GREEN BRONX MACHINE MODEL COMES TO BOCES

On December 9, Deputy Superintendent Susan Schmidt and members of the Career and Technical Education team traveled to see the much anticipated Green Bronx Machine at the National Health Wellness and Learning Center at Community School 55 in the Bronx. The group had the honor and pleasure of traveling with Vice Chancellor Finn and met New York State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa and several others in the Bronx to visit the school

According to Commissioner Rosa, “This diverse group of individuals is a collection of individuals who try to find solutions when it comes to education, health, wellness, and nutrition ” Stephen Ritz, Innovator of the Green Bronx Machine, provided a guided tour to show the group the healthy learning experiences he has created for kids and the community. The main event was Stephen Ritz himself; his excitement, enthusiasm, humor, and dedication to developing a nutritional program for inner-city kids was simple, exciting, and, most importantlyaccessible The space included a hydroponic garden used for plant growth, a convection oven for farm-to-table meals, and exercise space for students. The use of water to grow plants avoids the need for vast fields of dirt to grow vegetation and brings a healthy experience into the classroom, where it would otherwise not be possible

“My initial goal is to make sure that we start this work in collaboration with Sullivan County, particularly Sullivan 180 and Sullivan BOCES We want to ensure that students are doing applied learning with this project and encourage the sciences while encouraging reading, writing, and the excitement of learning for our students,” stated Rosa