What is DI?
Creative problem solving team fun!
Destination Imagination™, or “DI” for short, is the world’s largest non-profit, volunteer-driven organization devoted to helping kids gain practical life skills through interesting, entertaining and mind-boggling challenges.
Our community and school-based program begins in September/October when the year’s Challenges are issued. Teams of five to seven students organize, choose their challenge and work for months honing their solution.
Volunteer team managers (parents, teachers or community volunteers) facilitate the group, but cannot give technical or other assistance. Teams present their solutions at local, regional and state tournaments, which narrow the field to about 15 teams from each state or international affiliate. These teams compete in the ultimate creativity showdown, Global Finals, each May.
What are the Challenges?
There are two types of challenges that the kids work on, Instant Challenges and the Main Team Challenge.
Instant Challenges teach students to respond quickly to the unplanned event by requiring them to solve a fun, surprise challenge on the spot. Teams must work together to quickly assess the situation and generate an appropriate and creative response within just a few minutes.
Team Challenges require teams to utilize each member’s skills in such diverse areas as art, writing, technology, performance, engineering, and music to create a unique solution that can take from several weeks to several months to develop. Students learn to work together as they practice project management skills by meeting deadlines imposed by tournament dates and completing their solution within a specified budget. Teams present their solutions before a live audience and panel of appraisers. Scoring is based on criteria specified in the challenge, which usually includes analysis of the team’s innovation, risk-taking and teamwork.
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We are a non-profit organization run by parents and volunteers who wish to give every child in our community the opportunity to SHINE! We would not exist if it weren’t for the support of so many like you. Thank you!
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DI is Worldwide
You can visit our NY and the International DI headquarter websites for even more information.