#60: The Teacher Changing the Narrative of Possibility in Lower Socioeconomic Areas: Stephen Ritz

Published: June 7, 2021, 12:06 p.m.

Stephen Ritz is a South Bronx educator who believes that students should not have to leave their community to live, learn, and earn in a better one. An internationally acclaimed award-winning educator, Stephen is the author of the best-selling book, The Power Of A Plant, and founder of Green Bronx Machine.

Stephen was a Top Ten Finalist for the Global Teacher Prize, named Global Humanitarian, Food Tank Hero, TEDx Prize Winner and a Global Food Educator, and has presented at the Obama White House three times.

He and his students have grown more than 100,000 pounds of vegetables in the South Bronx, and in the process, Stephen has moved school attendance from 40% to 93% daily and helped provide 2,200 youth jobs in the Bronx.

In this interview, we talk about:

- Stephen’s journey from pursuing professional basketball to becoming a teacher in the South Bronx

- Stephen’s thoughts on changing the narrative for students and education in lower socioeconomic areas

- Stephen’s advice for other teachers looking to make great impact

- Stephen’s journey from having students grow vegetables as a way to learn to turning that into a full blown curriculum

Stephen's Website: https://stephenritz.com/

Green Bronx Machine Website: https://greenbronxmachine.org/

Grateful Living Website: http://grateful4living.com/​

My Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aroy81547/?...​

To Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Hn4ttt...​

To Listen on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...​

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Bo...​

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/gratefulliving4