Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Accessibility
The Association’s Policy Statement
The American Public Gardens Association is committed to creating an equitable, diverse and inclusive culture where the contributions of all community members are valued, respected and appreciated. The Association also seeks to encourage and support its members in creating this same culture within their own institutions.
Just as the gardens and landscapes we present are biologically diverse and engaging, we seek to consistently re-examine our professional values, modify our existing practices and remove barriers to being diverse and inclusive.
Strategic Plan
Our board, IDEA Committee, staff, and stakeholders, collaboratively identified organizational goals that have been embedded within our 2020-2025 Strategic Plan. Each area of our strategic plan’s goals was designed with an IDEA lens.
Tools For Taking Action
IDEA CENTER FOR PUBLIC GARDENS
A Future of Possibilities
The IDEA Center for Public Gardens™ (the Center) was launched January 2022 as a partnership between Denver Botanic Gardens and the American Public Gardens Association, with support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS MG-249862-OMS-21), to empower public gardens to prioritize and champion diversity and inclusion initiatives within our industries and beyond.
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Committee
Youth Education Resources
Plant Heroes is a program supported by the US Forest Service, boasting a vast library of free learning materials for youth education. Our focus is on emphasizing the importance of plants and green spaces – how they nourish us and how we, in turn, can care for them. We hope to spark curiosity and empower young learners to become agents of positive environmental change. IDEA principles guide the creation of our educational materials. To increase access, our materials are available in three languages: English, Spanish, and simplified Chinese.
All our materials are free to download from the Plant Heroes website. Association members can request free copies delivered to their organization.