FAQs - Washington Destination Imagination

Index - What is your question about?

General
Forming Teams
Registration
Team Managers
Volunteers and Appraisers
Regional Tournaments
State (Affiliate) Tournament
Global Finals Tournament

General Questions

WHAT IS DI? I'VE HEARD ABOUT IT, BUT I'M STILL CONFUSED...

Destination Imagination is nearly impossible to describe in the full scope of its wonder. We can wax poetically and endlessly about pedagogy and innovative enrichment, but DI cannot be wholly understood until you have experienced it firsthand. The best and most accurate definitions come from the team members who excitedly and passionately discuss their adventures (and misadventures) in problem-solving and tournament presentation.

Suffice for now to say, DI is: A program in which school-aged children work in teams from 2 to 7 members to solve Challenges (long term, open-ended problems) and practice Instant Challenges (improvisational problems that must be solved in only a few minutes).

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CHALLENGES IN WHICH TEAMS COMPETE?

At tournaments, teams will compete in an Instant Challenge as well as a Central Challenge.

Teams practice different Instant Challenges (ICs) throughout the year; an IC is something of a quick improvisational game that challenges team members to cooperate, collaborate, act quickly, and think on their toes. Some ICs are performance based (e.g. "Here is a prop. Tell a story backwards about a character who finds an unexpected use for this prop. You have 4 minutes to plan your story and 2 minutes to perform it."). Some ICs are task based (e.g. "Here are some popsicle sticks, straws, paper, and string. Build a bridge that is as long as possible, but also holds as much weight as possible. You have 5 minutes to build and test your bridge. Then, your bridge length will be measured and you will have 2 minutes to add weights to your bridge."). Some ICs are both performance and task based.

Teams will also work long-term on a Central Challenge. New Challenges are written each year for the following categories:

Technical
Scientific
Fine Arts
Improvisational
Engineering
Service Learning
Rising Stars, our non-competitive early learning Challenge for students in K-2

HOW MUCH TIME DOES IT TAKE? WHAT IS THE GENERAL SCHEDULE FOR THE DI SEASON?

The DI season begins around the start of September, with the release of the season’s Challenges, and may end with the Regional Tournaments in the spring. Most teams begin practicing, meeting, or working on their solutions in the late fall, but some don’t begin until January. The average team meets once a week for 2-3 hours. As the tournament approaches, the team may decide to add additional practice time. Time requirements may vary by age, Challenge, and the competitive ambitions of the team.
Teams placing at their Regional Tournament may advance to the State Tournament (usually around April) and teams placing at State may advance to Global Finals at the end of May.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO PARTICIPATE IN DI?

Team Membership
$105 Challenge Materials and DI Team Number Registration Packet
+ $125 Washington State Affiliate Fee
=$230 for the entire Team

If you have 7 team members, that is about $33 per student per year.

Practice and Challenge materials
Average of $250
(DI emphasizes using inexpensive or recycled materials)

Regional T-shirts and Pins
About $20-30 per team member

Total
$85 – $110 per team member over the course of a season and generally 16+ hours of team meetings
(State and Global participation would increase this cost)

Compare that to:

Scouting: $95.00 per year, plus camp costs and the selling of cookies or popcorn to finance troop.
Piano lessons: $30 for ½ hour: 16 hours for $960.00
Girls on the Run: $135.00 per person
PTA sponsored after school enrichment: possibly $15 an hour.
Hockey: $975 per player per year
Soccer: $125 per player per year (non-competitive) (uniform not included)

HOW DOES DI WORK? WHAT MAKES IT A UNIQUE PROGRAM?

School-aged children work in teams from 2 to 7 members to solve long-term, open-ended Challenges and practice quick, improvisational Instant Challenges. The most important thing to remember is that this program is student-driven! When it comes to creating a solution, there is absolutely no outside help allowed! That includes parents and team managers. Team managers are there to supervise, provide resources and teach skills, teamwork and problem solving skills. In this hands-off program, the Team Members themselves must generate the ideas, execute the ideas, and plan a performance showcasing their ideas. You will be impressed and surprised by the wondrous creations that team members concoct all by themselves! Team members are encourage to think creatively and outside the box - to do the unexpected and go where no imagination has gone before! In a world that often promotes mindless rule-following and thoughtless conformity, we seek to not only teach valuable life skills, but to empower children to explore, be curious, and discover their own answers.

Questions about Forming Teams

Team formation requirements are defined in the Destination Imagination Rules of the Road. Information about starting a team can be found here.

MY FRIEND AND I WANT TO HAVE A TEAM BUT WE DON'T KNOW ANYONE ELSE WHO WANTS TO BE ON A TEAM. CAN WE DO A TEAM WITH 2 STUDENTS?

Yes! Destination Imagination teams can have two to seven team members. Occasionally, parents contact us looking for a team in their area. If you'd like to expand your team size, please contact the Registrar at registration@wa-di.org, or post a query on our Facebook page.

MY SCHOOL DOESN'T OFFER DI. HOW CAN I GET MY CHILD ON A TEAM?

If you don't know of any teams in your area, you can consider starting a new DI team! Check out some of the process here.

Otherwise, you can fill out your information on this interest form, or post on the Washington DI Facebook page to see if any parents in your area are interested in forming a team. You can also email your local Regional Director to see if there are any new team opportunities. However, the Regional Directors often do not know of any openings until it is too late in the season, so forming a team yourself is often your best option! And we have many supporting resources (including your Regional Director) to support you.

CAN I HAVE TEAM MEMBERS WHO ARE DIFFERENT AGES ON THE SAME TEAM?

Yes! Students of any age can be on the same team; however the competition level will be determined by the OLDEST member of the team. Technically (though certainly not realistically!), a preschooler could be on a team with college students, but they would be competing at the university level. A more likely scenario involves a team of elementary students with a slightly older team member who bumps the whole team up to the middle level of competition. We also have teams who, for instance, are composed of siblings of all different ages who compete at the level determined by the oldest sibling. Specific age and grade requirement can be found here.

HOW DO I KNOW MY TEAM'S COMPETITION LEVEL?

Scroll down to find DI's Age & Grade Requirements. Your competition level will be determined by your OLDEST team member.

WE HAVE EIGHT STUDENTS WHO WANT TO BE ON A DESTINATION IMAGINATION TEAM. IS THAT OK?

Only the early learning teams with students in Pre-K to 2nd grade may have eight or more students on a team. Consider creating two teams instead. The eighth student must be dropped before the team begins working on the team challenge solution.

WE HAVE A GROUP OF CHILDREN THAT WANT TO CREATE A TEAM. THEY DON'T GO TO THE SAME SCHOOL. IS THAT OKAY?

Yes! Team participants may be from a school, school program, college, university, community group, Boy Scout, Girl Scout, 4-H Club, PTA/PTO, home school program, parent group or business or government group, or from anywhere else you might imagine!

WHERE CAN I FIND MORE TEAM MEMBERS?

Anywhere! Consider sending out a notice at your local schools or reaching out to guidance counselors. You could ask about interest and check with after school programs, Boys & Girls Clubs, local libraries, community groups, 4-H Club, local churches, home school programs, etc.

I HAVE A 5 YEAR OLD. CAN THEY BE ON A DI TEAM?

The DI program allows for preschool to university age participants. We recommend the Rising Stars, non-competitive program for preschool to second grade participants. However, a five year old may participate in the competitive challenges.

I HAVE A CHILD WHO WOULD LIKE TO BE ON A DI TEAM. HOW DO I FIND A TEAM?

Teams are commonly formed by schools and community groups. If your school does not offer DI and you are unaware of a team in your area, consider starting a new DI team! Check out some of the process here.

Otherwise, you can fill out your information on this interest form, or post on the Washington DI Facebook page to see if any parents in your area are interested in forming a team. You can also email your local Regional Director to see if there are any new team opportunities. However, the Regional Directors often do not know of any openings until it is too late in the season, so forming a team yourself is often your best option! And we have many supporting resources (including your Regional Director) to support you.

Questions about Registration

Click here for information on the Regional Tournament registration process
Click here for information on the State (Affiliate) Tournament registration process

HOW DO I REGISTER MY TEAM FOR WA DI?

The first step is to purchase program materials and a Team Number from DI HQ. During this process you will also pay an administrative fee for Washington Destination imagination. This fee covers the cost of supporting the DI program in Washington including trainings and tournaments. After that, follow these instructions and check out this helpful, step-by-step Guide to Tournament Registration.

WHY ARE THERE DIFFERENT FEES?

The $110 gets you access to the challenges and other materials from DI who creates the resources. There is also a required background check for each team manager, the cost is $25 per team manager. An additional $200 fee supports the local affiliate, Washington DI, to put on the tournaments, trainings and activities in support of the program. These fees are all paid when you purchase your team number.

There are no registration fees for the Regional and State tournaments.

If your team continues to Global Finals, there are also fees associated with that tournament.

WHY AM I HAVING TROUBLE FINISHING REGISTRATION?

Check if you have completed the following items:
#1 Does your team have a challenge, level, and team manager defined in DI Resources?
#2 Have you logged on to DI Resources AND also RegisterYourTeam?
If all else fails, please contact our spectacular Registrar at registration@wa-di.org

HOW MUCH DOES REGISTRATION COST

There is no additional cost to register your team for the Regional Tournament and State Tournament.

WHEN DO I NEED TO COMPLETE REGISTRATION? WHAT'S THE DEADLINE

For the current season's deadline, please look here for Regional Tournament information, and here for State Tournament information.

Questions about Team Managers

Team manager requirements are defined in the Destination Imagination Rules of the Road.
Further resources and more in-depth answers can be found here.

WE HAVE A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT WHO WANTS TO VOLUNTEER TO BE OUR TEAM MANAGER. IS THAT OK?

Your high school student can be an assistant team manager. You still need a team manager listed on your registration who is 18 years or older. Assistant team managers are unable to accompany the team into the instant challenge venue at the tournament.

WE HAVE A VOLUNTEER TO BE OUR TEAM MANAGER BUT THEY AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH DESTINATION IMAGINATION. WHAT IS THE JOB OF THE TEAM MANAGER AND IS THERE ANY SUPPORT FOR THEM?

The team manager's job is to facilitate the acquisition of skills and to help the team understand the challenge. Team manager training sessions are offered monthly in zoom meetings. Please see the home page under trainings for currently scheduled training classes. Online team manager training is available in the DI Learning management system (LMS) operated by Adobe Captivate. Once you are registered as a team manager you will receive an email with instructions on how to access the LMS. Team managers are welcome to contact the Regional Director of their region to ask questions.

Can we pay team managers?

Yes - some schools, programs, individuals, or parents may offer financial reimbursement to their team managers.

WHAT IS THE MAIN ROLE OF A TEAM MANAGER?

Team Managers should help facilitate learning, guide time-management, and assist team members in acquiring skills. The most important thing to remember is that this program is student-driven! When it comes to creating a solution to the Challenge, there is absolutely no outside help allowed. Team managers are there to supervise, provide resources, and teach skills, teamwork and problem-solving skills. The Team Members generate the ideas, execute the ideas, and plan a performance showcasing their ideas.

WHAT SKILLS DOES A TEAM MANAGER NEED?

Enjoyment in working with children
Patience
Curiosity
Meeting/Work space at a home or school
Ability to believe that team members can solve the problem
Tolerant of students' various work styles and pacing
Recognize that conflict is part of finding a creative solution

HOW DOES SOMEONE LEARN ABOUT BEING A TEAM MANAGER?

Check out our resource page! We have answers to questions, links to resources, and information regarding local training opportunities!

WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT "INTERFERENCE"?

The spirit and intent behind Destination Imagination is one of youth empowerment, encouraging creativity and authentic self-expression. Team Members should come up with ideas and plans for execution all on their own - and team members will flourish when given the opportunity to solve problems on their own!

Team Managers may help Team Members acquire skills (such as how to use a power drill safely) and understand the Challenge (help them understand the meaning of various vocabulary terms, or encourage them to see how to earn the most points); however, adults may NOT help Team Members with any part of their solution. For instance, adults cannot offer ideas or help build set pieces.

Learn more about interference by scrolling through these resources.

Does a team manager need to have a background check?

Yes - all official Team Managers registered with a team must pass a background check. Team Managers will do their check through Sterling Volunteers. The background check is purchased from DIHQ. The cost is $25. Team managers will not have access to the program materials until the background check is completed.

Questions about Volunteers and Appraisers

Each team is required to identify a volunteer to act as an appraiser for the tournament they are competing in. That volunteer MUST attend the appraiser training and appraise at the tournament.
Click here if you're interested in volunteering with WA DI!

WE HAVE IDENTIFIED A VOLUNTEER APPRAISER BUT THEY CANNOT MAKE THE APPRAISER TRAINING DATE. CAN THEY STILL VOLUNTEER?

Each appraiser must attend training. The appraisers are learning about the program, the specific challenge they will be appraising and the role that they will have at the tournament. If an appraiser cannot make the appraiser training for the region they will be appraising, they may be able to attend the training in one of the other regions if it is pre-arranged. Please contact your Regional Director.

CAN A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT REPRESENT OUR TEAM AS AN APPRAISER?

All appraisers MUST be 18 years or older AND be out of high school. Volunteers under 18 years old or still in high school are welcome and will be assigned to non-appraiser roles. These volunteers do not count as the appraiser the team is required to provide.

WE ARE HAVING PROBLEMS FINDING AN APPRAISER. DOES THE APPRAISER NEED TO BE FAMILIAR WITH DESTINATION IMAGINATION?

Not at all! Appraiser teams are strongest when they have a variety of appraisers and that includes having new volunteers and experienced volunteers on each appraiser team. Your new volunteer is very welcome and we'll be glad to train them.

WE HAVE A VOLUNTEER APPRAISER BUT THEY CAN ONLY WORK PART OF THE TOURNAMENT DAY. CAN THIS PERSON REPRESENT OUR TEAM AS AN APPRAISER?

During the tournament day, our appraiser teams work really hard to provide consistent scoring results. An appraiser that leaves before the challenge presentations are complete impacts this goal and could invalidate the scores issued earlier in the day. All appraisers should plan to volunteer for the full day.

WE HAVE A PARENT WHO IS WILLING TO BE AN APPRAISER. CAN PARENTS OR GRANDPARENTS BE APPRAISERS?

Yes! Many parents and grandparents are appraisers in the regional tournaments. Please make sure they understand they will not be able to appraise or watch their child's team present their solution. Teams that use (grand)parent volunteers often do a dress rehearsal right before the tournament or tape the presentation.

ANY OTHER IDEAS OF WHERE TO FIND AN APPRAISER TO REPRESENT OUR TEAM?

You can ask teachers, family friends, neighbors, etc. College students are a great source for volunteers. Do you know anyone who did DI when they were young? Also look to churches and social groups, or other volunteer or service organizations such as your local Rotary Club. You could even check with grandparents and retirement homes - older adults really enjoy the energy of our DI teams.

WE CAN'T FIND AN APPRAISER. WHAT HAPPENS IF DON'T PROVIDE A VOLUNTEER?

It takes nearly 100 volunteers to run a tournament. Without each team providing a volunteer, it is very difficult to have a full appraising team for each challenge. Please check with your local Regional Director; they can help you and may know people in the area who are willing to act as your team volunteer. Teams are assessed a no volunteer fee of $250 if they do not provide a volunteer that attends training and appraises at the tournament.

WHAT DO I DO IF I’M INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING, BUT am NOT AFFILIATED WITH A TEAM?

We'd love to have you as an appraiser! Click here to sign up as an appraiser; or click here if you’re interested in volunteering as a support volunteer in a non-appraiser position. You can select the option "volunteers not representing a team." This will present you with a list of tournaments across the US. Scroll down near the bottom to Washington and then select your chosen tournament. The system will prompt you through the rest.

WHAT DOES AN “ALL DAY” DAY OF APPRAISING MEAN?

The amount of time can vary from one challenge to the next. If there are a lot of teams doing a challenge, the day is longer than a challenge with fewer teams. With those qualifications, tournaments generally start around 8 AM and are done by 3:30 PM at the latest, unless you stay for the awards ceremony. We try to have the Awards Ceremony done by 5 PM.

WHY IS THERE A FEE IF YOUR TEAM DOESN'T HAVE AN APPRAISER?

Ideally, no team would ever pay the no volunteer fee. However, it takes well over 100 volunteers for a tournament to run efficiently. While our Regional Tournament Directors each have a dedicated cadre of volunteers who return year after year, it takes many, many more people and thus the need for teams to provide volunteers.

In looking at the policies of other affiliates, we found some to be too onerous for our demographic (some states require two volunteers per team) or too punitive toward the children (some affiliates don’t allow teams without the required number of volunteers to advance or even to participate). Neither of these options seemed appropriate for Washington state.

Our goal (and need) is that every team provide at least one volunteer. We found that when the fee was smaller, too many teams were taking the buy out option and then tournaments were short-staffed and struggling. The idea behind the $250 fee is both to emphasize the importance of providing a volunteer as well as to encourage most, if not all, teams to provide one.

We encourage teams to look outside their team parents to find volunteers. Perhaps a volunteer swap with a family involved in another activity, asking a teacher or staff member from your school or asking aunts, uncles, neighbors and friends. You may also reach out to your Regional Director to see if they can recommend someone in the community. We would love to help you find a volunteer!

Questions about Regional Tournaments

HOW DO I PREPARE FOR THE REGIONAL TOURNAMENT?

Make sure you have the copies of your paperwork. Regional sites do not provide copy functionality. Keep a copy of your paper work. You may need it if your team is invited to the state tournament
Talk to your parents. Parents / audience is not allowed in the instant challenge rooms. The one exception is made for one parent per child in the early learning challenge.
Schedules. Your tournament schedule will be made available as soon as possible. In some cases, the schedule may not be ready until the week of the tournament. Please contact your regional tournament director if you have a scheduling concern.

WHAT DO I DO WHEN I ARRIVE AT THE TOURNAMENT?

Most challenge masters set up the tournament site on Friday night before the tournament. Teams are welcome to take a peek but your competition site may not be ready when you stop by.
There will be signs pointing the way to prop storage locations.
Remind parents about the rules about independence and why we have that rule. Parents can help carry props up to the launch area but cannot fix broken props (even if they broke them).

HOW DOES SCORING WORK? (DOES NOT APPLY TO RISING STARS)

Teams will be appraised by a group of trained appraisers.

Raw scores from the team challenge will be available from the Challenge Master at the presentation site and should be picked up as early as you can.
Raw scores are scaled in relation to the highest team's scores. Please see page 34 of the Rules of the Road.
If your team has questions or concerns about their score, discuss it with the Challenge Master first. If the team is still concerned, request a Dialogue. Only the team members and Team Manager may participate in this appeal process.
No raw scores for instant challenge are provided.

WHAT DO WE DO AFTER OUR TEAM PERFORMS?

Immediately after you perform, please plan to load your props back in your vehicle. Deductions may be assessed if team materials are not cleaned up. There are no on-site disposal facilities.
After the awards ceremony, the challenge master will provide each team one copy of the division scoring summary for your challenge to one team manager.
And finally, go have fun!! You have worked hard to get here, and now you deserve to treat yo' self to some delightful and creative free time! Support other teams, check out other performances, make friends, trade pins, and have a blast!

HOW DO WE KNOW IF WE QUALIFY FOR THE STATE TOURNAMENT?

Your team will be notified about your eligibility to compete in the state tournament during the awards ceremony.
Eligibility for the state tournament is limited to the first place team and any second place team that scored within 90% of the first place team.

Questions about the State (Affiliate) Tournament

Further information can be found here

HOW DO I PREPARE FOR THE STATE TOURNAMENT?

Get your hotel reservation established right away. Lodging fills up quickly! We have discounted room blocks at various hotels this year - please check them out.
The team needs to bring all of the required challenge forms to the state tournament, too! None of the paperwork submitted for the regional tournament will be brought by tournament officials.
Teams often refine their challenge solution between the regional and state tournaments. And that's okay! Make sure to update your paperwork to reflect the changes.
Officials set up the tournament site on Friday night. Teams are welcome to visit the tournament site on Friday night between 5:30 and 7:30. Please note that the appraisers are usually setting up during the same time frame.

CAN WE CHANGE OUR PERFORMANCE OR SOLUTION AFTER REGIONALS?

Yes! Teams often refine their challenge solution between the regional and state tournaments. It's perfectly acceptable to make changes, especially based on feedback you may have received at the Regional Tournament. Continuing growth and innovation is part of the process! Make sure to update your paperwork to reflect the changes.

CAN WE ADD NEW TEAM MEMBERS?

No. You can attend the State Tournament with fewer team members, but only the team members who originally worked on the solution may continue to work on the solution for State. In other words, no changes can be made to the student roster after the regional tournament, but it is okay to attend the state tournament with fewer team members.

WHAT DO WE DO AFTER OUR TEAM PERFORMS?

Immediately after you perform, please plan to load your props back in your vehicle. Deductions may be assessed if team materials are not cleaned up. There are no on-site disposal facilities.
Enjoy yourselves! Meet DI kids from all over the State, start a pin trading station in the cafeteria, go cheer at other performances, and more!

HOW DO WE KNOW IF WE QUALIFY FOR THE GLOBAL TOURNAMENT?

Your team will be notified about your eligibility to compete in the global tournament during the awards ceremony.
Eligibility for the global finals tournament is guaranteed to the First place team. Second and Third place teams may also qualify depending on the number of Washington teams allotted to Global Finals by DIHQ.

WE QUALIFIED FOR THE GLOBAL TOURNAMENT. WHAT NEXT?

The Going to Globals meeting is held immediately after the awards ceremony. Attendance is very important for team managers going to the Global Finals.
Check out some of the FAQs below to see if they answer any of your questions!

Questions about Global Finals

The Going to Globals meeting is held immediately after the awards ceremony. Attendance is very important for team managers going to the Global Finals.
More information can be found here.

WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT GLOBAL FINALS?

www.GlobalFinals.org

CAN WE CHANGE OUR PERFORMANCE OR SOLUTION AFTER STATE?