“The Common Core State Standards focus on 21st century skills: communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity, and Destination Imagination (DI) requires the utilization of all four to solve real-world problems using multiple content areas and media,” explained Haley Moore, gifted coordinator for Miamisburg City Schools. “DI encourages students to put their education into practical terms by creating collaborative products that are presented to appraisers for evaluation, mimicking a real-world work environment.”
DI is an educational program in which student teams solve open-ended challenges and present their solutions at tournaments. Teams are tested to think on their feet, work together and devise original solutions that satisfy the requirements of the challenges. Each year, DI presents six new challenges in the areas of science, technology, engineering/mathematics, improvisation, visual arts and service learning.
“Students are so engaged in these challenges and spend months refining solutions,” Moore said. “Additionally, team managers are integral pieces to facilitating a successful team by keeping students focused, motivating them to meet deadlines and putting in hours and hours of practice with students to help them hone their solutions and practice their presentations so that they are prepared for competition days.”
The MHS team managed by volunteers Donna Fontaine, Christine Clayton, and Mike Burke includes students Evan Burke, Luke Chalfont, Owen Clayton, Alissa Cook, Ryan Leedy, and Ethan Price.
The MHS team managed by parent Robin Timpe includes participants Blake Boyd, Collin Rambacher, Amanda Sandstrom, Brady Timpe and Myron Wullenweber.
The MMS team, known as the Marvelous MiamisBurgers and sponsored by Donna and Jim Fontaine and Betsie Naylor, includes participants Cole Boyd, Jenna Burke, Ethan Elking, Alex LeBlanc, Tyler LeBlanc and Laynee Sanger.
“The students benefit by learning teamwork, creative problem solving and gaining self esteem by presenting their solutions to audiences and appraisers,” said Donna Fontaine, who has served as a team manager for 20 years and has taken 36 challenges to Global Finals, said. “DI teaches students that everyone has strengths and weaknesses, and by working together and bringing out the strengths in others, you can solve any challenge.”
For example, one challenge, Project Outreach, required teams to address a community need, create a logo and jingle and design a five-piece puzzle they form while presenting their project evaluation.
The Marvelous MiamisBurgers’ Middle School team taught preschoolers about creative problem solving and good nutrition using the Creativity Cart, super food superheroes, a brain that thought of “pastabilities,” and a healthy evaluation meal puzzle made of five pieces that were also puzzles.
Fontaine’s high school team created space for all 14 of Miamisburg’s DI teams. They moved supplies, organized and repurposed classrooms, placed everyone who applied for DI on a team and created original songs and a puzzle with multiple solutions.
Students on Robin Timpe’s team tackled other challenges while putting their technical and scientific skills to the test. They built a creature that uses technical methods to perform three team chosen actions and designed and constructed a sound machine that produces two different sounds – sounds which are then incorporated into a story.
“Students put in hours and hours of brainstorming, prop building, rehearsing and doing instant challenges to prepare for competitions,” Fontaine said.
Participation in Global Finals is $740 per student, and the district is receiving donations to ensure all participants may compete. For more information, call 937-866-3381.
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