Our story
Green Bronx Machine was born in the South Bronx through collaboration between life-long educator Stephen Ritz and his students. As waistlines expanded, engagement and opportunities in school decreased, school performance suffered, and hope and ambition became minimized. Stephen and his students decided to grow something greater.
Originally an after-school, alternative program for high school students, Green Bronx Machine has evolved into a whole-school, all-subject, fully standards-aligned, preK-12+ model including workforce development. Using our acclaimed Green Bronx Machine Classroom Curriculum, our students grow, eat, and love their vegetables en route to spectacular academic performance and improved health outcomes.
Hundreds of thousands of pounds of vegetables later, our favorite crops include healthy students, high performing schools, graduates, registered voters, living wage jobs, and members of the middle class. Our work, vision, and mission are as organic and locally grown as it gets—straight from our classroom to our community.
Our founder & team
At the heart of Green Bronx Machine is a team of educators, practitioners, and community leaders committed to cultivating minds and harvesting hope.
A life-long educator from the South Bronx, Stephen Ritz is the founder of Green Bronx Machine and a nationally recognized voice for food, education, and community transformation. Known for his boundless energy, passion, and love for “his kids,” Stephen has turned despair into opportunity and introduced hundreds of schools and communities to endless possibilities. Stephen has a top ten teacher TED talk of all time, has appeared on national and international stages, including WOBI, the United Nations General Counsel, COP, the Vatican, and countless others. His work is featured in classrooms around the world using the power of plants to grow high performing schools, happy, healthy students, and strong, resilient communities.
Our team
Our team includes classroom educators, school leaders, curriculum designers, and community organizers who bring our mission to life every day. Together, they support schools across the country and around the world to implement the Green Bronx Machine Classroom Curriculum, build and maintain gardens, and connect students to health, opportunity, and meaningful work.
Board of directors
Green Bronx Machine is guided by a Board of Directors made up of educators, business leaders, philanthropists, and community advocates who share a commitment to growing healthy students and healthy communities.
Our Board provides strategic direction, governance, and support to ensure that our programs are sustainable, scalable, and rooted in the needs of students and schools. Together, we steward resources responsibly, build strong partnerships, and keep our mission at the center of every decision.
Olivier Delille
Senior Managing Director, Macquarie Group
Ana Cristina Garcia
Senior Director of Community Engagement and Health Equity, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
David Hyman
Founding Head of School, Academy of Thought and Industry
Joel Makower
Chairman, Trellis Group
Eartha S. Peterson-Farngalo
Product Strategy & Operations @ Google Sustainability, Google
Dr. Charles Pohl
Chancellor of center City Campus, Thomas Jefferson University