Primary Job Title Leader Primary Organization Green Bronx Machine
Gender Male
Ritz’s inspirational story reveals the transformation that can be achieved through challenging assumptions and thinking differently. New York City’s South Bronx is a place traditionally associated with gang activity, poverty and crime. But Ritz believes that belief that students shouldn't have to leave their community to live, learn and earn
in a better one. As the leader of the Green Bronx Machine, Ritz is driving a movement that is changing people’s perceptions and transforming lives.
His work with students in generating urban farms has consistently moved attendance from 40% to 93% daily, partnered towards 2,200 youth jobs in the Bronx and captured the United States EPA Award for transforming mindsets and landscapes in NYC. Ritz has recently been named a 2015 Top Ten Finalist for the Global Teacher Prize and in 2013, American Teacher: Heroes in the Classroom identified and featured him as one of the top fifty teachers in America. He helped earn his school the first ever Citywide Award of Excellence from the NYC Strategic Alliance for Health and directly attributes these results to growing vegetables in school.
