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CNN 10

CNN`s Five Young Wonders

Aired January 09, 2018 - 04:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CARL AZUZ, CNN 10 ANCHOR: Hi. I`m Carl Azuz. And we thank you for joining us for what could be described as a heroic special edition of CNN

10.

We follow CNN Heroes throughout the year on this show. Last month, the 2017 Hero of the Year was announced. Amy Wright, a mother of two children

with Down syndrome, became an advocate for people with special needs and her North Carolina coffee shop named Bitty and Beau`s which now employees

40 disabled employees, has won supporters, fans, and customers from across the nation.

But there`s another category of CNN Heroes that specifically honors young people. It`s called Young Wonders. And today`s special follows five of

these extraordinary folks in their work to help others in their communities.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNEY KEYS III, CNN YOUNG WONDER: Ever since I was little, I just love to read. I`m in love listening to different kinds of stories.

I realize that there was a need for African-American literacy and boys to see themselves in books in a positive way.

Books n Bros is a book club where we read about African-American literacy.

Hi, my name is Sidney. And my role is head bro in charge, also known as founder and CEO.

WINNIE CALDWELL, SIDNEY KEYS` MOTHER: Some people, they`re surprised when I tell them I work for my son.

KEYS: If you make the sign in she feel like the name and then like the bro.

Not many 11-year-olds run a meeting. Usually they`re just there. The schedule is going to be, first going to do an ice breaker. It is an

interesting experience because it is really fun being able to control a whole bunch of 20 and 30-year-olds.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My name is Ranel Parker. And I`m a big bro.

KEYS: Big bros are basically mentors for the bros. We want them to see positive African-American men and also because they help a lot with the

book club with keeping boys under control.

CALDWELL: I`m super proud of him. Words really can`t even describe how proud I am.

KEYS: I do really feel like I`m making a positive impact in my community because all the boys are having such a good time in my book club, I see all

smiles on their faces. I really feel like I am making reading fun again.

KIDS: Cool bros read!

HAILE THOMAS, CNN YOUNG WONDER: I love that you get to be super creative with cooking. It`s really cool to see a bunch of ingredients that may not

have matched so classically come together and really create something unique and super flavorful.

I love that aspect of just being able to kind of play around with it like a science experiment and see what happens.

Wow, this is so pretty.

We were completely able to reverse my dad`s type II diabetes within about a year of just really pushing the healthy eating and changing our lifestyle

habits.

That`s when I think I was super inspired to share that with my peers.

We really just want to be sure that kids everywhere know how to make a healthy choice and how they can incorporate that into their everyday.

It`s super important to know what`s in our food. Dextrose is another form of sugar. We already heard sugar before, right?

So we go over reading food labels, researching ingredients.

Do you guys know what`s in gelatin? Pig skin. Yes. Right.

You guys are going to make your own cereal.

Super important for us to share a healthy alternative that`s super fun to make, easy, and of course, delicious.

Guys, that smells amazing.

These were workshops definitely inspire and empower kids to make healthier choices.

I`m proud of you guys. It was so easy to make, right? Yes.

It`s just that one moment where a kid realizes that they can do better for themselves and their families that is so important to me. That`s what

exactly helped my dad get better.

We are teaching kids how to fuel their bodies the best and they will ultimately have the energy and the vitality to be their best.

RYAN HICKMAN, CNN HERO: That`s definitely not water.

Recycling helps the Earth, people, plants, animals and other living things.

I was three and a half and my dad and me took a bag of cans to the recycling center and we got about 5 bucks, and like doing it so I`ve been

doing it ever since.

Oh, I love these.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was his idea to enlist all of our neighbors and to get more people recycling for him. And the longer it went, the bigger it

got.

HICKMAN: It teaches some facts.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s a pleasure to meet you, sir.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Perfect. Want to take the trash can back to dad?

HICKMAN: My mom and dad and grandma on Tuesday help me sort.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are going too fast.

HICKMAN: And then once we have a full bag, we load it up in our truck and drive to the recycling center usually and we are first in line.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We estimate that Ryan recycled 270,000 cans and bottles and I think that`s about 60,000 pounds of cans and bottles.

HICKMAN: And probably one of our bottles is processing right on that conveyor belt.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good job, Ryan.

HICKMAN: Thank you.

RALPH ALCANTAR, V.P. MATERIAL HANDLING, REPLANET: He`s helping the environment. I mean, for every 2,000 pounds that he recycles he saves at

least 40 barrels of oil. So he is doing his part.

HICKMAN: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would probably not be doing this if it wasn`t for Ryan. He`s opened my eyes to making a difference, for sure.

CHRISTINA LI, CNN YOUNG WONDER: I really like computer science just because there are so many possibilities with it.

You can program a space ship or cars or robots. I think computer science can be for anybody.

When I was in third grade, my brothers and I made this character called fish guy. So, we made a Website for it. And that`s what really got into

computer science.

In high school I joined my robotics team. I was the only female programmer and I felt really weird about it. It was every evident that this that this

gender gap existed.

I decided to make a computer science camp for middle school girls.

I named the camp Hello World because I want to have girls say hello to the world to computer science.

How many of you guys have played pong before?

It`s an introduction so they can learn how to program apps and robots and games.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So I have a bluebird currently and the bird flies with the tubes using a space bar. I realize that it`s actually not that

hard. When you click that on button you go crazy because it`s working.

LI: I just wanted to get them interested and like show them how cool the world of computer science is.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you press the down arrow, it will go back.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Your game is literally out of this world.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Pretty much.

LI: Interacting with other girls gives them realize they`re not alone in this.

I really hope to show the girls that girls can do anything they want to.

CROWD: Hello, world!

CAMPBELL REMESS, CNN YOUNG WONDER: The mission of my project is to make people happy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello.

REMESS: Hi.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It does get very lonely in hospital.

REMESS: I give them a bear and try to cheer them up a bit.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, Campbell.

REMESS: That`s a gift. Hope you enjoy playing with him, cuddling him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When Campbell takes them to the hospital, you see these sick children pick straight up, you feel the energy in the room.

REMESS: I got this bear for you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Getting a teddy from Campbell was so nice. It just feels great and it`s a relief I`ve got a friend there.

REMESS: I think the magic in the bears is the heart, it`s the heart that the bears give to people.

I`ve been making bears over four years now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Campbell is just empathetic to maximum level.

REMESS: This is just my thing. My hobby. This is what I love doing.

The top of the shelves just full of all hospital bears, going to the hospital at Christmastime.

So this is Marvin. And this is Melby (Ph). This is Elch (Ph). When start doing their faces and shaping and putting their eyes and noses in it, it`s

really cool you see their personality come together.

I reckon I`ve made over 1,200 to 1,400 bears. It`s simple.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, it started with a little idea. I just want kids to have presents at Christmastime. Now, it`s bears going in every

direction all over the world to every race possible.

REMESS: I sent them to lots of different people that have been hurt in lots of different ways.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he is in a way, he is trying to hug the whole world better to make it OK. It`s just love.

REMESS: If everybody was kind and not mad, it would change the world. It would change the world a lot.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

END