IF YOUR CHILD IS CREATIVE...
is crazy about puzzles, loves to paint and draw, can build anything out of cardboard boxes, writes amazing stories, thinks up whimsical new worlds, has a flair for drama and acting, 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!
What is DI?
Destination Imagination (DI) is a STEAM-focused creativity competition that challenges students across the globe to come up with innovative solutions to complex, open-ended problems. Kids must work in teams of 2 to 7 members to plan, build, and execute a presentation that integrates artistic and technical elements.
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Students in Grades 3 and up select from challenge prompts in one of 6 categories: Technical, Scientific, Engineering, Service Learning, Fine Arts, or Improv. Students in Grades 1 and 2 all solve the same challenge in DI’s noncompetitive Rising Stars division. Although each Team Challenge has a specific educational focus, they each also incorporate elements to make them truly multi-disciplinary and cross-curricular (i.e., the Fine Arts Challenge will have a technical element and the Engineering Challenge will have an artistic or storytelling component.)
Each team works together throughout the DI season, typically meeting weekly from late fall through early spring, with more or longer meetings as the tournament approaches. To solve a challenge, teams might research facts on animal habitats, gravitation on a different planet. or the life of a historical figure. They might build and decorate scenery, sew costumes, write and perform music, construct bridges or small vehicles, or any combination of these things and more.
While the challenges have scoring rubrics and get appraised at competitions in the spring, the primary goal of a DI season is creativity, collaboration, resilience, discovery, building confidence, and having fun. Over the course of the season, kids learn about time management, resource management, and the design process while teaching themselves things they never knew they could learn how to do.
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The hallmark of DI is that kids cannot have any outside help with their challenge solution. All ideas and work towards the final creation (which is traditionally an 8-minute theatrical presentation or performance) must come from the kids on the team and only the kids on the team.
Team Managers, parents, teachers or kids not on the team are not allowed to give ideas, offer suggestions, or give feedback in any way that adds to the final solution. Outside adult supervision is required to maintain safe environments, teach the team skills they can use (once the team identifies what is needed), procure materials and supplies, and help younger teams with organization/project management (bigger kids are on their own!)
This means everything about the project from concept to design to execution is entirely student-driven: parents and coaches can’t measure, cut or nail together wood for the team, sew costumes, fix something that falls apart, or most importantly tell the kids what is a good or a bad idea — they determine that themselves!
Students Work Together To…
Choose the Challenge
Generate Ideas
Research
Prototype
Design & Build
Make Decisions
Manage a Budget
Solve Conflicts
Manage their Project Timeline
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Students in Grades 3 and up will choose from one of 6 challenges for the 2023-2024 season:
Technical (Pinball Wizards)
Engineering (Going the Distance)
Scientific (Blast from the Past)
Fine Arts (In Motion)
Improvisational (So Extra)
Service Learning (Uncharted)
Students in Grades 1 and 2 (also called Rising Stars) all solve the noncompetitive Early Learning challenge. This year, the Early Learning challenge is called Making a Splash.
Click here to see a video introducing the challenges, and click here to read more about them!
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Teams have a budget of $150 total for the entire challenge solution. A high value is placed on reusing and upcycling everyday household items!
Team presentations are usually 8 minutes long, including setup time.
Teams are scored on technical design elements and execution — so they can get points for risk-taking and creativity as well as the effectiveness of their design.
The Instant Challenge (IC) is a never-before-seen task or performance that accounts for 25% of tournament score - kids use their communication and teamwork skills to come up with a creative answer quickly! Teams practice these challenges throughout the season in addition to solving their Central Challenge (see the This Season’s Challenges section).
Each team challenge includes Team Choice Elements, which are passion projects that kids choose to spend time on because they want them scored.
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Central Challenge (CC) — The Central Challenge is what teams spend the season on. For Grades 3 and up, this is the challenge that teams pick out of 6 choices at the beginning of the season. For Grades 1 and 2, this is the Early Learning challenge (this year called Making a Splash). Teams present their solutions in the form of a short skit (7-8 minutes, depending on the challenge). For teams in grades 3-12 (who compete), this makes up the majority of their score.
Team Choice Element (TCE) - Teams must integrate two Team Choice Elements into their Central Challenge solution. Team Choice Elements are additional elements not required by the Central Challenge that teams choose to be scored. Think a costume, a prop, a song, a set piece, or anything else the kids think of!
Instant Challenge (IC) — An Instant Challenge is a never-before-seen task or performance challenge in which kids use their communication and teamwork skills to come up with a creative answer quickly. They are usually completed in under 10 minutes. Teams typically practice ICs at their meetings. In Bedford, we also hold an event in January called the IC Medley, in which teams get to go, solve many different ICs. This is for teams to prepare an IC given at the tournament, counting for 25% of their score.
“TIME” - While not required, it is a tradition for teams to say “TIME!” at the end of their performance. This lets the appraisers and the audience know they have finished.
Tournament Data Form (TDF) — A form filled out by the team (Team Managers and parents can scribe for younger kids) that identifies the elements of their Central Challenge solution to the Appraisers, including their two Team Choice Elements and all of the other elements required by their chosen challenge.
DIHQ — DIHQ refers to Destination Imagination’s Global Headquarters. These are the people who oversee Destination Imagination as a whole across the world. They write the rules and the challenges from all Destination Imagination teams. They are also the people who organize Global Finals (held each May in Kansas City, MO; attended by the highest ranking team from each US state or country.
MADI — MADI (or Massachusetts Destination Imagination) is the state DI affiliate for Massachusetts. They organize all of the regional tournaments, as well as the state tournament.
