Green Bronx Machine: Growing High-Performing Schools and Happy, Healthy Children

Green Bronx Machine, founded by Stephen and Lizette Ritz in the South Bronx, uses urban agriculture as a transformative educational tool to combat food insecurity, poor health, and low academic achievement. By turning classrooms into “edible laboratories,” students grow, harvest, and prepare food while learning STEM, literacy, and life skills, resulting in higher attendance, improved science scores, reduced behavioral issues, and stronger community engagement. What began in a struggling Bronx classroom evolved into a scalable K–12+ model integrated into schools across the United States and internationally, including programs in Italy, Dubai, Canada, and Latin America. Beyond academics, the organization supports workforce development, teacher training, community health, and foster youth initiatives such as the Growing Hope greenhouse project in West Virginia. Through partnerships with schools, nonprofits, corporations, and public agencies, Green Bronx Machine demonstrates that healthy food and hands-on learning can reshape “zip code destiny,” empowering students and communities to cultivate resilience, opportunity, and hope.

Click below to read the article in the May/June 2026 issue of Childhood Education Innovations, available for a limited time with free access to the public.

To read the article, click the bottom right corner of the flipbook window to view in full screen. There is also a PDF version available for download below the flipbook window.

Download a PDF of the Article

Childhood Education: Innovations

Childhood Education: Innovations is dedicated to providing you with unique, interesting and stimulating information from schools and learning environments around the world. Whether you are facing specific challenges in your work or simply want to stay informed about the most recent ideas and innovations in childhood education, you will find inspiration and ideas in this education publication.

Subscribe to Childhood Education: Innovations