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Destination ImagiNation (DI) is a creativity and problem solving program for kids from elementary age to college age. Teams of up to 7 members compete in various challenges stressing complex thinking, problem solving, teamwork, and above all, creativity. The goal of the program is to teach critical life skills, including creativity, brainstorming, creative and critical thinking, presentation skills, problem solving, project management, knowledge application, confidence, teamwork, time management, collaboration, and research skills.

Contents 1 History 2 Teams 3 Team Challenges 3.1 List of Team Challenges 4 Competition 5 Instant Challenge 5.1 Example Instant Challenges 5.1.1 Acting Instant Challenge 5.1.2 Building Instant Challenge 5.1.3 Communication Instant Challenge 6 External links

Destination ImagiNation was founded in 1999 by a group of volunteers of the Odyssey of the Mind (OM) program. A rift over the non-profit Odyssey of the Mind Association's relationship with the for-profit company Creative Competitions, Inc. (CCI) eventually led to the creation of the non-profit Destination ImagiNation (DI). Most of the State Directors and some of the OM Association board members left to found DI, including Robert Purifico, the current president of Destination ImagiNation. The first competition year for the program was the 1999-2000 school year, culminating in the May D2K Global Finals. The first Global Finals were held 24 May-28 May 2000 at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. More recent Global Finals events were held at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Today, over 250,000 students in over 56 countries participate in Destination ImagiNation programs.

A DI team is composed of anywhere from two to seven kids and one or two Team Managers. Though the team is often associated with a school or church, any group of kids can register for competition. All that is required is that the team register with their local DI affiliate. There are affiliates in all 50 of the U.S. states, and more than 56 countries. These countries include Singapore, Argentina, Russia, Chile, France, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, Turkey, Paraguay, Malaysia, Bolivia, Mexico, Costa Rica, Canada, Poland, China and Puerto Rico. Each team is registered to participate at a certain competition level, by the age of the oldest team member*:

• Rising Stars: grades K-2, or 5-9 years old
• Elementary: grades K-5, or no student above 12
• Middle: grades 6-8, or no student above 15
• Secondary: high school, or no student above 19
• University: college, graduate school and armed forces, no younger students
• DI Later: A new division created for adults

Teams can include up to seven members (unless the team is of Rising Stars category, in which case, no maximum restriction exists). After forming, each team chooses a Team Challenge, which they work to solve until the first competition. The Team Manager of each team serves only as a supervisor and chaperone; he or she is prohibited from assisting the team in their solution. The team works together to find their solution, to present it on tournament day, and to solve their Instant Challenge.

-*For example, a team of six eighth graders and one ninth grader will advance the team to Secondary Level. This can work in extremes, as well, with multiple Elementary Level team members and even a single Secondary Level student can raise the team to Secondary Level. However, such dramatic differences in ages are both irrational and restricting and are therefore not encouraged.

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 focused in each of the following areas:

• engineering/technical,
• engineering/structure/architecture,
• theater,
• world cultures, and
• improvization.

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 that creatively presents their solution to a problem presented in the challenge explanation. The goal of the challenge is that the team develop 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 team members, no adults or kids not registered on the team, 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.

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	Change in DIrection	ViDIo Adventure	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	DIrect Flight	CSI-DI	Round About Courage	Switching TraDItions	Card-DI-ology	Make It New, It's Up To You

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. 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 team camaraderie.

At each competition, a team is required to perform two tasks. First, the team performs their eight minute solution to their 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, or trophies, and learn whether they will be advancing to the next level of competition (excluding Global Finals).

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 their Instant Challenge and a set of items that they may use. The challenge is read aloud, and then time begins. Teams are given two to 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.

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

The Challenge: You are to prepare and perform a short skit about constructing a building in which each character can only speak in words beginning with a specific letter.

Time: You will have 1 minute to choose your letters. After this, you will have three minutes to plan your solution and two minutes to present it.

The Scene: Your team has been asked by the alien planet Denaim to build a national monument celebrating the culture of their planet. However, the Denaimians find it offensive for people to speak words beginning with a variety of letters. In order to not upset your hosts, you must confide to their rules while presenting your solution.

Part 1 (1 Minute): During Part 1, your team will have one minute to choose a specific letter for each member of your team and write it on one of the pieces of paper provided. Each member must be assigned a letter even if they do not speak in the skit, and no two letters may be identical. At the end of the minute, the appraisers will ask you which letters you have chosen. After this time, you may not change the letters.

Part 2 (3 Minutes): Your team will now have three minutes to plan a presentation in which you construct a monument for the planet Denaim that includes three (3) points about their culture. In your skit, you each team member may only speak using the one letter provided to them.

Part 3 (2 Minutes): Your team must now present the skit you have prepared during Part 2.

Scoring: You will receive

• 20 points if every team member speaks only words beginning with the letter on their sign for all of Part 3
• 15 points if a team member speaks a word not beginning with the letter on their sign once
• 10 points if a team member speaks a word not beginning with the letter on their sign twice
• Up to 15 points each (45 points total) for the creativity of each element of Denaim culture represented in the sculpture
• Up to 15 points for the humor of your presentation
• Up to 20 points for teamwork

The Challenge: You are to create a structure as tall as possible that is able to hold a glass of water.

Time: You will have two minutes to discuss your solution without touching any materials. After this time, you will have four minutes to construct your tower. You will then have one minute to put the glass of water on your tower.

Materials: You will have

• 5 straws
• 1 empty styrofoam cup
• 2 unsharpened pencils
• 4 toothpicks
• 1 piece of paper
• 3 notecards
• 4 mailing labels
• 4 strands of spaghetti
• 1 styrofoam cup filled with water

Scoring: You will receive

• 25 points if your structure can support the cup of water
• 2 points (40 points max) for each cm off the table your structure is
• Up to 15 points for creative use of materials
• Up to 20 points for teamwork

The Challenge: You and your team must communicate a message using acting and art.

The Scene: The competing team members break up into three groups. One group (A) is to be given the list of words below, one group (B) is to be stationed at an easel with markers, and the other group (C) is given nothing. The groups should be placed around a room as follows:

      (easel)
         B

         |
     C   |   A
         |

Here, groups A and C cannot see each other, and everyone can see the easel. For each word on the list, group A is to act out the concept or thing represented, 'Charades'-style, without words, so that group B can recognize the word. Then, group B is to draw the concept or thing they recognized, without words, so that group C can recognize it. Then, group C is to say what they recognized. Points are awarded if group C says the word chosen by group A. The words are to be attempted, in order, until they are all finished, or 5 minutes have elapsed. The team will have 3 minutes to plan before their 5 minutes begin.

List of words:

• fish
• grass
• love
• green
• lawnmower
• shopping

Scoring:

• 10 points for each completed word from the list (up to 60 total);
• Up to 10 points each for the creativity of each group (up to 30 total);
• Up to 10 points for teamwork.

Comments:

• This is very similar to an Instant Challenge that was given during the 2002 Global Finals Tournament.

• Destination ImagiNation program
• Destination ImagiNation organization
• Destination Imagination United States Affiliate Listing
• Destination Imagination Global Finals Website
• A short documentary about Destination Imagination Global Finals