The power of the outdoor classroom
“School gardening gives children something that no classroom can offer: the experience of growing, discovering and working together in nature,” says alderman Bijleveld. “It is wonderful to see how students get their hands into the soil and learn all about caring for themselves, one another and their surroundings. They also discover how their food grows. This award is recognition for everyone who makes this possible.”
According to the jury, Wageningen stands out for an approach that supports schools that do not have the opportunity to organise school gardening lessons themselves. At these schools, parental participation is limited and teachers lack the time to provide the gardening lessons. That is why the municipality engages vegetable garden coach Verena van den Berg, who goes outside with the children from March to October.
“Because I take the children into the school garden with me for an entire season, they have time to get used to things they find exciting, such as worms,” says Van den Berg. “In the garden, the children see how all kinds of animals play a role in producing our food. And how they themselves are therefore connected to it.”
Leading the way in healthy and green education
Thanks to Wageningen’s approach, children at primary schools De Tarthorst, De Wereld, De Bijenkorf and De Dijk can work in the garden every week. Students from the transition classes also take part, with the garden being used directly to support language development. In this way, Wageningen’s school gardening programme serves as an engine for growing up socially and healthily.
The Golden Carrot is awarded annually to a municipality that serves as an example in the field of school gardening and healthy nutrition for children. This year, Wageningen competed against six other nominated municipalities: Apeldoorn, De Bilt, Harlingen, Leiden, Middelburg and Westland. In 2025, the award went to Almere.