Parents are a vital part of the Destination Imagination program!
Parents provide valuable support, teach life-long skills and enhance the FUN experiences for DI kids!
Welcome Parents to the Destination Program!
WHAT WE DO
At Destination Imagination, we believe that when an educational experience is hands-on, collaborative and fun, students are empowered to take their learning to the next level and are excited to do so. DI provides unique educational experiences across seven project-based Challenge types–Technical, Scientific, Engineering, Fine Arts, Improvisational, Service Learning, and Early Learning.
New, open-ended Team Challenges are developed annually with the help of educators, subject matter experts and qualified volunteers to cover a wide range of student interests and align to current educational standards.
HOW WE DO IT
Destination Imagination applies a unique pedagogy to bring our educational experiences to life. Our principles include:
- Ultimate Learner Ownership
- Resource Awareness
- Clarifying Questions
- Authentic Self-Expression
- Rapid Ideation & Implementation
This entirely learner-focused methodology empowers students to take the lead and provides a framework within which they can take risks and learn from failure. DI participants become lifelong problem solvers who are inspired to innovate creative solutions to real-world challenges quickly and collaboratively.
Problem solving, team building, and a respect for others and their ideas are at the foundation of all of our Challenges.
WHY IT MATTERS
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 65% of today’s students will be employed in jobs that have yet to be invented. Our Challenges allow students from pre-K through university to become part of a global community of confident creators and practice the essential skills needed to thrive in school, future careers and beyond.
Traditional education is in urgent need of complementary programs focused on teaching students how to be world-class innovators and critical thinkers.
Destination Imagination fills that urgent need!
Throughout the long-term process of solving a Challenge, participants learn:
TEAM CHALLENGE PROGRAM
As a parent, you strive to ensure your child has every opportunity to grow, learn and succeed.
Whether he or she loves to paint and draw, likes to take apart and re-assemble your electronics, is crazy about puzzles, or is a budding young scientist, our academic programs are designed to foster creativity and curiosity through a fun, hands-on learning experience.
Our most popular program is the Team Challenge program, where kids work together in teams to solve one of seven different Challenges: Technical, Scientific, Fine Arts, Improv, Engineering, Service Learning or Early Learning. Students also have the opportunity to showcase their solution to the Challenge at a local tournament.
Teamwork is an essential life skill that all kids need to learn.
Teams work on over a long period of time, usually several months, to solve one of Destination Imagination’s Challenge. Every year, Destination ImagiNation® presents seven Team Challenges (six competitive Challenges, and a Rising Stars!® non-competitive Challenge), and each team generally chooses one Challenge to solve. At the Tournament all Teams present their solutions to a group of Appraisers and participate in an Instant Challenge.
CENTRAL CHALLENGE
- Purpose: Encourages development of Creative Problem Solving techniques, teamwork, and creative process over a sustained period of time (usually several months).
- Educational Focus of Central Challenge: The project undertaken by the team is academically based and focuses on one or more of the following areas: Technical/Mechanical Design, Scientific, Structural/Architectural Design, Theatrical/Literary/Fine Arts Elements, Improvisational Techniques and Service Learning.
- Each of the six competitive Central Challenges involves a research component.
- One or more of the Central Challenges involves an international and/or intercultural theme.
- Purpose: Encourages participants to discover and showcase their collective interests, strengths, and abilities as a team and as individuals, and allows them to develop that showcase over a long period of time.
- Educational Focus of Team Choice Elements: Based on the educational theory of multiple intelligences, which in part emphasizes allowing participants to find their own best ways to present what they have learned.
- Allows teams total freedom to develop elements of their own choosing.
- Allows teams to highlight areas of strength that are not brought forth in the Central Challenge requirements.
- Allows/Encourages teams to recognize and make the most of each individual’s abilities/interests.
INSTANT CHALLENGE
- The Destination Imagination® Instant Challenge is a Challenge teams are asked to solve in a very short period of time at their Tournament, without knowing ahead of time what the Challenge will be.
- Purpose: To put team’s creative problem solving abilities, creativity, and teamwork to the test in a short, time-driven Challenge.
- Educational Focus of Instant Challenge: The team’s use of creative problem solving strategies, assessment and use of available materials, and teamwork under tight time constraints.
- Encourages teams to develop creative problem solving and time management strategies, performance and improvisational techniques.
- Develops the ability to quickly assess the properties of provided materials, and learn how to creatively manipulate materials for a unique solution.