5280 Closer Noah Steingraeber helped deliver 40 cases of food to the Disability Center for Independent Living. Photo by Johanna Snow.

The results are in, and the 5280 Closers come through with their second group win in the Apprentice Challenge @ Metro State. The winners were announced Feb. 29 at the UMB Bank corporate boardroom in downtown Denver, where both groups, 5280 Closers and the A-Team, presented their projects to the judges.

The winning team received tickets to the March 4 Colorado Avalanche and Vancouver Canucks hockey game, getting first-class treatment by viewing the event from the Key Bank suite, getting a behind-the-scene look at the Pepsi Center, Altitude Sports Channel and a meet-and-greet with the players after the game.

“I’ve never been to an Avalanche game before,” said Noah Steingraeber, 5280 Closers team member. “I was really excited sitting in the Key Bank suite, it was a great experience.”

Steingraeber was surprised when his group was announced the winners of the second project, saying that the A-Team were determined to win after losing the first challenge.

“We seem to have a great work dynamic, we don’t have a lot of time to work together but when we are, we work well,” Steingraeber said.

Both groups have worked diligently during the past two months and will continue in helping the Denver community on various projects throughout the four-month competition. So far, both teams have made significant impacts around the metro area, according to Stefanie Carroll, assistant director of alumni programs and communication.

A-Team members gave their project for El Centro Humanitario their all, but came up short. (l to r) Cindy Cervantes, Chris Wilcox, Benjamin Gillespie and Ashley Gilchrist. Photo by Johanna Snow.

Ending homelessness
The second project, sponsored by UMB Bank and Denver’s Road Home developed by the Denver Commission to End Homelessness, gave both teams the opportunity to improve locally based nonprofit homeless agencies that are short on resources. The 5280 Closers worked with the Disability Center for Independent Living (DCIL), and the A-Team helped El Centro Humanitario, a humanitarian center for day laborers.

Each group was given $500 to improve on specific problems both centers were encountering.

The A-Team set up a tool drive on campus to help equip the center's clients so that they can find day jobs. What they found through their research was, out of 200 workers, 95 percent of them are homeless and 70 percent of them have families.

“…we did get a ton of tools for El Centro Humanitario and we were able to get them some firm long-term goals to help grow the company,” Benjamin Gillespie said from his weekly blog at http://metrostate-blog-benjamin.blogspot.com/.

5280 Closers used their money by working closely with DCIL and making improvements as well as additions to the center. They were able to donate 40 cases of nonperishable goods by conducting a food drive on campus. They also created an employee handbook, improved disability access and constructed a Web site.

With little time to waste, the challengers now are focused on project three, sponsored by CH2M Hill and the Colorado I Have a Dream Foundation. The teams will be working with middle and junior high school students, trying to get them interested in math and science.

“There will be a huge shortage of individuals in the math and science careers,” Carroll said. “(CH2M Hill) really feels it’s important to work with elementary and junior high kids in those fields because by the time they’re in college it’s too late.”

Challengers will be working alongside Assistant Professor of Chemistry Roosevelt Price and Center for Math, Science and Environmental Education Director Larry Johnson, helping them with experiments and activities to inspire the middle school and junior high kids.

To follow the challengers and their progress, visit http://www.mscd.edu/~alumni/apprenticechallenge/ and take the 60-second video challenge to win prizes. Watch a short clip from the “Apprentice Challenge @ Metro State” movie, and answer a simple question to be eligible for a prize. Each month a new clip and question are added and one correct answer will be selected at random. So check back monthly.