At the heart of every educator’s mission is preparing young people for the future. We want them to be confident, innovative, and ready to take on the challenges of tomorrow. One powerful way we do this is through the Destination Imagination (DI) program—a unique opportunity where students can work together to solve real-world challenges while developing vital life skills.

The creative process plays a pivotal role in DI. This step-by-step approach not only teaches students how to break down and solve complex problems, but it also encourages them to ask better questions, learn from their mistakes, and celebrate their successes along the way.

Why is this important? The creative process is more than just an exercise in creativity. It’s a foundation for skills that are essential in both life and future careers—skills like critical thinking, creative thinking, public speaking, and collaborative problem-solving. These skills empower students to take charge of their learning, foster leadership qualities, and help them develop the confidence they need to succeed.

This year, our DI teams took on two unique challenges. The Octonauts tackled the Scientific Challenge, while Clowning Around dove into the Fine Arts Challenge. From September until February 22nd, the teams worked tirelessly to design skits, create props and costumes, and meet specific challenge criteria that would bring their projects to life.

Team "Clowning Around" placed 4th Overall and 3rd in Instant Challenge. Those students are Kaylynn Cummings, Kendall Judd, Caleb Crawford, Lane Hargrave, Rosser Newton, Hudson Schaeffer and Hagen Hamlyn.

Team "Octonauts" placed 5th Overall and 3rd in Instant Challenge. Those students are Brynlee Martinez, Karis Barbee, Koleson Schilling, Mattie Mjolhus, Morgan Whitcamp, Shelbi Garcia and Nehemiah Rios.

Thank you Christi Tomme and Taryn Polk for working with this teams.    Destination Imagination Photos