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Technical Challenge - Breaking Point

TECHNICAL CHALLENGE

The Technical Challenge prompts students to complete tasks by using engineering, research, strategic planning, and related skills.

  • Build it up and knock it down! In this Challenge, your team will go from the highest heights to the lowest lows as you use team-created equipment to build and destroy stacks of items. What will a character do when their greatest wishes encounter a frustration point? Will it all come tumbling down? Find out in this season’s Technical Challenge!
    • Design and build assembly equipment and destruction equipment.
    • Use the assembly equipment to create a stack of items.
    • Use the destruction equipment to disassemble and/or destroy the stack.
    • Create and present a story about a character who lacks something important and attempts to gain it.
    • Create and present two Team Choice Elements that show off the team’s interests, skills, areas of strength, and talents.

Contact Your Challenge Masters:

Amber Hudson

Justin Willson

Tristan Binkley-Jones

Team Manager Training

Training Webinar

Team Manager Workbook 2024-2025.docx

Training Slides

Scientific Challenge - Worlds Beyond

SCIENTIFIC CHALLENGE

Our Scientific Challenge blends the curiosity of scientific research with the creative expression of performance art.

Space, the final frontier…join us for this season’s Scientific Challenge as you explore the cosmos. Your team will tell a story about a character who figures out they are not alone on a planet. Show off your science fiction skills with some out-of-this-world technobabble. What will happen when you go beyond the stars?

  • Create and present a story in which a character who is located on a planet other than Earth thinks they are alone but discovers that they are not.
  • Include technobabble in the story.
  • Design and build a device and/or effect that demonstrates what the technobabble describes.
  • Include a scientific demonstration that shows the science behind why a specific phenomenon of the planet happens and/or exists.
  • Create and present two Team Choice Elements that show off the team’s interests, skills, areas of strength, and talents.

Contact Your Challenge Masters:

Isaiah Thompson

Anna Morgenthaler

Riley Morgenthaler

Team Manager Training

Training Webinar

Scientific Tips and Tricks

Engineering Challenge - High Wire Act

ENGINEERING CHALLENGE

Our Engineering Challenge asks students to explore and apply engineering skills and tools to design and build solutions to specific applications.

Come one, come all to the greatest show on Earth! Join us for a daring feat of high-wire innovation as you test a transporter that will carry weights along a tournament-provided cord. Present a story in the style of contemporary circus and don’t forget to include a daring display! This season’s Engineering Challenge isn’t clowning around!
  • Design and build a transporter that will be tested during the team’s Presentation.
  • Complete weight transport tests to test how much weight the transporter can carry along a tournament-provided cord at various angles.
  • Create and present a story in the style of contemporary circus.
  • Include a daring display and an ensemble spectacle in the Presentation.
  • Create and present two Team Choice Elements that show off the team’s interests, skills, areas of strength, and talents.

Contact your Challenge Masters:

Colton Tapler

Kevin Cogswell

Luaan Buist

TRAINING

Engineering Training Videos

 

Fine Arts Challenge - Less is More

FINE ARTS

Our Fine Arts Challenge helps students develop acting and creative skills through artistic media, theater arts, scriptwriting, and prop design.

How can the simplest of things convey the most? Your team will tell a story about something small that can have a big impact and move the audience with an emotional moment. Be strategic with your use of color and shape as you design a big visual impact with your set. It’s time to explore minimalism in this season’s Fine Arts Challenge!

  • Create and present a story about how something small and/or simple can create a big impact.
  • Include a focal character in the story.
  • Include an emotional moment in the story.
  • Design and create a minimalist set.
  • Create and present two Team Choice Elements that show off the team’s interests, skills, areas of strength, and talents.

Contact your Challenge Masters:

Connie Jones

Emma Gollob

Jessica Bobbs

Training Video

Improvisational Challenge - Are We There Yet?

IMPROVISATIONAL

Our Improvisational Challenge is all about research, spontaneity, and storytelling. Teams receive topics and quickly produce skits.

  • From beginning to end, we must travel a path to get where we want to go! Use your improvisational skills to tell a story about a character traveling between two locations. Include a character who is trying to find something and a detour that causes an unforeseen change in the plan or route. It’s time to hit the road with this season’s Improvisational Challenge!
    • Create and present an improvisational skit about a traveling character.
    • Research locations and show the character’s route between a starting location and an ending location.
    • Research modes of transportation and incorporate one into the skit.
    • Include a seeker and a detour in the skit.

    .

Contact your Challenge Masters:

Ally Hayden 

Caroline Kuharski

Ellie Svoboda

 

Webinar Training Video

2024 2025 Improv training presentation

2024_2025 Improv training

Service Learning Challenge - This or That

SERVICE LEARNING

Our Service Learning Challenge is designed to engage students in public service that addresses real-life community issues.

 

Left or right, apple or orange, smile or frown…the world is full of choices! Your team will tell a story about a character who must make a critical choice after considering potential outcomes. A binary device will enhance your Presentation by completing two tasks at once! Where will your decisions lead in this season’s Service Learning Challenge?

  • Identify, design, carry out, and evaluate a project that addresses a need in a real community.
  • Create and present a story about a character who must make a critical choice.
  • Include at least two potential outcomes and a complication in the story.
  • Include a device that completes two different tasks from the same initiation in the Presentation.
  • Create and present two Team Choice Elements that show off the team’s interests, skills, areas of strength, and talents.

 

Contact your Challenge Masters:

Jennifer Zakotnik

Yvonne Kellar Guenther

Team Manager Training

Training Webinar

Rising Stars Challenge - Weather Together

EARLY LEARNING

Our Rising Stars for Early Learners Challenge offers simple experiences with the creative process, and it gives young kids (preschool through 2nd grade) a place to work together and make new friends.

 

Rain, snow, wind, sun, and hail! There are so many different kinds of weather and lots of wonderful activities that can only be done during the perfect kind of weather. Your team will tell a story about a character who is learning about one kind of weather for the very first time. It’s a great day for some outdoor fun!

  • Research different kinds of weather.
  • Create and present a play about a character learning about a kind of weather for the very first time.
  • Include a teacher character and a special weather activity in the story.
  • Design and create a weather costume and a weather special effect.
  • Create and present one Team Choice Element that shows off the team’s interests, skills, areas of strength, and talents.

 

Contact your Challenge Master:

Susan Dalgleish

 

Team Manager Training

Training Webinar

Link to Material

Instant Challenge

INSTANT CHALLENGE

All teams will have the opportunity to solve an Instant Challenge. These challenges require teams to engage in quick, creative and critical thinking.

In a world with growing cultural connections, increased levels and types of communication, and a new need for real-time teamwork and problem-solving, the ability to solve problems quickly is becoming increasingly critical.

Each team will be asked to solve an Instant Challenge for their DI tournament. The team must think on their feet by applying appropriate skills to produce a solution in a short period of time.

Instant Challenges are performance-based, task-based, or a combination of the two. Although each Instant Challenge has different requirements, all Instant Challenges reward teams for their teamwork. Instant Challenges are kept confidential until it is time for teams to solve them.

Contact your Challenge Masters:

Bonnie Deford

Claire Hamilton

Sara Heisdorffer

Webinar Recording

Instant Challenge 101

General Team Manager Information

Team Manager Trainings

DI Colorado provides trainings for both our new and “seasoned” Team Managers.

Our Team Manager Trainings will be offered in several ways:

  1. In person evening training opportunities for new Team Managers and those Team Managers needing a refresher class. These will be offered monthly in the Metro area and also available on the Western Slope.
  2. Training Recording
  3. Zoom training opportunities for new Team Managers and those Team Managers needing a refresher class. These will not be recorded.
  4. DI Learn Management Classes: These classes are asynchronous, self-paced learning with MANY topics!!! If you can’t make the Live or Webinar training sessions, this is the place for you.
  5. Challenge specific training will be available for all Team Managers either live or through the Adobe Captivate Learning Management Classes.
  6. All Team Managers that attend one or more of these training opportunities will receive a special Team Manager T-shirt.
  7. There is no charge for trainings. It’s included as part of your fees when you purchase your National Membership.

INSTANT CHALLENGE

All teams will have the opportunity to solve an Instant Challenge. These challenges require teams to engage in quick, creative and critical thinking.

23-24 Instant Challenge Icon

In a world with growing cultural connections, increased levels and types of communication, and a new need for real-time teamwork and problem-solving, the ability to solve problems quickly is becoming increasingly critical.

Each team will be asked to solve an Instant Challenge for their DI tournament. The team must think on their feet by applying appropriate skills to produce a solution in a short period of time.

Instant Challenges are performance-based, task-based, or a combination of the two. Although each Instant Challenge has different requirements, all Instant Challenges reward teams for their teamwork. Instant Challenges are kept confidential until it is time for teams to solve them.

Contact your Challenge Masters:

Bonnie Deford

Claire Hamilton

Sara Heisdorffer

Webinar Recording

Why become a Team Manager

Becoming a DI Team Manager can be one of the most rewarding experiences you will have as an adult volunteer.  You get to witness the growth of your team and the amazing solutions they develop, firsthand. Along the way, you learn how to build teams, teach creative problem solving, and form lasting relationships with your team members and other adult volunteers.

 

“Unlike any other organization I’ve come across, I see that DI teaches extremely valuable real-world skills that will give my kids, and the kids on my team, a major head-start in life. They don’t get these valuable skills in school and very few other organizations are as effective at teaching and encouraging them. More than ever, the engine of our economy is ‘American Ingenuity’ and I want my kids to enter the working world with strong skills in this area. Being part of DI is very satisfying – and worth my time. I’ve developed a much deeper and meaningful relationship with my kids (and other DI team members) through DI. DI has prompted some great ‘kitchen table’ discussions with my kids on very practical real-world issues. It’s also allowed me to play a major increased role in their lives and in their development that I know they value.”-Scott Dalgleish

How To Become The Team Manager of Record

By now, your team has most likely read through all of the exciting Challenges of the 2019-20 season. If you’ve chosen your Challenge, you may have even started working on its solution already! Each year, our Challenge Writers work hard to make sure they develop fun and engaging academic Challenges for all of our participants. Knowing which Challenge your team is participating in this season helps us identify the most popular Challenges, as well as better gauge the number of teams that are competing worldwide.

 

We need you to take a few minutes to enter your team’s information – including your Team Name, Team Challenge, and Challenge Level – in our Resource Area.

 

If this is your first time accessing the Resource Area, this portal will allow you to download documents, such as practice Instant Challenges, as well as ask Team Clarifications. So please go ahead and dig around while you’re in there!

 

HOW TO ENTER YOUR TEAM’S INFORMATION:

 

  1. If you don’t have a DI account, create one now by going to: https://resources.destinationimagination.org/shop.php/auth/account/create_new_account and entering your information.
  2. Once you have an account, go to the Resource Area here: https://resources.destinationimagination.org/resources.php.
  3. Make sure to view and accept the code of conduct!
  4. Highlight the Teams tab and then select My Teams.
  5. Click on Add Team, and then enter either the Team Number and order number (this information will come from the person who purchased the team number) OR the Team Number and the postal code.
  6. If you have multiple teams, repeat Step 5 to claim all of your teams.
  7. Click on the pencil icon to the left of your Team Number, and then add/edit your organization name, team name, and the Challenge/Level your team will be participating in this season. Remember, you can change the Challenge if your team decides to make a switch from their original plan. However, once you’ve competed in your first tournament, you cannot change your Challenge.

Important: Because our scoring program is tied to the information you provide, please make sure everything is accurate!

Getting Ready for Tournament

Training Video on Getting Ready for Tournament

23-24-Tournament-Guide

Background Checks

In order to provide the highest level of after school activities for our participants, Destination Imagination requires Team Managers to have a background check. Destination Imagination will be administering background checks through the Destination Imagination store.

Check out Destination Imagination’s Youth Protection Policy here.

 

Options for purchasing and completing Background Checks

    1. You can purchase a background check at Background Checks. 
    2. You can either purchase a background check with your team number or you can purchase a team number independently.
    3. You will not be able to access team challenges and other resources until you have cleared your background check.
    4. If you have a LEVEL 2 background check from Sterling Volunteers due to volunteer work with a different non-profit, church, or school, you may share it with Destination Imagination. NOT Destination Imagination Colorado. Again, Destination Imagination.
    5. Please contact Kate if you would like your school to fill out a waiver if you have a school background check.

Clarifications

PUBLISHED CLARIFICATIONS

  • When there is an issue in a Team Challenge or Rules of the Road that all teams should know about, a Published Clarification will be posted.
  • A Published Clarification supersedes Rules of the Road and the Team Challenge, as well as a Team Clarification.
  • Every team is expected to know the Published Clarifications for their Challenge.

 

TEAM CLARIFICATIONS

  • Before your team asks for a Team Clarification, please read all the Published Clarifications for your Challenge.
  • Your team may ask up to 10 questions for your Team Challenge.
  • Teams may only ask ONE question per Clarification request.
  • We will answer your team’s questions and send the answers directly back to you.
  • The question and answer will not be shared with any other team.
  • Team Clarifications should be submitted by the Team Manager.

 

The deadline to ask for Team Clarifications is January 31, 2025, at 11:59 pm Pacific Time.

To ask for a team clarification click here: Team Clarification

Forms

Permission slip for team meetings, excursions, events: Permission Form

 

Team Snack Sign-Up Form

 

Riding the Creative Wave - One Alumni's Experience

Hi, my name is Riley Morgenthaler, DI Alumna and creator of this website.

After watching my sisters do DI for seven long years, I was overjoyed when, in the sixth grade, it was finally my turn to join a team.  Head buzzing with all of the ideas I had been formulating since I was three years old, I eagerly threw off my cheerleader sash to join the ranks of the competitors.  I was sure that all of my best laid plans and dreams would pan out perfectly as I embarked on my long-awaited DI journey.  Luckily for me, they didn’t, and DI became the biggest learning experience of my life as I navigated teamwork, self-doubt, disappointment and success.   

Throughout my six years as a DI team member I became well acquainted with the ups-and-downs of the Creative Process, and I am happy to be able to share my knowledge and experience of the various stages with other DI kids.  Each part of the process might not be fun, but it is the struggle that makes the success worthwhile.

 

 

Riding the Creative Wave

Words Of Wisdom From Team Managers

Team Manager Guide: Here is a wonderful guide to help a first year Team Manager. It was written in 2015 by a Team Manager who has managed DI teams for each of his three children. This is his perspective.

New Team Manager Guide (2015)

Appendices To New Team Manager Guide

 

Advice from a Team Manager to New Team Managers.

Things I Wish I’d Known

 

Experiences as a DI Team Manager and how they are real-world, adult experiences.

Experiences As A DI Team Manager

 

The top 10 Team Manager duties from an experienced Team Manager.

Top 10 Team Manager Duties

Become A Team Manager Mentor

Guide For Manager Mentors

If you are an experienced Team Manager, please consider acting as a mentor for a new Team Manager. DI can be an overwhelming program to jump right into. As a new Team Manager, having a person to talk with, run ideas past, etc. is so helpful.  By providing this small service, you will truly be able to make a big difference for another Destination Imagination team.

 

If you are interested in becoming a mentor, contact Tina Morgenthaler.

 

Manager Mentor Duties:

  • Check in with your Mentee at least once a week.
  • Answer any questions your Mentee has, and remember how confused you were when you first started.
  • Provide insight and tips to help these new Team Managers be successful.
  • Act as an inspiration and example to follow.
  • Be supportive, and remember that you are doing something amazing to help others!

 

Things New Team Managers need the most help with:

  • how to lead a productive meeting
  • how to get the team focused and moving in the same direction
  • how to understand the Challenge
  • how to interpret scoring
  • what the final product will look like
  • how to deal with team conflict
  • how to build teamwork
  • how to establish continuity from one year to the next
  • general information about how this all works

 

Other Ways You Can Help:

Depending on your availability, resources, and Mentee’s requests, these are some potential ideas of ways you can help these new teams be successful.

  • Invite them to one of your team’s meetings and/or attend one of their team’s meetings.
  • If you are putting together an Instant Challenge for your team, and have extra materials, put together a kit to give to your Mentee’s team.
  • Share your stash of Instant Challenges.
  • Have your teams meet, so that your team members can do their own “mini mentoring” for new participants.
  • Have an Instant Challenge party for both of your teams.
  • Share pictures and/or videos of your team’s past solutions.
  • Check if your Mentee’s team needs help getting to tournaments.
  • If you’re taking your team on a field trip, if possible, take the other team along.
  • Check in with your Mentee as the tournament approaches.
  • Just be supportive!

Additional Resources - Videos, DIHQ Resource Page, FAQ

Colorado YouTube Channel: YouTube Colorado

Watch Colorado team solution videos and Colorado training webinars.

 

DIHQ YouTube Channel: DI Nationals YouTube

Watch teams’ final solutions, hear what DI Alum and Sponsors have to say, and watch last year’s Global Finals ceremonies.

 

2 Minute Team Videos YouTube Channel: 2 Minute Team Videos

Lots of videos by kids for kids about the Destination Imagination process.

 

DIHQ Resources page: Resources

Here you’ll find Instant Challenges, team building activities, as well as exploring and understanding properties of materials.

 

Destination Imagination Colorado FAQ page: Frequently Asked Questions

You’ll find additional answers to questions such as How To Form A Team and What’s The Time Commitment here.

All Other Resources

Instant Challenge Resources

  • Get new Instant Challenges (ICs).
  • Learn how to teach skills through IC.
  • Find new places to get IC materials.

Interference Resources

  • Learn about what is and isn’t Interference.
  • Teach your team family members about Interference.
  • Develop strategies to avoid Interference.

Protected: Challenge Masters

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