Destination ImagiNation: creativity, team work and problem solving par excellence
Fifty Lower School students will represent SMA this Saturday at the South Metro Destination Imagination (DI) tournament. For months the students have worked after school and on weekends with their team managers, who are SMA parents or SMA teachers, to come up with creative solutions to the DI Challenges they chose. The Challenge the SMA teams picked are these: spinning a tale (scientific challenge), triple take road show (fine arts), mythology mission (improvisation) and Big Bug’s Bad Day, which is the challenge for the Rising Stars, the youngest DI participants.
DI has been a popular part of the Lower School’s program since the early 1990s (under another name but a similar challenge-based program), thanks to the dedication of Barbara Peister, third grade teacher and director of SMA’s program. Many students begin as Rising Stars in the non-competitive program for kindergarten-through second grade and continue in DI through Lower School and sometimes in Middle School.
SMA teams regularly advance to the state tournament and even to the Global Finals. Nine times in the last 18 years, a SMA team advanced to the Global Finals of DI. In 2009 and 2010, SMA teams finished in the top 10 in the Global Finals.
DI is a great opportunity for students to work together to solve problems in “out of the box” ways. The process is highly creative but also involves careful attention to fulfilling the specific requirements of the challenge. Students have a wonderful time in DI while developing skills for life such as thinking on their feet and speaking in front of an audience.
Congratulations and thanks to all the team members and team managers for their enthusiastic participation in Destination ImagiNation.
Drop in on the Destination ImagiNation South Metro Tournament: Saturday, March 19, at Douglas County High School.
