Raising a child and adolescent audience is an extremely important mission that should be given a lot of time and attention. It is essential that each person grows and develops with a clear and proper awareness of their role in this world. Therefore, many prominent figures at all times combined their own scientific activity with the training of the younger generation. Bronx native Stephen Ritz successfully brought to life such a noble task. In our article, we will tell you about his career and educational project, which became known all over the world. Find out more interesting and informative at the bronx.name.
How did a simple teacher become a true celebrity?
Stephen Ritz worked as a school teacher in the Bronx. Working with children was his calling. One day the man decided that his capabilities and the potential of students were not limited with simple lessons in the classroom. The biologist desired to do great things. That is what happened.
Ritz founded an environmental project aimed at working with children from poor families. Together they grew plants, cared for them and studied local and world flora. Such work rapidly took on a global scale and became famous far beyond their native borough. The teacher was able to achieve several important goals at once: teaching children, organizing the right leisure for them, as well as environmental education. After all, taking care of plants, children firmly realized all the need for a careful and respectful attitude to all living creatures.
The local project has rapidly turned into a large and close-knit community of like-minded people. Together with his students, the biologist grew a variety of crops, created large gardens and vegetable gardens and even organized many new jobs in the Bronx. Numerous media outlets constantly talked about the brainchild of Ritz under the name Green Bronx Machine.
The project participants produced on a regular basis a sufficient amount of natural products to provide food for about 450 people. In general, about a hundred gardens were created on the territory of America. The work was really enormous. It had a great ecological, economic and cultural impact for the whole country. Ritz himself became a true example and source of inspiration for all the colleagues. He demonstrated that a simple teacher had the ability to carry out important global missions, helping many people.
Numerous awards and prizes
Needless to say, such an outstanding activity was marked with a number of prestigious awards. It was thanks to Stephen that the school where he taught received the first ever citywide award in the history for outstanding achievements from the New York City Strategic Alliance for Health. The man himself had repeatedly received the Best Teacher award from various public and private organizations. For instance, in 2015, he entered the top ten best teachers according to the Global Teacher Prize. In 2016, he received the title of champion in project-based learning. People call Stephen Ritz simply America’s favorite teacher. After all, he demonstrated to everyone that learning could be effective, exciting and also have positive influences for society.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency presented the Bronx native with the award for changing the mindset of the public in New York City. He was often invited to speak at many American and European universities and share his own experience. He received an official invitation and was the guest of honor at the White House. The success story of the American is amazing and wonderful. At different times, it could be read on the pages of publications such as Forbes, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and many others.
The teacher from the Bronx made a real breakthrough in the field of American education and the direction of environmental protection. His story proves that every person can perform great noble deeds and achieve success in it.