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WHAT IS DESTINATION IMAGINATION?
WHAT IS DESTINATION IMAGINATION?
Destination Imagination is a creative problem-solving organization and process where students hone their imaginative skills, learn team-work, practice time management, and solve whacky challenges in unique ways. This is an opportunity to learn skills that will remain with them throughout life. More detailed information can be found here.
Most of the LISD schools sponsor one or more DI teams each year.
HOW DOES DESTINATION IMAGINATION WORK?
HOW DOES DESTINATION IMAGINATION WORK?
Students work in teams of 3-7, and are kept focused on the tasks-at-hand by their team managers. Meeting times and locations are determined by the team. Additional details are here.
A QUICK LOOK AT THE CHALLENGES
A QUICK LOOK AT THE CHALLENGES
Your child’s team will choose a Team Challenge to solve during the DI season. Each challenge has a specific educational focus, and all challenges are new each season. Most can be solved in whacky ways and the zanier the better!
Challenge Previews 2021-2022 (coming soon)
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE IN DI?
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE IN DI?
At the elementary school level in LISD, anyone in grades 3-5 can participate. You do not need to be in QUEST.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO FORM A TEAM?
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO FORM A TEAM?
A maximum of seven students are placed on a team.
Parent volunteers make this program possible.
Please consider volunteering as a Team Manager.
No special skills are required to be a Team Manager other than your willingness to work with a great, creative group of kids! Managers also attend at least one Team Manager workshop.
QUEST teachers will provide you with resources & orientation to the program.
Any students in 3rd, 4th, or 5th grades may join a Bush team.
Teams are formed based on the student's 'central challenge' preferences (which they indicate on the registration form)
Teams are formed with parent volunteers serving as team mgr/co-mgrs. (At least 2 parents serve as co-managers) We can only form as many teams as we have parent volunteers to manage them.
Teams meet usually 1-2 hours weekly, with time (outside of the school day) and location determined by the team manager and the team.
Teams will be filled on a first-come/first-service basis. Sometimes we don't have enough team managers for all the students who want to participate. When that happens, we register as many students as possible, with the ones who turned in registration forms earliest, and children of DI Managers, being assured of spots.
HOW DO I SIGN UP FOR DI? TURN IN YOUR REGISTRATION FORM (BELOW)
HOW DO I SIGN UP FOR DI? TURN IN YOUR REGISTRATION FORM (BELOW)
For more information please check out Destination Imagination on our district website.
https://www.leanderisd.org/destinationimagination/
Applications are due on Monday, Oct. 2nd. Please send completed application forms to school to Jenni Winterbottom (LWBE QUEST Teacher) or contact jenni.winterbottom@leanderisd.org with any questions.
WHY DO DI?
WHY DO DI?
Destination ImagiNation® is not just a program, it’s a process. Team members engage in Creative Problem Solving, from September/October, with DI Challenges, otherwise known as a great practice drill for the challenges of real life! Participants will develop life-long skills that carry over into everyday life – but most of all, they will have fun, discover talents they never knew they had, become friends with kids they might not have met, and reap the rewards of teamwork and friendship as they grow and learn.
How much time does DI take? Team members need to commit to a minimum of an hour or two per week for team meetings. Exactly how long, where and when is up to each individual team.
Even though the team members have to solve the problem, we still need grown ups!
Adult volunteers are needed to help with instant challenges, snacks, shuttling kids around, teaching skills the children want to learn, and most of all for team management. The more adults who commit to helping out, the less time- intensive it is for everyone, and the more fun DI is for the kids. (See below for more information on Team Manager responsibilities).
Each year, across the district, children don’t get onto a team because there aren’t enough adults who can manage the teams. If your child is interested in DI, please consider volunteering as a team manager. It can be loads of fun, and it’s a very rewarding experience.
UMMM...I'M AFRAID TO ASK, BUT WHAT'S A TEAM MANAGER?
UMMM...I'M AFRAID TO ASK, BUT WHAT'S A TEAM MANAGER?
Each team needs two team managers, or a manager and a co-manager. Please seriously consider volunteering in this capacity!
Team Managers help to facilitate the problem-solving process; they do not solve the problem and have no input into the actual solution. This is the team's job. Team Managers help the team to
• understand the constraints of the central challenge
• focus on the solution
• manage its time to meet deadlines
Team Managers spend one Saturday morning receiving training in understanding the process of DI.
Team Manager Responsibilities are spelled out in more detail here.
Team Manager Responsibilities (Spanish)
Quick tip Reference Guide for Team Managers
Quick tip Reference Guide for Team Managers (Spanish)
Team Manager Training (Oct or Nov., TBD) Cost is $15/team manager and includes a manager bag for a more efficient start. These are priceless! ALL Team Managers are required to attend ONE training on (dates to be announced soon).
Bonus Reasons to be a Destination ImagiNation® Team Manager
Opportunity to teach real-world life-long skills to a bunch of kids you'll learn to love.
The satisfaction of seeing a bunch of disorganized kids come together as a team to create a unique solution of which they can be proud.
They'll rub off on you and you'll be more creative as well.
You can have a tremendous impact on a great bunch of kids
Without volunteer Team Managers, there can be no teams
Courtesy of Victor Tom, Massachusetts DI
Top 10 Reasons to be a Destination ImagiNation® team manager
• Minimal qualifications (can you spell DI?).
• Party conversations become a breeze…you'll always have an answer to "What's new with you?"
• Keeping up with your team keeps you forever young (... or gives your hair those distinguished silver highlights).
• "Destination ImagiNation Team Manager" looks good on resume.
• "No Interference" rule means "It's not your job to solve the Challenge".
• Team managing expands your shopping horizons... hardware stores take on a whole new look.
• You have the opportunity to travel with lots of children to exotic locations... by van and bus.
• Destination ImagiNation® expands your stockpile of useful junk.
• Team materials hide nasty scratches on your dining table.
• Destination ImagiNation® cures the mid-winter blues. Time flies when you're having fun!
Appraiser Training: All teams must submit 2 appraisers.
ALL appraisers are required to attend appraiser training on (date to be announced) at a location TBD and appraisers must also be available all day on Sat. (TBD), to appraise at the tournament .
Conflict Resolution for DI Team Managers by Janet Dukerich, an experienced Team Manager and professor at McCombs School of Business at UT.
Some Practice Instant Challenges 1
Some Practice Instant Challenges 2
Some Practice Instant Challenges 3
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