Vegemi in Helsinki’s Tekla Experiment Container

The City of Helsinki has developed an innovative mobile learning environment, the EdTech testbed TEKLA. This unique, mobile container-based platform enables companies to test and co-develop educational technologies with end users while ensuring equal access to the latest innovations for learners and educators. As TEKLA moves between schools, daycares, and educational institutions, students and teachers can participate in engaging workshops that explore and experiment with new learning technologies. TEKLA is home to project specialist Severi Tonttila, who joined us for every Vegemi session.

In January and February 2025, we collaborated with TEKLA and visited two different schools over four days, delivering Vegemi workshops for children. The goal was to observe children’s immediate reactions, hear their thoughts, and receive direct feedback from them. Typically, we receive feedback from teachers who conduct Vegemi food education sessions with their own groups. Additionally, we had the opportunity to test Vegemi with different age groups, ranging from 5 to 10 years old. We were pleasantly surprised at how well the Vegemi character and our sessions resonated not only with older children but also with those requiring special educational support. The Vegemi method is primarily designed for preschool-age children, with whom we have been developing the method through the Make with Espoo programme.

The lessons held at TEKLA differed slightly from our standard Vegemi sessions. The main differences were the limited space, smaller group sizes, and the absence of vegetable tasting, which we typically recommend as part of Vegemi sessions. The Vegemi method is holistic, combining knowledge, activities, games, an interactive app, and fresh vegetables for tasting. At TEKLA, the sessions were more compact, focusing on the Vegemi app as a learning tool. The session began with a Vegemi video, followed by a discussion with the children about the relationship between gut bacteria, healthy eating, and overall wellbeing, using the narrative, visuals, and illustrations of Vegemi. TEKLA is equipped with large screens, allowing the group to explore the Vegemi app together and feed virtual fruit to Vegemi as a shared activity.

We frequently receive feedback from teachers and parents about how much children love Vegemi, but it was fantastic to witness their excitement firsthand. It was amazing to see how the storytelling and fun superpowers captivated them. The children actively participated in producing knowledge and engaging in discussions. Their feedback highlighted what they found most interesting: feeding virtual vegetables to Vegemi was a huge hit, as was the gameplay aspect, and they also enjoyed identifying real fruits in picture-based activities. At the end of each session, the children rated their experience:

• 80 children aged 5-7 gave the Vegemi session an average score of 4.59/5 stars
• 13 pupils in special education rated it 4.69/5 stars
• 32 third-year pupils gave it 4.22/5 stars

We also collected feedback from teachers. Six teachers provided evaluations, and the overall teacher rating for the Vegemi food education session was 4.67/5. Every teacher (100%) reported that the Vegemi character generated great enthusiasm, with discussions continuing beyond the lesson. Vegemi was seen as a highly effective and valuable programme, seamlessly fitting into their classroom routines. The ready-made modules and materials make it easy to integrate into nurseries and schools, supporting children’s active learning and strengthening cooperation between early childhood education and home.

“It was truly inspiring to observe the use of the Vegemi app at TEKLA! Each time, I was amazed at how naturally the children engaged – their enthusiasm was evident in their expressions and actions. The workshops led by Emilia and Cecilia brilliantly showcased the concept of the app, helping children grasp new insights about food and wellbeing. I believe the trial period was an invaluable opportunity for the company to see the app in action in a real environment and receive direct feedback from users,” says Severi Tonttila.

A huge thank you to TEKLA and Severi for this fantastic and valuable collaboration!