Do you think your child might be interested in Destination Imagination?

​If your child is creative or curious, crazy about puzzles, loves to paint and draw, can build anything out of cardboard boxes, writes amazing stories, thinks up whimsical new worlds, is totally into science, or has rewired your toaster into a working time machine (or wants to), then you may have a Destination Imagination child.
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Destination Imagination (DI) Challenges are all about fostering creativity, courage, and curiosity whilst teaching students how to think, not what to think. Each year, we offer seven different open-ended academic Challenges in the fields of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), fine arts, service learning, and early learning.

Check out some tips from DI HQ here.

What is Destination Imagination (DI)?

DI is an educational nonprofit that prepares children for a future that is rapidly evolving. DI does this through a project-based learning experience that applies the creative process across seven different Challenge types - Technical, Scientific, Engineering, Fine Arts, Improvisational, Service Learning, and Early Learning - allowing pre-K through university level students to acquire and practice the skills needed to thrive in school, future careers, and beyond.

DI seeks to equip children with multi-faceted skills that last a lifetime! We understand that it can be challenging to engage children in their education - to show them that learning doesn't have to be boring or take place only in the classroom. We believe that when an educational experience is fun and hands-on, your child is empowered to take his or her learning to the next level, and is excited to do so! That's why DI is committed to providing a supportive environment where student participants develop skills that will enrich their lives and fuel their creative problem-solving spirit for years to come.

Who does DI?

Each year, more than 150,000 student participants across the U.S. and in 30 countries work in teams of two to seven students to solve STEAM-based (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) Challenges. Teams are led by an adult Team Manager who helps the team stay on track, but does not directly help with the development of their Challenge solution.

Our global network of alumni includes successful engineers, artists, educators, and leaders in their fields. By participating in the Destination Imagination Challenge Experience, students are positioned to become lifelong problem solvers who are inspired to innovate creative solutions to real-world challenges quickly and collaboratively.

How do I get my child involved in DI?

​DI relies on volunteers to establish teams in their neighborhood or school.

Schools throughout 30+ countries often run DI as an after-school program or incorporate it into their electives curriculum. If your school doesn’t offer DI, however, your children can still participate.
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Many school districts support DI through school coordinators who assist in the formation of teams. DI works differently than most after-school programs; instead of signing up your child through a centralized location, parents interested in DI must form a team and recruit a volunteer team manager. All students may participate in DI as long as they have a Team Manager! There are no try-outs, no ability requirements, just the desire to work with your team to solve Challenges.

How does DI work?

​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. 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!

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 post on the Washington DI Facebook page to see if any parents in your area are interested in forming a team, or whether any existing teams are looking for new members. You can also email our Registrar ([email protected]) to see if there are any new team opportunities. However, the Registrar often does not know of any openings until it is too late in the season.

How can parents be involved? What are some of the different roles?

1. Team Manager
2. Volunteer Appraiser at the Regional or State Tournament
3. Support Volunteer at the Regional or State Tournament
4. Snack Parent
5. Instant Challenge Parent
6. Errand Parent

How can I help my child and their DI team without interfering with their solution?

The complete independence of the team in choosing the challenge, analyzing the challenge, and preparing a solution for the challenge makes the Destination Imagination program unique. The Spirit of Independence is a campaign to help team managers, team members, and parents understand the DI rules of interference to keep the program fun and fair for the participants.   

Parents and Team Managers can be of most assistance to the team before they choose a challenge and start on solutions.

Team Managers should provide the parents with information about the program and the status of the team’s challenge. This handout should be provided to parents as soon as possible so parents know their roles and how best to assist.  The “Rules of The Road” in the team materials is the reference source on interference.

ADULTS CAN:

• Provide training opportunities for teams to learn how to work with various tools, backdrop materials, fasteners, etc. before they start on the challenge solution.  Any training after the challenge work begins must take place with scrap materials and the request for training should come from the team or be initiated by adults only for safety purposes.
• Teach team members techniques to help them determine their strengths and how those talents might provide insight about which challenge would be the best fit for them. Selecting the challenge is a significant part of the team building effort.
• Work with the team to help them clearly understand the requirements of each challenge. Teams can be encouraged to re-read and discuss the challenge materials. Team Managers can also work with teams to utilize the DI Clarification process to direct a clarification question.  These can be a public general clarification which will be published for everyone to see or a private clarification which is specific to their challenge solution and will not be distributed to others. Tournament officials will have access to all clarifications – public and private.
• Impart skills and direct the team members about where to garner the information or skills without being specific to a challenge solution. 

Throughout the competition year, adults can continue to help in a number of ways:  

•  Adults may train team members in ways to increase their creative thinking, improve strategies for idea generating, and solution finding.
• Adults may aid in moving the props around the practice site, to and from cars, and to the prop storage area at the tournaments.  They may carry props to the staging area of the challenge and help remove props after the officials are through discussing the solution with the team.
• Adults may video tape the team members so the team can observe for their own corrections.  
• Adults may ask open-ended questions for the team’s consideration and resolution of issues among themselves or for which relate to needed changes in the solution or the performance.

ADULTS CANNOT:

• ​Help assemble props. Even if an adult breaks the props while moving, that person cannot repair what was broken. All repairs or adjustments to the props, costumes, etc. must be done by the team members - no matter who caused the damage.
• Carry the props beyond the staging area.  The adults may not - in any way - assemble any part of the challenge solution.
• Give suggestions that will ease transport, make it easier to carry props, etc. no matter how much they wonder how a prop will fit through the door or in the car!
• Offer advice particular to a challenge or prop solution during shopping trips to hardware or thrift stores.
• Make any recommendations on costume design, hair styles, or make-up, nor can they assist the team - even if directed by the team members - in putting on costumes, putting on make-up, or styling hair.
• Provide specific feedback on improvement for performances.
• Ask about the Instant Challenge at the tournaments.  To maintain fairness in the scoring, multiple teams across our five regions receive the same instant challenge over multiple weekends.  We ask that teams not discuss the challenge in any way, with anyone, until after Global Finals.