Stephen Ritz had been an educator in The Bronx since the 1980’s, and he noticed that, as he ate the same foods provided to his students, his waistline seemed to be expanding exponentially.  When he was asked to teach a science class (not exactly his specialist subject), he asked for help.  A mysterious box of bulbs which grew to flowers under the classroom radiator was the sign Ritz was looking for.  He turned his science class into the Green Bronx Machine, a classroom garden program that has expanded (unlike his waistline, which has shrunk as he ate the healthy foods the students were growing) into a worldwide model for teaching kids about nutrition, science, commerce and a lot more.  He brings his very special energy to In Focus to talk about the amazing accomplishments of GBM, transforming the community with sustainable urban farming, giving kids a fighting chance in school as their nutritional situation improved, and growing food that helps The South Bronx, a neighborhood rife with food deserts.  He also celebrates Green Bronx Machine’s 2021 Classy Award for Social Innovation.