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Destination ImaginationDestination Imagination (DI) is a creativity and problem solving program for children from elementary age to college age. Teams of children compete in various challenges stressing complex thinking, problem solving, and teamwork. The goal of the program is to teach children critical life skills, including creativity, brainstorming, creative and critical thinking, presentation skills, problem solving, project management, knowledge application, confidence, teamwork, time management, collaboration, and research skills. History Destination Imagination was founded in 1998 by a group of former trustees of the Odyssey of the Mind program. That year, a rift developed among the OM board members; some desired to turn OM into a for-profit group, rather than the non-profit it had historically been. Certain board members disagreed with this change, and some of them left the board to found DI, including Robert Purifico, the current president of Destination Imagination. The first competition year for the program was the 1999-2000 school year, culminating in the D2K Global Finals, held 24 May-28 May 2000 at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. Teams A DI team is composed of up to seven children and one or two Team Managers. Though the team is often associated with a school or church, any group of children can register for competition. All that is required is that the team register with their local DI affiliate. There is an affiliate for 47 of the U.S states, and 15 countries. Each team is registered to participate at a certain competition level, by the age of the oldest team member: - Primary: grades K-2, or 5-9 years old
- Elementary: grades K-5, or no student above 12
- Middle: grades 6-8, or no student above 15
- Secondary: high school, or no student above 19
- Collegiate: college, no younger students
After forming, each team chooses a Team Challenge, which they work to solve until the first competition. The Team Manager of each team serves only as a supervisor and chaperone; he or she is prohibited from assisting the team in their solution. The team works together to find their solution, to present it on tournament day, and to solve their Instant Challenge. Team Challenges Each year, five new Team Challenges are written by a board of writers for the program. Generally, there is a challenge focused in each of the following skill areas: Each challenge includes aspects of each of these. The Team Challenge requires that the team write a skit of up to eight minutes in length that creatively presents their solution to a problem presented in the challenge explanation. The goal of the challenge is that the team develop a solution that is integrally tied into the creative skit. Points are awarded not only for completing the challenge's requirements, but also for creativity, teamwork, and performance. The team is also asked to integrate a randomly selected Improv item into their presentation. This item, which can be anything from a piece of paper to a rubber glove to a video tape, is unknown to the team until one minute before their performance, at which point they must integrate it into their performance. For most team challenges, up to 200 points, half of the total score, is based on the Team Challenge, and another 100 points are given for three team-chosen stylistic elements of the presentation (e.g. costumes, props, etc). This typically varies for Improv problems. Competition In the spring, after months of preparation, each region of each affiliate holds a competition to select the best teams for each level of each challenge. The winning teams are then eligible to compete at the affiliate-level cometition, which is held about a month after the regional competition. In May of each year, the Global Finals are held. This is the final competition level and is attended by those teams advance beyond the affiliate level. The 4-day event has an atmosphere akin to the Olympics with pin trading, high quality competition, and team camaraderie. At each competition, a team is required to perform two tasks. First, the team performs their eight minute solution to their long-term challenge. Second, the team is required to complete an Instant Challenge, an improvised performance. Instant Challenge An important part of every DI competition is the Instant Challenge (IC). An Instant Challenge is a new, previously unseen challenge, requiring a quick, improvised solution. To maintain fairness, every team at a tournament competing in the same team challenge and age level is given the same Instant Challenge. To maintain this surprise, ICs are conducted in a private room, with only Team Manager for an audience, and the teams promise not to divulge the nature of the challenge until the competition is over. Upon entering the IC, a team is given a one-page description of their Instant Challenge and a set of items that they may use. The problem is read aloud, and then time begins. Teams are given two to ten minutes to create a solution; the typical duration is four two six minutes. A given challenge usually demands a dramatic presentation, a technical device or system, or both. The goal of the Instant Challenge is to teach on-your-feet thinking, problem solving, and teamwork. At a competition, an IC score is up to 100 points, typically one-fourth of the total competition score. Example Instant Challenge The Challenge: You and your team must communicate a message using acting and art. The Scene: The competing team members break up into three groups. One group (A) is to be given the list of words below, one group (B) is to be stationed at an easel with markers, and the other group (C) is given nothing. The groups should be placed around a room as follows: (easel) B | C | A | Here, groups A and C cannot see each other, and everyone can see the easel. For each word on the list, group A is to act out the concept or thing represented, 'Charades'-style, without words, so that group B can recognize the word. Then, group B is to draw the concept or thing they recognized, without words, so that group C can recognize it. Then, group C is to say what they recognized. Points are awarded if group C says the word chosen by group A. The words are to be attempted, in order, until they are all finished, or 5 minutes have elapsed. The team will have 3 minutes to plan before their 5 minutes begin. List of words: - fish
- grass
- love
- green
- lawnmower
- shopping
Scoring: - 10 points for each completed word from the list (up to 60 total);
- 10 points each for the creativity of each group (up to 30 total);
- 10 points for teamwork.
External Links Destination Imagination website
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