity

      Youth Takeover Day

      We developed a Youth Takeover as part of Kew’s Community Open Week, with inspiring activities for young people to enjoy. This included poetry, photography and bespoke board games inspired by conservation.

    • Young person at Kew’s Science Festival writing a plant inspired poem

      Plants and Poetry

      We worked with artist Linden McMahon to develop learning activities for Kew’s Science Festival. Visitors to the festival were invited to create a plant inspired poem to add to our Poetry Herbarium.

    • Young person and artist photographing plants

      Kew in Focus

      We worked alongside artist Lenka Rayn to develop an inspiring photography workshop for young people visiting Kew.

    • An illustration of a yellow tractor mowing down a forest of trees

      Stop-motion Animation

      The Youth Forum used stop-motion animation to take us on a thought-provoking journey exploring the food security crisis and what Kew is doing to futureproof our planet.

      Watch the animation