Cedar-Riverside Student Project Wins Trip To Super Bowl

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Three students from Minneapolis are headed to the Super Bowl after winning the SAP Social Innovation Series Teen Innovator award.

The students, eighth graders from Cedar Riverside Community School in Minneapolis, won the honor for their health and wellness project called "Sports – Check It Out." Their project was selected from 12 finalists out of a group of more than 160 pitches around the country.

The students won a $10,000 prize to be implemented for their project as well as an all-expense paid trip to Super Bowl LI in Houston.

Charly Tiempos, Sayed Aden and Hamsa Osman are about to launch their very own business with the help of their teacher Jen Weber.

"I thought, in the beginning, that we would go and get this leadership training and experience," Weber said.

The challenge was to create and pitch a healthy living business. Their concept: get kids outside and active, even in the winter.

"How do we get people to play outside? They have to figure out that it's fun, but they have to be comfortable outside first before they can realize that it's fun," Weber said.

"Sports Check It Out" is a library program for outdoor play. They have snowpants, gloves, jackets, boots, basketballs, soccer balls, sleds, shovels for making snow forts, and much more -- all available for kids to take out and return whenever they need it.

The trio has been working after school to furnish this space for the Cedar-Riverside community where many families live in apartments that lack storage.

"Where do you keep everything and how do you afford that kind of equipment?" Weber said.

Their idea was so good that it beat out 160 other teams.

"We worked way harder than the other teams," Charly said. "Whoever works harder always wins."

And while that's exhilarating, these kids are most excited about seeing their business idea come to life.

The "Sports – Check It Out" program has its grand opening this Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Cedar Riverside Community School, and they're also accepting donations.