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What is Destination Imagination®?

What is DI?   Visit Destination Imagination's corporate website
General Info
Membership
Features
Challenges
Tournament
Deductions & Awards
Local Support



What is Destination Imagination®?
Destination Imagination® is a Creative Problem-Solving (CPS) program for students

  • Teaches students how to practice innovative thinking, use their creativity & imagination, work with a team to come up with practical solutions to challenges, stay within a budget and then perform their solution to a panel of apPRAISErs
  • Emphasis of the program is on students learning the CPS process, not advancing at the tournaments
  • All adult volunteers (team managers, tournament directors and appraisers) are trained to recognize and reward the teams/students that exhibit outside-the-box thinking and also to have a positive attitude that recognizes their accomplishments
  • Colleges & employers are looking for students with CPS skills
  • Destination Imagination® fills the gap between what students learn in school and what they need in the workplace
  • The goal of Destination Imagination® is to help children learn that through a combination of creativity, teamwork and tenacity that they can develop creative solutions to complex problems completely on their own

General
· Program based on sound educational principles and theory

· Each challenge covers a host of national educational standards.
· View KY's Creative Problem Solving Learning Goals and how Destination Imagination® addresses these educational learning standards.
· Largest CPS program for students in the world
· In-classroom Curriculum Guides for use in regular classroom with each team membership
· Administered by a Not-for-profit Educational Corporation with more than 20 years experience managing an international creative problem-solving program
· Member-elected International Board of Directors - opportunities for member input, suggestions, and ideas. More open to change and new ideas.
· Sponsors Model School program

· "Ask DI" available to answer questions quickly (askdi@destinationimagination.org)

Team Membership
· Download of challenge previews from www.destinationimagination.org
· Passport memberships can be bought by schools, community groups or individuals
o School or community group (church, YMCA, Boy Scout troup, etc.) membership 5-pack allows 5 teams to choose ANY challenge (see Fees pg. for prices).
o Individual passport (individual, home school, community group, school, church) allows a single team to compete in any challenge.  See Fees pg. for prices.
· "Guest Passes" allow memberships to include team members from different schools
· Membership selects criteria, either age or grade to determine which level teams from that membership will compete
· Purchase memberships online or through mail


Features
· Form teams of up to 7 team members with an adult team manager(s)
· Team picks one Team Challenge to work on for several months
· Teams also practice Instant Challenges - quick challenges that the team must solve in a matter of just a few minutes - truly "on-the-spot" thinking
· May be task-based - build, move, protect, change or communicate
· May be performance or improv based
· Team does not know the type of IC that they will get - so they need to practice all types
· Team Manager may accompany team into Instant Challenge
· At tournaments, Teams are scored on Team Challenge, Instant Challenge and Side Trip
· All 7 team members compete in every phase of competition - Team and Instant Challenge


Team and Instant Challenges
· Challenges written by teams of experienced participants - varied authors keeps each Challenge truly unique and fresh
· Challenges encourage exploration of diverse talents and skills, balance between technical and artistic elements in each Challenge
· No set categories of Challenges - new, fresh Challenges each year keeps the playing field level for all teams
· There is one Improv-only Challenge
· Simple to complex solutions can fulfill Challenge requirements

· All Challenges open to all age levels
· Rising Stars! Challenge specifically written for K to 2nd teams (however, these teams may select any Challenge)
· Instant Challenges less stressful - NO 'if one team member is stuck, the team is stuck' type of challenges
· Instant Challenges specifically written to age levels
· Instant Challenges require & score teamwork

· Clarifications are processed either through mail or e-mail. Response time for e-mailed clarifications is 48 hours


Tournaments
· Tournaments are kid-centered. They are fun, fair, and exciting. They feature:
§ Well-trained and kid-friendly appraisers
§ Celebration activities such as a Celebration Arch
§ Fun for kids such as a Scavenger Hunt
§ Creative fun for everyone such as a Creative Hat Contest
§ Money-making fun such as a Silent Auction


Deductions & Awards
· Only three categories of deductions - Interference, Unsportsmanlike Conduct, and Illegal Procedure
· ApPRAISErs are trained to award points, not penalize
· Deductions level the playing field by eliminating only points earned by rule infraction

· Major award categories: Creativity Award, Spirit Award, and Performance/Engineering Award
· Rewards creativity, teamwork/spirit, skill, and talent appropriately


Local Support
· E-mails & contact information of KY-DI contacts available
----Peggy Middendorf - 859-727-2733,
affiliate.director@ky-di.org · Website (www.ky-di.org) contains information & calendar of training/tournament dates
· Direct contact with School Coordinators and Team Managers
· Trainings available for adult Team Managers (TM) and apPRAISErs (judges) & students
· Adult training
o Basic & Advanced Team Manager trainings
o CPS (Creative Problem Solving) toolbox training
o Mentoring with an experienced TM -- email & phone consultation
o Supplemental guides - IC, Improv, Building, Electricity, Drama presentation
o Email contact
· Student training
o DI Skills Day
o IC/Improv day


"Kids imagine the future...teams create it!"

Last updated
9 Feb. 2008