Attend Training in your Region – The Region workshop will help new Team Managers prepare to start their DI journey. This training is packed with ICs, Team Builders, tips and HELP! Come ready to dive in and learn, share your experiences, and get ready to have FUN!
Instant Challenge – The Instant Challenge portion of the DI competition is a chance for your team to show off its creative problem solving skills as they work together and “think on their feet” in a very short time frame to solve a problem. ICs are usually 5-10 minutes long.
If you would like to Volunteer in California or need more information fill in your details and we’ll get back to you in no time.
The Destination Imagination (DI) Experience!
Destination Imagination (DI) is a global program that promotes problem solving, teamwork, and creativity in students. Teams of up to seven students choose a challenge to work creatively and collaboratively to find a solution. Teams present their team challenge solutions by performing a skit in front of an audience and appraisers. The team challenges emphasize Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM). In addition, the DI experience exposes students to instant challenges that give students practice in rapid thinking, design, planning, and executing. In DI, the solution belongs to the team members and the team members alone. All ideas, scenery, scripts, and props are created by the team members. No one outside the team may help in any way with the solution to the challenge. Team members sign a contract prior to every tournament stating that the solution is theirs and no one outside the team helped. Rising Stars teams have modified guidelines for interference rules.
Connect with Us!
To Find a Team, Start a Team or Volunteer in our Region, Please fill in your details and we’ll get back to you in no time!
Your membership number allows access to the challenge program materials which are available for download . As soon as you purchase a team number you may download your Challenge Materials from MyCALDI
Team Challenge Previews
Use these to help your Team choose their challenge
Challenge Previews
Challenge Preview Videos
First Look Documents
Roadmap
Roadmap is a Team Manager resource developed to assist you in guiding your team members as they design and execute a Challenge solution. Section three (Guiding Your Team) explains the roles you will fill as a Team Manager, gives examples of how to begin solving a Challenge, introduces project management, and provides example meeting agendas. Section three will also point you to other resources available in Roadmap.
Rules of the Road
Rules of the Road is a document that contains all of the rules, procedures, and some of the forms required to participate in a Team Challenge at a tournament. Regardless of the Team Challenge a team has selected, it is very important for the team members to review Rules of the Road to learn the details of the Challenge experience, to prepare for tournaments, and to make sure the Team Challenge solution complies with rules and procedures found in Rules of the Road.
Team Challenge Materials
As soon as your Team has chosen their challenge, download a copy of the full team challenge
Child Safety & Youth Protection Guidelines
We work every day to create a safe, fun environment so kids can have every opportunity to be successful in life. We have ZERO tolerance for inappropriate behavior of any kind, including child sexual abuse or misconduct. Complete Policy Statement.
Background Check
It is IMPORTANT to use the same legal name and email address that you use to register at MY CALDI!
Obtain a BackGround check BEFORE you begin meeting with your Team. Caldi Background check policy can be viewed HERE
Click on the button at the top of your MY CALDI home page to apply for a background check .
Background Check FAQ can be found HERE
Please note only a CALDI approved background check will be accepted.
Find a meeting Location
Meetings can be held at the home of the Team Manager, but can also be held elsewhere at parent’s homes, school or community rooms.
Your team will need a space in which to store the materials they are using and the things (props, scenery, gadgets, costumes, etc.) that they make.
Choose a Meeting Day and Time
Choose what works best for you. You are volunteering to help guide the kids every week.
Hold a Parent Meeting
Before you meet with the kids you need to get organized. Make sure you have the help you need before your first Team Meeting
Hold a Parent meeting to set goals, dates, times and get help! Sample Agenda
Recruit your Tournament Appraiser! All teams must provide one all day trained appraiser to participate in our Regional Tournament. More info HERE. The appraiser also needs to complete a background check. Have them start the process soon.
Team Name Selection – DI Team names are often DI punny or unusual. Teams often choose creative names that relate to their challenge or presentation in some way or just make them laugh. Let the Team go wild with their choice.
Research Information – the hardest for teams to complete is the research phase because many kids aren’t super interested in pushing through this drier part of the process. Make sure that everyone has a copy of the Challenge at each meeting and that they keep referring to the things that they have decided that they need to learn in order to solve the Challenge. Refine Ideas
Exploring_Material_Properties –It’s important for your team to understand key material properties to do well in IC. A set of exercises to do with your Team from DII.
The Instant Challenge portion of the DI competition is a chance for your team to show off its creative problem solving skills as they work together and “think on their feet” in a very short time frame to solve a problem. ICs are usually 5-10 minutes long.
Having a common vocabulary and a way to categorize the properties of the materials you have been given will allow your team to jump into the planning and executing stages of the Instant Challenge more easily.
FUN is key! If your team isn’t having fun they won’t master the skills! Be enthusiastic and crazy, help your team relax. You are their Cheerleader.
Promote a sense of camaraderie, and collaboration. Praise the kids when they take risks even if it doesn’t work. Teach them to learn from failure, embrace it and improve.
Tips and advice on ways to help your team improve in Instant Challenge.
Start by attending the Instant Challenge workshops offered by your Region. These workshops give your Team a chance to practice all the skills they’ve been learning in a non-competitive environment. It is FUN and helps teams figure out what they do well and what they need to work on before Tournament day