Talking with the Alderman: Rob van Otterdijk (Geldrop-Mierlo

Talking with the Alderman Rob van Otterdijk

You’ve finally landed that job in the Brainport area or have become an international student here. Chances are you will focus on Eindhoven when it comes to housing. But it might be wise to broaden your horizon. Take a look at the towns and cities surrounding Eindhoven and weigh the pros and cons. In this article, Rob van Otterdijk, alderman for sustainability, nature, environment, education, culture and emancipation for the Green Party (GroenLinks) of Geldrop-Mierlo explains why Geldrop-Mierlo is an attractive option.

Rob van Otterdijk: “The former towns Geldrop and Mierlo were merged on January 1st, 2004. As often, but not always, happens in such a fusion both names remained intact, though hyphenated. Presently, Geldrop-Mierlo consists of nearly 40.000 inhabitants, making it a medium-sized city for Dutch standards. This size offers both the advantages and services of a city without losing the charm of a village. Civil servants who’ve come from outside are often fondly surprised by the number of activities and events Geldrop-Mierlo has to offer.”

‘Houses in GeldropMierlo are quite affordable’

Social life “As a city, it is our duty to provide chances for newcomers to integrate within the community. At present, there are approximately 25 nationalities within our city limits. We are paying more and more attention to the desires and needs of expats because we are well aware that expats enrich our society. Two of them are my neighbors. We are not alone in this. I am in close contact with the alderman

of Waalre to address this issue and make our region more attractive. Attention is being paid to the housing needs of students, starters and expats.”

‘We are well aware that expats enrich our society’

“Since Geldrop and Mierlo still have their own cores there are many sports clubs, musical societies, choirs and other social organizations one can join and quickly integrate into the community. Besides that, Geldrop-Mierlo has the facilities of swimming pool De Smelen and a wellness center. We can also recommend a visit to the art cinema and theatre. Geldrop-Mierlo is a compact city with a high level of care, both professionally and socially, of which we are extremely proud. The St. Anna Hospital is highly regarded and has always been the hospital where injured PSV-players receive medical care.”

Accessibility and nature “Geldrop-Mierlo has a direct connection by train to Eindhoven Central and Strijp-S. By car it only takes about ten minutes to get to ASML via the A67. The center of Eindhoven can also easily be reached by bicycle, bus and car. The wonder of Geldrop-Mierlo is that besides its accessibility it is also surrounded by a green zone separating it from neighboring towns.”

“The Strabrechtse Heide (heath) and the Groote Heide are ideal for walking and cycling. As is a walk through the castle grounds or a visit to the castle itself. With so many activities and gardens the castle has enough to offer for a day out. The children’s farm, botanic garden and teagarden are just a few of its hotspots. You can even host your wedding ceremony in this romantic venue. For the professionals, conferences centers are present as well. The Kleine (little) Dommel flows through the castle grounds and Geldrop, eventually joining The Dommel between Eindhoven and Nuenen.”

Schooling and living “There are fifteen primary schools in Geldrop-Mierlo. So especially if your children are young and you are planning to stay here for a lengthy period it might be a great opportunity for your children to pick up the Dutch language easily. A gift for life. If not, as I said before, it is

only a five-minute train ride to Eindhoven where a direct bus service takes the children to the International School. The secondary school in Geldrop, Strabrecht College, is a Brainport school that focuses on 21st century educational skills and is in close contact with businesses in the Brainport area. A perfect preparation for your child’s professional life.”

“Living in Geldrop-Mierlo is wonderful. The houses, most of them with gardens, are relatively more affordable than in Eindhoven. The neighborhoods are safe and very social. We are surrounded by nature and offer many facilities; shops, restaurants, bars, a hospital and castle to name just a few. Why not spend a day to explore our wonderful city? We’d love to welcome you as a new inhabitant!”

International School Eindhoven

The International School Eindhoven, situated in the heart of the world’s most dynamic innovation hub for design, science and technology, offers so much more than just a school. On our campus, the ISE offers its community excellent education, parent workshops and language lessons and so much more. It is a safe and beautiful campus situated in a green environment near the Philips Fruit Garden. As an IB World School we provide primary and secondary education for the children of internationally minded families within the Brainport – a flourishing creative region, here in the southern part of the Netherlands.

More than a school The community spirit makes the ISE such a special place for students to learn and develop. We offer education to pupils from every corner of the world. Our aim is to ensure that each and every ISE student is known, cared for, and challenged. As a school that serves families from 55 different countries, we recognize that we must also provide more than just ‘education’ in its traditional sense. As a starting point, we help our students to develop their home languages while developing a second, or even third, language. Students get the opportunity to take part in an extremely diverse range of language pathways, both within and outside the normal lessons. We also offer a bilingual pre-school program for younger children with the help of Kinderstad.

Our aim is to ensure that

each and every ISE student

is known, cared for, and

challenged.

Years of experience Our unique understanding of the needs of international families, combined with our small class sizes, allows your child to be suitably challenged and supported. Our students will not only realize their academic potential, but will also develop as internationally minded, multilingual, responsible and creative members of society.

We are a non-profit school established initially with the help and support of the various governments of the region, and also with the support of several Brainport companies.

Programmes that meet the highest international standards We are accredited with the Council of International Schools, which ensures that we not only offer programs that meet the highest international standards, but have committed ourselves to a process of continual improvement and development.

We look forward to meeting new teachers, students and of course parents and share our experiences, knowledge and passion for learning.

All these programs are available within one campus. We are aware that we have a wider role as an international school. We know that moving into a new country, region and community is not without its ambiguities, confusions and difficulties, and so we aim to make the process as easy as possible. Discover our beautiful campus on the Oirschotsedijk! www.isecampus.nl www.facebook.com/iseindhovencampus