Stephen Ritz had been an educator in the Bronx since the 1980s, noting that his waistline seemed to grow exponentially while eating the same foods that were offered to his students. When asked to teach a science class (not exactly his subject), he asked for help. A mysterious box of flower bulbs growing into flowers under the classroom radiator was the sign Ritz was looking for. He turned his science class into the Green Bronx Machine, a classroom gardening program that is becoming a worldwide model for teaching children (as opposed to his waistline, which has shrunk from eating the healthy foods that students grew) about nutrition, science and commerce and much more. He brings his special energy to In Focus to share the amazing achievements of GBM in transforming the community through sustainable urban agriculture, giving children a chance at school when their nutritional situation has improved, and growing food. those of the South Bronx, a neighborhood full of food deserts, help. He also celebrates the Green Bronx Machine’s 2021 Classy Award for Social Innovation.
