Destination ImagiNation

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The Destination ImagiNation logo
The Destination ImagiNation logo

Destination ImagiNation (DI) is a creativity and problem solving program for children from elementary age to college age. Teams of up to seven members compete in various challenges that require complex thinking, problem solving, teamwork and creativity. The goal of the program is to teach creative and critical thinking, presentation skills, problem solving, and teamwork skills.

Contents

[edit] History

Destination ImagiNation was founded in 1999 by a group of volunteers from the Odyssey of the Mind (OM) program.[1]

[edit] Membership Size

It is advertised that over 250,000 students in over 56 countries currently participate in Destination ImagiNation programs, although several sources indicate that the actual number is closer to 50,000 students annually with roughly 7,051 team memberships. The 2007 Annual Report shows that $775,670 was paid for membership fees. The fee for each team is $110. The Destination ImagiNations website lists only 34 participating countries including the US. DI, Inc. "2007 Annual Report" [1]

[edit] Teams

A DI team comprises anywhere from two to seven members and one or two Team Managers, who must be 18 or older to be head manager. The Team Manager of each team serves only as a facilitator; he or she is prohibited from assisting the team in its solution.

Though the team is often associated with a public or private school, community organization, or church, any group can register for competition. Groups must first purchase a membership through Destination ImagiNation, Inc. After that the team registers with its local DI affiliate. Teams also have the chance to choose their own name by which they are identified for the duration of the year.

There are affiliates in all fifty U.S. states[2], and more than 56 countries.

Each team is registered to participate at a certain competition level, which is decided by the age of the oldest team member[3]:

Teams can include up to seven members[4] (unless the team is of Rising Stars category, in which case, no maximum restriction exists). After forming, each team chooses a Team Challenge, which it will work to solve until the first competition. The team works together to create a solution, to present it on tournament day, and to solve the Instant Challenge.

[edit] Countries which participate or have participated in Destination Imagination

[edit] Team Challenges

Each year, five new Team Challenges are written by a board of writers for the program, known as challenge DIvelopers . Generally, there is a challenge that relates to each of the following 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 (or six minutes for improvisational or nonverbal challenges) that creatively presents the solution to a problem presented in the challenge explanation. The goal of the challenge is that the team develops 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. Only registered team members can help with the challenge.

For most team challenges, up to 240 points (over half of the total score) are based on the Team Challenge, and another 60 points are given for two team-chosen stylistic elements (called side trips) of the presentation (e.g. costumes, props, music, etc).

Improv Challenges vary from the norm somewhat, requiring team members to select skit elements (some pre-researched, some not) and create a skit in 30 minutes of "StuDIo" time. They then present their skit, which is limited to 6 minutes in length. This type of challenge diverges from the traditional script writing and acting to focus on quick thinking and team work. This segment is worth 300 points and does not feature side trips.

[edit] List of Team Challenges

Program Year A
Engineering/Technical		 B
Theatrical/Technical		 C
Theatrical		 D
Improvisation		 E
Structural		 Rising Stars
1999-2000 Fruit Roller Coaster If Music Be the Food of Life... Play on! Mixing Apples and Oranges Instant Pudding Improv It's Not Impastable! Eggsploration
2000-2001 IncreDIble TechEffects Mystery Loves Company Anonymously Yours DInamic Improv Triplicity
2001-2002 It's Your Move StranDId! On Holiday Art of Improv Dual DI-lemma
2002-2003 ViDIo Adventure Change in DIrection Theatre Smarts Once Improv A Time ConnecDId Lost and Found
2003-2004 Destinations in Time The Plot and the Pendulum Cartoon DImensions Upbeat Improv GuessDImate! Surprise Trip!
2004-2005 DIzzy Derby Sudden SerenDIpity Live! It's RaDIo DI! IMPROVing Along DIsigning Bridges More to the Story!
2005-2006 Back At You! Kidz Rulz! How’d tHAT Happen? On Safari The Inside DImension 1-2-Change-A-ROO
2006-2007 [5] DIrect Flight CSI-DI Round About Courage Switching TraDItions Card-DI-ology Make It New, It's Up To You
2007-2008 [6] Obstacles, Of Course Hit or Myth DI've Got a Secret! Chorific! SWITCH! TwisDId History
2008-2009 (current) [7] Operation Cooperation Instinct Messaging ViDIo Lit Hits Private DI A New Angle! Hidden!

[edit] 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. Once again, only team members may work on this challenge.

Upon entering the IC, a team is given a one-page description of its Instant Challenge and a set of items that the team's members may use. The challenge is read aloud, and then the time begins. Teams are given between two and ten minutes to create a solution; the typical duration is four to 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.[8]

At a competition, an IC score is up to 100 points, typically one quarter of the total competition score.

[edit] Competition

In the spring, after months of preparation, each region of each affiliate holds a "Regional" competition to select the best teams for each level of each challenge. The winning teams are then eligible to compete at the affiliate-level "State" competition, which is held a few weeks after the regional competition, differing between affiliates and regions.[9] In May of each year, the Global Finals are held in Knoxville, Tennessee (although it is not a permanent location). This is the final competition level and is attended by those teams that advance beyond the affiliate (State) level. The 4-day event has an atmosphere akin to the Olympics with pin trading, high quality competition, and teams.

At each competition, a team is required to perform two tasks. First, the team performs its eight minute solution to the long-term challenge. Second, the team is required to complete an Instant Challenge, an improvised performance ranging from completely dramatic to highly technical. The scores for the Instant Challenge are factored significantly into the final scoring of teams for their placing at the awards ceremonies, in which high-scoring teams receive ribbons, medals,trophies, or certificates and learn whether they will be advancing to the next level of competition, including the Global Finals.

[edit] Global Finals

Opening Ceremonies of the 2005 Global Finals
Opening Ceremonies of the 2005 Global Finals

The final competition level, the Global Finals, are held in Knoxville, Tennessee of mid to end of May each year, since 1999, the beginning of Destination ImagiNation. All participating team-members stay in the dormitories of the campus of UTK, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The competition is held on the campus. There is always an Opening Ceremony welcoming the teams to UTK.

Not only does the main competition take place there, but also recreational activities. In the Convention Center is pin trading. Each state, region, or team has pins that are ordered ahead of time, which are brought to Tennessee. When you go to the convention center, you can trade your pins for other pins. The convention center is not the only place where pins are traded, but the most common.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Odyssey of the Mind Separates Into Two Organizations." Accessed 3 Apr. 2008.
  2. ^ "United States Destination ImagiNation Affiliates." Destination Imagination. Accessed 19 Apr. 2007.
  3. ^ For example, a team of six eighth graders and one ninth grader will advance the team to Secondary Level.
  4. ^ "What is DI?" Destination Imagination. Accessed 19 Apr. 2007.
  5. ^ a b "Team Challenges." Destination Imagination. Accessed 19 Apr. 2007.
  6. ^ "Sneak Peaks 2007-08." Destination Imagination. Accessed 22 Apr. 2007.
  7. ^ "Sneak Peaks 2008-09." Destination Imagination. Accessed 19 Apr. 2008.
  8. ^ "Instant Challenges." Destination Imagination. Accessed 19 Apr. 2007.
  9. ^ Tournaments Destination Imagination Accessed 5 June 2007.

[edit] External links