We inherited a 60 x 25 foot empty library in a 100+ year old school building, and we turned it into the National Health, Wellness & Learning Center at CS 55, a community school in the South Bronx; an innovative and engaging wonderland where students and teachers grow their way and work towards a brighter future.
Healthy Students + Healthy Schools = Healthy Communities
We believe that healthy students are at the heart of healthy schools, and healthy schools are at the heart of healthy communities. By integrating plant-based teaching with core school curriculum, we grow healthy food, healthy students and healthy academic performance.
Thank you for supporting Bronx educator Stephen Ritz (AKA El Capitan ) and Green Bronx Machine in our effort to build the facility that is a model for expansion across the nation.
Vegetables Grown and Cooked in School….OH MY!
So just what is the National Health and Wellness Center? It is a place of inquiry and wonder, inspiration and aspiration, a place full of tactile and experiential learning opportunities for students and teachers.
- Indoor Teaching Farm, with seven Tower Garden systems that keep crops growing fresh regardless of the weather outside
- A Traditional Grow Light System
- A Seedling Development System
- Electricity-Generating Bicycles
- Media and Resource Center, stocked with Common Core curriculum guides and lesson plans so that our educators and students can maximize the benefits of the space
- An Outdoor Garden with raised garden beds and self-irrigation system
- The Green Bronx Machine Mobile Classroom Kitchen!