Written by: Mieke de Wit, WUR

On 17^th September 2025, a group of fifteen educational professionals from primary and TVET education gathered on the Wageningen campus for an immersive masterclass on a Whole School Approach to nature inclusivity. The day was organised as a ‘field lab’ for Operation Education.

After a round of introductions in which everyone expressed their personal interest in the masterclass, WUR Prof. Arjen Wals started the morning with a conversation about the role of education in these times of complex environmental and societal challenges. What type of education is needed? How to deal with complexity and anxiety around sustainability topics? He then introduced the Whole School Approach and explained how the five ‘petals’ (curriculum, pedagogy & didactics, professional development, school environment, building management & business operation) offer guidance for an integrative approach to align vision and actions throughout an educational organisation.

Whole School Approach infographic (source: Whole School Approach Toolkit)

After this more theoretical opening we switched gears to learn about nature-inclusive education, which aims to foster and strengthen nature-connectedness. Lian Kasper took the group outside for some exercises so they could experience it for themselves. Invigorated, they went back inside, where Mieke de Wit presented a less ‘deep’ engagement with nature through the Biodiversity Challenge. By organising a ‘Bioblitz’ (recording live species during a certain period), hundreds of people (staff, students and general public) are mobilised to look closely at nature that can be found all around them.

To show how at Wageningen University & Research they take steps towards a Whole School Approach to sustainability, lunch consisted of sandwiches made from ingredients from local nature-inclusive farmers. The team then focused on building management and business operation during a student-led sustainability tour across the WUR campus.

Towards the end of the day, participants looked at their own schools through the Whole School Approach lenses. In how far are sustainability and nature integrated in their organisation’s vision, and the Whole School Approach ‘petals’? Where do they see opportunities? Most participants took home concrete ideas and practical inspiration from the day. As one of the participants concluded: it is important that everyone can link their own interests and passion to the vision. That way, it does not become an add-on or ‘have to’, but people can integrate it into their teaching and other work through intrinsic motivation.

Photos taken during the event