United Nations Partnership – the Power of Education to Spread Mediterranean Diet as Framework for Urban Sustainable Growth – 600 School Partnership

Green Bronx Machine, Future Food Institute, Mayor of Pollica, President of ICCAR- UNESCO, and Italian coordination of the UNESCO Emblematic Communities announce LIFESTYLE FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE to partner with 600 schools in Italy to promote human and planetary health via Mediterranean Diet.

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UNITED NATIONS, NYC – November 22, 2022 – LIFESTYLE FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE – a cultural asset and strategic tool for Sustainable Development: People, Planet, Prosperity featuring Mauricio Massari – Ambassador of Italy to the United Nations, Omar Kadiri – Ambassador of Morocco to the United Nations, Maurizio Martina – FAO Assistant Director General, Francesco Lollobrigada – Italian Minister of Agriculture & Food Sovereignty, Luigi Scordamaglia – CEO of Filiera Italia, Pier Luigi Petrillo – Board of UNESCO, Michael Sperling – The Culinary Institute of America, Stephen Ritz – Green Bronx Machine, Stefano Pisani – Mayor of Pollica, Ana Paula Martins – Mayor of Tavira, Mohamed Sefiani – Global Mayors for Climate and Energy, Jelena Ivanisevic – UNESCO, Croatia, Benedetto Zacchiroli – President of ICCAR-UNESCO-Sustainable Cities, held a policy and planning session hosted by Sara Roversi of Future Food Institute with focus on Mediterranean Diet “Feeding the Planet – Energy for Life” – a long term framework for advancing sustainable growth starting with the nexus between energy, agriculture, and health in support of United Nations SDG’s and announced a groundbreaking partnership to bring an educational initiative featuring Green Bronx Machine Classroom Curriculum and Tower Garden growing technology, sponsored by the Municipality of Pollica and CampuStore, to 600 schools in Italy, year one, commencing January 2023.

Green Bronx Machine and Future Food Institute, led respectively by Stephen Ritz and Sara Roversi, have worked together for years with the goal of creating a global educational initiative. Building upon April 11, 2022, event in the Bronx, with Mayor Stefano Pisani of Pollica visiting the Bronx and gifting Italian heritage seeds to NYC Department of Education and NYC Mayor’s Office and Director of Food Policy Kate Mackenzie, the collective set forth on a plan to replicate GBM’s success in the US overseas and create a partnership and cultural exchange that will bring underserved students from both countries together to grow something greater. “Students in the Bronx grew these seeds all spring and summer long creating an international connection.” Said Ritz: “We collectively understand that the Mediterranean Diet is healthy for people and the planet. Our work is fundamentally aligned with the United Nations SDG’s and brings people together in the best interests of community and the planet.” Ritz goes on to say: “This partnership started with seeds – heirloom seeds from Italy and heirloom students from the Bronx and curious learners in Pollica – and we are determined to inspire healthy living and healthy learning, all around the world.” Says Sara Roversi: “The academic results, behavioral change, and amount of food grown via Green Bronx Machine using their Green Bronx Machine Curriculum and Tower Garden technology is the perfect recipe for introducing teachers and students to systemic change.” 

Per Mayor Stefano Pisani: “As Mayor of Pollica, the Italian UNESCO Emblematic Community of the Mediterranean Diet, I am particularly concerned about young people and schools where children learn and spend most of their time. Two pillars of Mediterranean good living are:  conviviality – the sharing of the meal and eating together for good health AND the garden – a source of constant learning and for the care of resources and our ecosystems. With Stephen Ritz, Green Bronx Machine Curriculum and Future Food Institute, we are aligned in values and the common mission to educate children.” Says Sara Roversi: “We have been working in Italy for years to raise both ecological consciousness and food literacy with all generations – this program makes that possible. Stephen Ritz and Green Bronx Machine are essential because their methodology has been proven. Working together and with the Municipality of Pollica and CampuStore in partnership with UNESCO to bring our content and culture to the forefront of regional and global attention is the model for success. I am ecstatic that we will begin with 600 schools to start, and we are just getting started.”

“At the heart of our work and Green Bronx Machine Curriculum are high performing schools, happy, healthy children, and well-prepared and well-trained teachers with access to resources and ongoing professional development – children and schools that function better and eat well, in line with the SDG’s,” says Ritz. “We are proud to use Tower Garden technology, a patented, aeroponic growing system with both indoor and outdoor compatibility that uses 95% less water and 90% less space to grow food all year long. Nothing could be simpler, more inclusive, or more student friendly.” Planned activities include school and cultural exchanges both in-person and virtually.  James Coffman, Director of Tower Garden states: “We at Tower Garden applaud this effort, understand the power of connecting and educating the next generation via food access and school programming and are proud to be the growing technology of choice for this bold initiative in Italy and look forward to growing together in communities across Europe and all around the world.”  Says Ritz “We are seed spreaders and peace promoters!” Summing it up Mayor Pisani states: “This partnership, with proven and dedicated partners, combined with government and industry support, will set the standard for communities to eat well, stay well, and save the planet!”

Future Food Institute exists to make exponential positive change, to sustainably improve life on earth, through education and innovation in global food systems. By training the next generation of change-makers, empowering communities, and engaging government and industry in actionable innovation, Future Food Institute catalyzes progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. With offices, living labs, innovation hubs, and ambassadors around the world, the Future Food ecosystem is uniquely positioned to connect communities, generate ideas, and inspire action throughout the food system value chain. For more information:  www.futurefoodinstitute.org. 

Green Bronx Machine (GBM) is an impact driven, for-purpose organization with 501(c)(3) status. GBM builds healthy, equitable and resilient communities through inspired education, local food systems, and 21st Century workforce development. Dedicated to cultivating minds and harvesting hope, its school-based model and propriety curriculum uses urban agriculture aligned to key school performance indicators, to grow healthy students and healthy schools.  Simultaneously, GBM also transforms once fragmented and marginalized communities into neighborhoods that are inclusive and thriving. For more information, visit https://greenbronxmachine.org.

In the last year alone, Green Bronx Machine has distributed more than 130,000 pounds of food, reclaimed over 10,000 pounds of food from landfill, produced 5,000-plus pounds of produce grown locally in the Bronx, built, and stocked three new food pantries, delivered weekly 152 backpacks of food to students and fulfilled more than 1,600 emergency food requests from families in need. Green Bronx Machine has trained nearly 1,500 teachers using their Green Bronx Machine Classroom Curriculum, impacting more than 50,000 students throughout the Bronx, across America, and around the world. Recently named Social Innovation Award winners, Green Bronx Machine was named NYC Food Policy Center COVID Food Hero, is a Top Ten Health and Wellness Program in America, and named a three-time Top 100 Educational Innovation in the world. 

Two New Episodes Live From UAE – The Green Shiekh and Growing Food in the Desert

Now you can binge watch just in time for end of school and summer fun! We’re so excited to debut two new episodes of Let’s Learn With Mister Ritz filmed live in the United Arab Emirates with our new friend, Khalid the Camel! Khalid and Mister Ritz become best friends quickly as Mister Ritz travels to UAE to learn all about growing food, Emirati Culture, and His Royal Highness HRH – The Green Sheikh.

In “Mister Ritz Learns What Grows in the Desert,” Mister Ritz visits ICBA – the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture – and learns all about growing food in the desert and halophytic (salt loving) plants. In “Mister Ritz Learns What Makes The Green Sheikh Green” Mister Ritz highlights his friendship with His Royal Highness, Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Ali al Nuaimi and learns that “green” is a mindset. For years, people have been fascinated by their unique relationship and this episode dives deep into Emirati Culture, personal development, and actionable advice for all – young and old. It opens with Mister Ritz wandering the desert seeking answers and culminates with him taking a sand bath built on trust!

We’re sure you’re going to LOVE Khalid and both of these new episodes – filled with lots of Science / STEM content – along with culture, art, and social-emotional learning! These highly educational, family-friendly episodes are perfect as we head into summer. Can’t stop, won’t stop – be sure to watch and let us know your thoughts!

For upcoming Full Episodes, SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel.

Green Bronx Machine Partners with DNB Bank ASA to Donate Laptops to Students

Newswise — Bronx, New York, June 21st 2022 — Green Bronx Machine, an impact driven, non-profit organization is partnering with DNB Bank ASA to provide 105 laptops to underprivileged students living in the poorest congressional district in the United States. These laptops, retrofitted by New York City Department of Education, will be donated directly to students to provide them with the tools they need in order to succeed help to bridge the “digital divide.”

Stephen Ritz, acclaimed teacher, founder of Green Bronx Machine, and author of The Power Of A Plant: A Teacher’s Odyssey to Grow Healthy Minds and Schools, said: “Thanks to DNB, our students and families will now have access to state of the art technology at school and at home 24/7/365. This allows learning to continue seamlessly — for entire families — and is a phenomenal step in bridging the technology gap in a community that needs it most.”

A representative at DNB Bank ASA involved with the partnership with Green Bronx Machine said, “It is our pleasure to support the work and children of Green Bronx Machine. We know that access to functional technology is tantamount to both 21st Century learning and engagement. Here at DNB, we know the work that GBM does is critical to building healthier, resilient, and inclusive communities and we are proud supporters!”

The New York City Department of Education retrofitted the donated laptops, adding educational tools and games, supplemental materials, and software to allow teachers to pre-load the laptops with scoped and sequenced instructional materials. Students will be able to access all the added materials even without internet access, ensuring access to learning opportunities all summer long and into the future. These laptops will belong to these students in perpetuity.

“I feel like the luckiest student in NYC to finally have my own computer” said Kyle G, a fourth grader at CS 55. His mom added: “This changes everything for our family. We are so grateful and excited to learn together. I cannot thank you enough!”

“This donation is GAME-CHANGING,” continued Ritz, “and exemplifies the perfect, public-private, non-profit partnerships we strive to create at Green Bronx Machine. From day one, DNB has been committed to the health of our students and supported our programming. To think that children will have a laptop in their home that they can call their own and have the tools they need to thrive all summer long and into the future, facilitates every type of success we and our partners imagine. This is what commUNITY looks like and together, we’re growing people!”

In the last year alone, GBM and Ritz have distributed more than 100,000 pounds of food, produced 5,000-plus pounds of produce grown locally in the Bronx, built and stocked three new food pantries, delivered weekly 152 backpacks of food to students and fulfilled more than 1,600 emergency food requests from families in need. Ritz and GBM also have trained nearly 1,500 teachers using GBM’s curriculum, impacting more than 65,000 students in the Bronx, across America and around the world and were proud to debut Let’s Learn with Mister Ritz, a  PBS children’s show with more than 2 million views, which students will now be able to watch at home.

(https://greenbronxmachine.org/2021-impact-report/).

Green Bronx Machine Recognized as a 2022 Classy Award Winner

Newswise — Bronx, New York, June 16th 2022 — Green Bronx Machine, an impact driven, non-profit organization has been recognized as a 2022 Classy Award Winner. The Classy Awards recognize the work of nonprofits that are driving lasting impact around the world. Classy, two of its founders, and GoFundMe are awarding a $90K prize pool to support the initiatives of the winning nonprofit organizations. 13 award winners were selected from a competitive pool of over 1,700 programs that participated in the application process.

Green Bronx Machine previously won a Classy Award in 2021 and is now the first organization to win two Classy Awards in different categories. Stephen Ritz, acclaimed teacher, founder of Green Bronx Machine, and author of The Power Of A Plant: A Teacher’s Odyssey to Grow Healthy Minds and Schools, said: “To be recognized by Classy – the preeminent voice of and for impact in our space – speaks precisely to what Green Bronx Machine is all about and what we continually seek to do: MAKE EPIC HAPPEN! This third-party validation helps change the narrative for students and communities like ours across the nation. We are humbled, grateful, and inspired as we look to the future and our continued growth. We are also forever grateful to our partners at Stepping Stones, in West Virginia, for facilitating the opportunity and Newman’s Own Foundation for providing funding and video documentation which this award celebrates. From the Bronx, to the world, at Green Bronx Machine, we can’t stop and won’t stop – we are determined to change the world!” 

“Classy Award nominees set the bar for ambitious, innovative, and impactful work in service of the greater good. These groundbreaking nonprofit organizations work tirelessly, often with too little resourcing and recognition, to drive change in their communities,” says Soraya Alexander, Classy’s COO. “We started the Classy Awards in 2009 as a way to honor this incredible cohort of organizations that give so much to the world. Congratulations to this incredible group of Classy Award winners, and a deep thank you for the work that you do.”

Now proudly in its ninth year, the Classy Awards is one of the largest social impact awards in the United States. This year’s 2022 Classy Award winners include a diverse array of organizations, from internationally recognized nonprofits tackling global issues such as food scarcity and access to healthcare to local programs that are creating equitable opportunities for workforce development and education. In 2021, the winning organizations collectively operated programs in 22 countries, reached more than seven million people, supported 70,000 students, and have dedicated a total of 186 years to their causes and missions.

This year’s class of winners includes 10 organizations awarded for their achievement in social innovation, one nonprofit awarded for its resilience in the face of ongoing challenges, a People’s Choice winner, presented by LinkedIn for Nonprofits, which was determined by public vote, and a Lifetime Achievement Award, given to a nonprofit professional who has demonstrated excellence over the course of their career in the social sector.

About Green Bronx Machine

Founded in 2011 by Global Teaching Prize finalist and life-long educator Stephen Ritz, Green Bronx Machine (GBM) is an impact driven, for-purpose organization with 501(c)(3) status.  GBM builds healthy, equitable and resilient communities through inspired education, local food systems, and 21st Century workforce development. Dedicated to cultivating minds and harvesting hope, its school-based model and propriety curriculum uses urban agriculture aligned to key school performance indicators, to grow healthy students and healthy schools.  Simultaneously, GBM also transforms once fragmented and marginalized communities into neighborhoods that are inclusive and thriving.

In the last year alone, GBM and Ritz have distributed more than 100,000 pounds of food, produced 5,000-plus pounds of produce grown locally in the Bronx, built and stocked three new food pantries, delivered weekly 152 backpacks of food to students and fulfilled more than 1,600 emergency food requests from families in need. Ritz and GBM also have trained nearly 1,500 teachers using GBM’s curriculum, impacting more than 65,000 students in the Bronx, across America and around the world and were proud to debut Let’s Learn with Mister Ritz, a  PBS children’s show with more than 2 million views.

A Farm Planted at Yankee Stadium

We can’t say it any better than the NY Yankees did below. We are so proud to partner with the New York Yankees, Tower Farms, and New Settlement Community Center to build a better Bronx. Best of all, we were thrilled that our students, NYC’s first Food Ambassadors, handled the media conference, answered questions from the press, and taught the Yankees how to plant and use our tower gardens! From our classroom to the world! Be sure to visit the Tower Farm at Yankee Stadium and purchase a local salad.

Green Bronx Machine is Proud to Announce Partnership with NYC HPD, NYCHA, and NYC HDC in collaboration with NRP Group, Selfhelp Real

HPD, NYCHA, & HDC ANNOUNCE PLANS AND PARTNERS TO BUILD A 195-HOME, WELLNESS-CENTERED, SUSTAINABLE MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT FOR LOW-INCOME SENIORS IN THE BRONX  

NRP Group, Selfhelp Realty Group, and Foxy Management will develop a solar-oriented building on an underused section of the Morris Houses II campus in Morrisania, Bronx

The development will provide Bronx and NYCHA residents with a community health center, nutrition education space, and on-site career-training in healthcare and technology

Renderings courtesy of Magnusson Architecture and Planning

NEW YORK – The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) joins NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA) and the NYC Housing Development Corporation (HDC) today to announce plans to build approximately 195 deeply affordable homes for seniors in the neighborhood of Morrisania Bronx. The Sol on Park development will give rise to a 15-story mixed-use building paired with a new community health center, a nutrition education facility, and a career-training spaces accessible to residents and the community at-large. 

“As we try to make New York City healthier, greener, more affordable, and more prosperous, we need projects like this one that do everything at the same time,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “We are creating homes for hundreds of Bronxites and New Yorkers, and we are doing it the right way — with access to the economic opportunity and health resources we all need.”

“Seniors are the heart and soul of our communities and Sol on Park exemplifies the highest quality of housing and support we ought to provide seniors to age in place with dignity and comfort,” said HPD Commissioner Adolfo Carrión Jr. “With new facilities for healthcare, nutrition, and career training, Sol on Park allows us to invest in the entire neighborhood’s health and future well-being while bringing much needed affordable homes to the Morrisania neighborhood. Thank you to our development partners NRP Group, Selfhelp, and Foxy Management for such a creative and holistic plan. Congratulations!” 

“NYCHA is committed to ensuring that the population of older New Yorkers who enrich our neighborhoods are able to thrive here, and we will continue to use our underutilized assets in support of this goal,” said NYCHA Chair & CEO Greg Russ. “We are excited to assist HPD, HDC, and the development team assembled to bring the Sol on Park project to fruition – and look forward to realizing this exciting new model for safe and affordable senior housing.”  

“In addition to 195 deeply affordable homes, the sustainably designed Sol on Park will offer educational and wellness services to support our senior residents and the surrounding community,” said HDC President Eric Enderlin. “Congratulations to the development team and thank you to all of our partners for their ongoing efforts to create a healthier, more affordable city for all New Yorkers.”

Council Member Althea Stevens said, “I am excited about the introduction of the new development planning to enter the Morrisania community. It is important that we are investing in our older adult population to ensure healthier and equitable accessibility in their daily lives. Also, this development will serve vital assent in the progress in establishing more opportunities for permanent housing, rather than temporary housing.”

“The NRP Group has always strived to deliver high-quality “healthy housing” developments that put betterment and wellbeing at the center of apartment living,” said NRP Group Senior Vice President Jonathan Gertman. “That is why we are so pleased to join with our team members, along with the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the NYC Housing Authority, to bring Sol on Park to life. Located on the Morris Houses campus, Sol on Park will deliver critical wrap-around services that enable senior residents – and community members of all ages – to fulfill their highest potential. This special development will feature 195 beautifully designed apartment homes activated with premium healthcare services, health and wellness amenities, workforce training and job placement, and other life affirming services. It will be a launch pad for personal and community development, economic revitalization, and pathways of opportunity and hope.”

A development team comprised of NRP Group, Selfhelp Realty Group, and Foxy Management was selected to construct Site 1 of the Seniors First Kingsborough and Morris Houses RFP located at the corner of St. Paul’s Place and Park Avenue within the Morris II public housing development in Morrisania Bronx. Sol on Park employs a health-centric design and a robust social services model for senior households earning up to 50 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI), or approximately $41,800 annually for a single occupant. All households will receive project-based Section 8 vouchers, with a portion of homes set aside for both NYCHA residents and seniors experiencing homelessness. Social services for the seniors will be provided by Selfhelp’s Active Services for Aging Model (SHASAM), helping residents to manage chronic health issues, aging, and providing culturally competent health programming.

The project is part of the City’s Seniors First initiative to develop and preserve senior housing on NYCHA land and support the growth of New York’s aging population.  NYCHA staff met with residents and resident leaders of Morris Houses in 2019 to inform the developments plans which honor residents’ preferences for senior affordable housing designed to support healthcare services, outdoor activities, nutrition, jobs, and amenities that serve seniors. 

“Housing is health; health is housing”   

The development team gave the project the theme “housing is health; health is housing,” speaking to its design and features that promote healthy living and healthy lifestyles. NYCHA and HPD sought community input to determine the development’s public-facing facilities and partnered with highly regarded local organizations on utilizing 11,500 square feet of space for new community resources including new healthcare, nutrition, and career training facilities.

 Sol on Park plans include:  

  • The Union Community Health Center, delivering a combination of primary care, dental services, behavioral health services, physical and occupational therapy and will include career fellowship programs in healthcare, dental care, and health administration.
  • The Green Bronx Machine’s National Health & Wellness Center to bring urban agriculture and nutritional education programming dedicated to youth and intergenerational engagement.    
  • The SUNY Bronx Educational Opportunity Center to focus on adult education and training for careers in healthcare and technology, helping to grow the area’s healthcare workforce and career development opportunities.   
  • Selfhelp’s Home Care Program and Training Center for Home Health Aides to prepare community members for careers in at-home care. 

Magnusson Architecture and Planning brought to life the development’s health-focused design. The new apartments allow for natural light and ventilation while creating a sense of eyes on the streets and connection to the community. Additionally, the homes are designed to have distinct spaces for cooking, dining, socializing, and sleeping.  Cascading roof terraces, multiple floors of community space, a large pedestrian plaza and a shared walkway with the adjacent NYCHA campus will top off the development’s dynamic design.    

Sol on Park is also designed to achieve a LEED Platinum Rating for sustainable design, an ENERGY STAR certification for emitting fewer greenhouse gases, and the highest rating from Fitwel, which sets global standards for the building design and development practices in support of healthier and equitable access to a higher quality of life.    

“Selfhelp Realty Group is extremely proud to be partnering with NRP Group and Foxy Management to expand the availability of affordable housing for seniors, NYCHA residents, and formerly homeless individuals in Morrisania,” said Selfhelp Community Services CEO Stuart C. Kaplan. “For decades, Selfhelp has been building affordable housing and offering services through its recognized service model, SHASAM (Selfhelp Active Services for Aging Model). We’re honored to further our partnership with HPD, NYCHA and HDC and to join with our partners to promote health and wellness, education, and career development for the community. Selfhelp will expand its Home Care Training Program to Sol on Park, providing new employment opportunities for the community.”

“The need for affordable senior housing is tremendous and is getting more dire as the senior population is expected to triple, costs of living continue to rise, and the aging housing stock in our city is less and less accessible to our most vulnerable residents,” said Foxy Management Principle Jeff Fox. “Sol on Park will address this need head-on, in part by creating a health-centric senior community that will serve as an anchor for a better future. Foxy is dedicated to the communities it serves and particularly to developing senior communities where older adults may thrive and live in dignity.  We are thrilled to work with NRP, Selfhelp and MAP to bring the proposal to life.”

“For Magnusson Architecture & Planning, aging in place with dignity is an essential theme of Sol on Park, driving a design process that went from the inside out,” said Magnusson Architecture & Planning Director of Planning and Urban Design Brian Loughlin. “Turning the floor plates 45-degrees will yield light-filled apartments with multiple exposures and alcoves for more livable spaces. An emphasis on indoor air quality, healthy materials, access to the outdoors and shared amenity spaces, will bolster both mental and physical health. Opportunities for socialization and connections to neighbors continue through thoughtful urban design. The building’s site placement, terraced massing, and pedestrian-friendly open spaces preserve light and air between the nearby structures and make the development’s health-focused community programming easily accessible to residents of the surrounding area.”

“One of the largest and most trusted community health centers in New York, UNION has been providing continuous healthcare services to Bronx residents for over 100 years.  We are excited about our partnership with HPD, NYCHA, HDC and even more so for the seniors of Sol on Park and the Morrisania community,” said Dr. Douglas L. York, President and CEO of Union Community Health Center. “Our commitment to the Sol on Park senior residence and wellness center will further allow us to respond to the social determinants of health our community faces daily and extend our mission to reach those most in need of quality healthcare and specialty services.”

“This is what commUNITY looks like!” says Stephen Ritz, Founder of Green Bronx Machine. “At Green Bronx Machine, intergenerational programming has been at the heart of our award-winning work and curriculum. This partnership allows our children to take their knowledge, passion, purpose, and hope and work together with the eyes, ears, and gatekeepers of our community, to inspire healthy living, healthy learning, combat climate change and grow something greater while systemically addressing our most pressing needs; a wholly virtuous cycle. With our national headquarters in Claremont Village, we could not be prouder to be part of this brilliant team.”

“The SUNY Bronx Educational Opportunity Center is excited to partner on this project to provide adult education and workforce development to support this housing development,” said SUNY Bronx Educational Opportunity Center Executive Director/CEO Ronnie Hector. “While housing remains a crucial concern for New Yorkers, it is refreshing to see that a developer comprehensively understands the need to partner with local institutions to support community upliftment and upward mobility.  The SUNY Bronx EOC is delighted to be a part of this creative and innovative way of housing and community development. The SUNY Bronx EOC will provide entry-level allied health training along with GED, college preparation and Microsoft office specialist training in support of the community residence economic and social upward mobility.”

“Today’s announcement is a huge win and a step forward towards ensuring our older New Yorkers have access to safe, quality, affordable housing in our borough. Our seniors are the pioneers and trailblazers that paved the way for us to be here and they deserve housing that addresses their unique needs,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson “I want to congratulate The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, NYC Housing Authority, the NYC Housing Development Corporation, NRP Group, Selfhelp Realty Group, and Foxy Management for their work on this important mixed-use housing development. The partnerships with The Union Community Health Center, The Green Bronx Machine’s National Health & Wellness Center, The SUNY Bronx Educational Opportunity Center, and Selfhelp’s Home Care Program and Training Center for Home Health Aides brings important amenities to this project that address health and wellness, holistic care and wraparound services for our older adults.”

“This 15-story affordable housing project will take advantage of an underused lot in Morris Houses and provide low-income seniors in my district with a much-needed affordable place to live. Further, these residents will have access to a one-of-a-kind community health center that will offer them a variety of resources and services that will help them lead a healthier lifestyle,” said State Senator Gustavo Rivera. “I want to thank all public and private partners including trusted Bronx health institutions such as UCHC and The Green Bronx Machine for creating this unique model that will increase access to affordable housing while integrating access to healthy activities in my district.”

“As was made clear by a survey our office recently administered, people in the Bronx desperately want to see increases in the borough’s stock of affordable housing, health services, and resources for seniors,” said Assemblymember Chantel Jackson. “With these goals in mind, I am excited by the HPD’s decisions to construct a new affordable development in the Morrisania area that will prioritize the needs of seniors and host multiple community health centers.”

“Providing our seniors with decent and affordable housing is essential,” said Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15). “This development is a model for affordable housing that provides residents with the resources that holistically invests in the health and success of our communities. I look forward to the completion of Sol on Park to ensure the seniors in our borough get the support they deserve.”

Tower to Table to Tummy: Yogurt Parfait – Premieres Today!

Join us for the world premiere of Episode 8 of Tower to Table to Tummy – featuring Yogurt Parfait! Kids can join Mister Ritz in making their very own healthy, delicious, nutritious DESSERT while learning fractions – Fifths! Use bowls or plates that are the same size to demonstrate parts of the whole. Layer those ingredients for a tasty surprise with every bite!

Tune in, bring 5 colorful plates and a hearty appetite! Get your children, fractions, aprons, cutting boards, and napkins ready! DELICIOSO!

For upcoming Full Episodes, SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel.

Association for Vertical Farming: Munich, Germany

Newswise — The Association for Vertical Farming (AVF) is pleased to announce our partnership with our new advisory board member, Stephen Ritz, and his non-profit, Green Bronx Machine. 

Stephen Ritz is an internationally acclaimed, award-winning educator, author of best-selling book, The Power Of A Plant and Founder of Green Bronx Machine. Known as America’s favorite teacher and 2015 Top Ten Finalist for the Global Teacher Prize, Stephen is responsible for creating the first edible classroom in the world. His TED talk boasts more than 1 million views, ranks in the Top 10 Food/Education TED Talks of all time, and is used for teacher training/workforce development globally. Stephen is now appearing in the new PBS educational series Let’s Learn with Mister Ritz.

Green Bronx Machine was born via collaboration between life-long educator Stephen and his students. Originally an after-school, alternative program for high school students, Green Bronx Machine has evolved into a K-12+ model fully integrated into the core curriculum, focusing on educating and training kids for the future, while providing sustainable and healthy food to the community. 

Stephen Ritz and his students have grown more than 165,000 pounds of vegetables in the South Bronx, were celebrated at the Obama White House three times, have been featured on the cover of TIME for KIDS, and are the subject of a new, full-feature documentary, Generation Growth. A replica of his classroom was installed in the US Botanic Gardens in Washington, DC and his curriculum is being used in hundreds of schools across the United States, and internationally from Colombia to Dubai, from Canada to Cairo, to Doha, and beyond. 

“We at AVF are privileged to have Stephen join the AVF Board and are thrilled to partner with him on a number of significant planned projects,” said Prof. Joel Cuello, AVF Vice Chair and Professor of Biosystems Engineering at The University of Arizona. “Stephen clearly shines a light on and strengthens the social and community-building dimensions of vertical farming through education and outreach with children and young people, which is absolutely crucial in truly fostering the society-wide understanding, appreciation and championing of the vertical farming industry not only for today but well into the future with the succeeding generations,” he added. “Stephen is uniquely qualified and well-positioned to help achieve such critical goals one locality at a time and on a global scale,” he concluded. 

Says Stephen Ritz: “Green Bronx Machine is all about harvesting minds and cultivating hope: we’re seed spreaders and peace promoters and I, along with my students and community are thrilled and honored to join this group of global change-makers, innovators, and sustainability champions. From the Bronx to the world, we’re determined to make epic happen and grow something greater! This inclusive partnership represents a virtuous cycle that inspires healthy living, healthy learning and supports the next generation of consumers and farmers that are committed to people friendly and planet beneficial practices. Together, we are determined to build healthy communities and to feed and save our world!”

AVF’s mission focuses on international exchange, cooperation, and education to accelerate the development of the indoor/vertical farming industry. Recognizing the need to educate the public, our governments, consumers and businesses on the vital need for sustainable food systems, a partnership with a renown non-profit such as Green Bronx Machine was a natural alignment to further our goals to establish an international educational standard curriculum to educate the workforce and consumers of the future.

AVF Co-Founder and Chairwoman Christine Zimmerman-Loessl strongly believes this strategic partnership will reap global benefits and create a whole new level of access, awareness, and impact for all stakeholders: 

“Through this partnership between Stephen and the AVF’s global network, we are excited to bring educational resources worldwide, to kids and parents alike, on the importance of sustainable food systems and the nutrition benefits of indoor agriculture. This partnership will bring about an unparalleled effort to educate the public and consumers on vertical farming and all it has to offer in the collective effort to lessen the effects of the climate crisis on perpetuating food insecurity.”

WATCH AN ALL NEW EPISODE: Let’s Learn with Mister Ritz!!!

WATCH an all new episode of Let’s Learn with Mister Ritz!!!

Our newest episode with Jason Latimer – World Champion of Magic and host of Impossible Science™ – focuses on density and capillary action. Learn the science behind the magic – live from our classroom!

Teachers and students will LOVE IT! Check out this week’s episode, our cooking series, “From Tower to Table to Tummy,” and all our videos on the Green Bronx Machine YouTube channel.

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Mediterranean Diet: Lifestyle for a Sustainable Future

On Monday, April 11th – Pollica, UNESCO Mediterranean Diet Emblematic Communities delegation gifts seeds of the Mediterranean Diet for Green Bronx Machine school garden in partnership with New York City Mayor’s office.

Green Bronx Machine with CS 55 of the South Bronx, School of IC Patroni of Pollica (Italy), and the Future Food Institute sign a Memorandum of Understanding to promote joint programs and sustainable food initiatives.

Newswise — South Bronx, New York: On Monday, April 11, at 9:00 p.m. EST, the event “THE POWER OF SEEDS – Growing Healthy Communities – Mediterranean Diet for a Sustainable Future,” was held in collaboration with the New York City Mayor’s Office at Community School 55, where Stephen Ritz started Green Bronx Machine. The Italian delegation will be composed of Stefano Pisani, Mayor of Pollica and Sara Roversi, President of the Future Food Institute.

 

The event included the planting of the seeds of the Mediterranean Diet in the school garden and a banquet. This symbolic moment marked the collaboration of the School IC Patroni of Pollica, the Community School 55 of the South Bronx, and the Future Food Institute. A Memorandum of Understanding aimed at promoting exchange activities was signed, including a joint digital educational path, food and climate literacy workshops, and a summer school to be held at Future Food Institute’s Paideia Campus in Pollica, a hub that hosts international programs on integral ecology, regenerative agriculture, and food systems transformation.

The event ended with the delivery of the seeds of the Mediterranean Diet by Mayor Stefano Pisani to Kate MacKenzie, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Food Policy of the City of New York, to emphasize the strong link that binds the City of Pollica with the United States in the name of American scientists Ancel Keys and Margaret Haney, who studied the model and coined the concept “Mediterranean Diet.”

After World War II, Ancel Keys (inventor of the “K ration”) and Margaret Haney, moved to Pioppi, a village in the Cilento municipality of Pollica, and intrigued by the longevity of the local population, studied the correlation between the local lifestyle and the epidemiological incidence of cardiovascular disease. The scientists codified the fundamental characteristics that are common to the traditional diets of the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea (from Spain to the Greek islands, passing through Southern Italy). A path that led to the discovery of the benefits of what, in the sixties, they defined for the first time “Mediterranean Diet.”“I am so excited to join Green Bronx Machine, our international colleagues from Italy, and the students of Community School 55 for today’s Power of Seeds – Growing Healthy Communities seed planting and signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to promote future exchange opportunities,” said Kate MacKenzie, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Food Policy. “Programs like this, that foster knowledge and appreciation of the intersection between the food we eat and where it came from, are critical to the health of our students and of our planet.”

The New York City Mayor’s Office of Food Policy works to advance the City’s efforts to increase food security, promote access to and consumption of healthy foods, and support economic opportunity and environmental sustainability in the food system. The Office has a critical role to play integrating an equity frame into food policy priorities and solutions. For more information, please visit nyc.gov/food.

Stephen Ritz, lecturer and innovator is one of the most beloved and influential disseminators of nutrition education. With Green Bronx Machine, he started in New York with his “Tower Garden,” where he developed an educational program that sees teaching how to garden as the pillar of an educational model that focuses on “care” for life, health, and the environment. Ritz has created gardens in thousands of schools around the world. The model of “urban farming” and “food literacy,” which has involved hundreds of thousands of children, often disadvantaged, educating them in a healthy diet, is now a partner of Future Food Institute, Mediterranean Diet Study Center “Angelo Vassallo,” and Campustore with a project proposed under the PON Edugreen for the ecological transition of Italian schools. Stephen Ritz, Founder of Green Bronx Machine shares his excitement about this new collaboration and event: “Green Bronx Machine is all about harvesting minds and cultivating hope: we’re seed spreaders and peace promoters and our students and community are thrilled and honored to host the Italian Delegation and NYC Mayor’s Office for this historic event. These seeds are wholly emblematic of growing something greater! From the Bronx, to the world, we are all global citizens committed to inspiring healthy living, learning, and respecting our planet and each other!”

“The Mediterranean Diet represents a sustainable lifestyle that truly safeguards individual, community, and planetary health. We are thrilled to further strengthen Future Food’s relationship with Green Bronx Machine and the people of New York City through this shared exploration of Mediterranean values, climate literacy, and community development.

Empowering youth to act for a better future is one of our main goals. That’s why the cornerstone of the Institute is Education through unique learning platforms, including K-12 programs and summer schools. Future Food is developing a series of experience-based classes, adopting creative learning methodologies, “prosperity thinking” and transformational experiences, and being always focused on making the “Humana communitas” the center of the equation.

With this vision, today we are renewing our long term alliance with our dearest partners: Green Bronx Machine and the Mediterranean Diet Study Center of Pollica, we need to be inclusive and stronger together in fixing the climate crisis, giving new generations the power to raise their voices through skills, tools, opportunities to put the environmental issues on top of the humans’ agenda,” noted Sara Rovers, Founder and President of the Future Food Institute

Stefano Pisani – Mayor of Pollica, Emblematic Community UNESCO for Mediterranean Diet: “We are happy to kick off the international missions of 2022 with New York. An event that wants to emphasize the great sensitivity of the City of NY on the issues of health and sustainability, but also highlights the great closeness between our countries. The two scientists who first studied the effects of our lifestyle (Ancel and Margaret Keys) lived many years in our dear Pollica and this relationship gave rise to an exceptional discovery that today is the Intangible Heritage of Humanity: The Mediterranean Diet.

Today we symbolically reconnect Italy to the United States through the Mediterranean Diet, starting from young people and schools thanks to the twinning between the Institute of Pollica and the Community School 55.

In the coming year, we are faced with a demanding challenge, but at the same time exciting. With the coordination action to be put in place in 2022, we will not only be able to consolidate and strengthen the value of the Mediterranean lifestyle as a Cultural Heritage of Humanity, as recognized by UNESCO, but it will be essential to be able to affirm the Mediterranean Diet as a new paradigm of sustainable development. A cultural heritage that combines one of the healthiest and most sustainable diets in the world, through its traditional and cultural practices promotes a high quality of life, ensuring the preservation of biodiversity of our planet, will have to become a priority for the Mediterranean countries in 2022, also for the post COVID restart.”

Tower to Table to Tummy: Booming Three-Bean Salad – Premieres Today!

Join us for the world premiere of Episode 7 of Tower to Table to Tummy – featuring Booming Three-Bean Salad! Beyond harvesting straight from our Tower Garden®, we also added a SECRET INGREDIENT from our friends at Gotham Greens to make this salad EXTRA yummy! This recipe focusses on twelve plates of ingredients: teach your little ones twelfths!

Tune in, bring 12 colorful plates and a hearty appetite! Get your children, fractions, aprons, cutting boards, and napkins ready! DELICIOSO!

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ALL NEW EPISODE: Let’s Learn with Mister Ritz is BACK!!!

Let’s Learn with Mister Ritz IS BACK!!!

We’ve traveled the globe and are proud to announce the release of our new episodes with Jason Latimer – World Champion of Magic – host of Impossible Science™! This week’s episode focuses on magic and science, and how the scientific method can transform our understanding. Learn the science behind the magic – live from our classroom!

WATCH NOW

You too can be a magician and participate in a magic trick right through your screen. Learn the steps of the scientific method (can you figure out how the trick was done?), create your own science experiment, and draw along with Mister Ritz. Teachers and students will LOVE IT!

Check out this week’s episode, our cooking series, “From Tower to Table to Tummy,” and all our videos on the Green Bronx Machine YouTube channel.

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