Destination ImagiNation informational meeting

Destination ImagiNation (DI) is the country’s largest creativity and problem solving program for kids and is open to kindergarten through college age students. DI encourages the application of creative problem solving techniques and tools while developing creative and critical thinking skills in the students who are involved. The challenges range from building a weight bearing structure out of ultralight materials to telling a story using only the language of music. Participants will learn that the problem solving process not only calls for divergent thinking, but also for technical, theatrical, scientific and logistic expertise.

Last year we had 13 teams from Coppell and 3 went to the DI state competition. We are so proud of all of them!!!

All participants in DI are successful in that the solutions they devise are entirely their own. This is an extraordinary program that allows children at such a young age to truly “own” their own creation. It is amazing what these kids create as they challenge themselves in this opportunity to explore, discover, and develop their creative potential through teamwork, cooperation, and mutual respect.

For students in third grade through college, there are five competitive Team Challenges, each with its own educational focus. Each Team Challenge is designed to be open-ended and solvable in many ways and on many levels.

• Operation Cooperation: Design two separate machines that perform different tasks cooperatively
• Instinct Messaging: Create a theatrical presentation that demonstrates creature communication
• Video Lit Hits: Create a music video that retells a piece of literature
• Private DI: Improvise a skit with 30 minutes of preparation time, including elements randomly selected
• A New Angle: Design, build and test an angled two-part structure made entirely of wood and glue

This year there is also a new category, Project Outreach, which challenges participants to solve real-life problems.

For students in kindergarten through second grade, DI has a non-competitive Team Challenge called Rising Stars. This year, these young students are challenged to develop a skit based on a hidden situation.

Want to know more? Destination ImagiNation will have a symposium at CMS North on September 25, 2008. Join us and see what your creative children are capable of… they will amaze you!