Destination Imagination

Our entire day Saturday was spent watching hundreds of children from pre-school age through seniors in high school participate in a program entitled Destination Imagination (or DI for short). I come away from these competitions every year totally amazed at the imagination our young people have and I wonder if I was ever blessed with that much imagination!!

Destination Imagination is a program which started in our public schools many years ago and has now spread to private schools and home schoolers. Originally called Odyssey of the Mind, Destination Imagination is an extra curricular program that is designed to challenge the minds and creativity of the participants. Early in the school year the teams are given "problems" they need to solve using various means. For months the teams work untold hours after school attempting to solve the problems, build props, write scripts, make costumes, build machines, etc. The students are challenged to be as creative as they can be and to use any items they can come up with to display their creativity. Budgets must be kept up with and accounted for when the competition occurs. Many of the costumes are made out of empty soda cans, empty drink bottles or boxes, straw, shredded paper, plastic bags or grocery sacks, bubble wrap, old ties, old jeans, pieces of discarded fabric or wrapping paper, safety pins, ties their fathers no longer want (or are just confiscated from their closets!), old aluminum foil, paper plates, aluminum two gallon cans that came from the school cafeteria. I think you get the idea. A value has to be placed on each item in the challenge.

It is totally amazing seeing the products these very creative young people have come up with. I have watched in amazement every year as each team arrives to perform, seeing what they have used and what the outcome is. From the very youngest to the oldest participant I have observed, so much teamwork and enthusiasm and general pleasure in seeing their final products on view for everyone to see. The faces of these "great thinkers" are amazing as they work together-smiles, laughter, encouragement for each other, brows wrinkled as they try to solve problems and always, always showing sportsmanship and thoughtfulness. Kids from all economic backgrounds, from different parts of the state, from homes where parents are very involved to homes where parents really don't care as long as they don't have to do anything, working together as one to solve problems.

I was thinking as we watched all day long that it would be wonderful if all the students in all our schools were as enthusastic about learning as these are. It would be wonderful if everyone worked together and there would be no gangs or socioeconomic divisions of the students. It would be wonderful if all teachers AND ADMINISTRATORS were as enthusiastic and hard working as the coaches of these teams are. Perhaps our schools would be full of scholars instead of failing students; perhaps our kids would feel appreciated and loved more; perhaps our kids would want to be a productive part of society rather than a burden on society; perhaps our kids would just feel special, something we all want to feel!!

Destination Imagination does more than teach our kids to think. It teaches them to work together for an outcome that is so exciting; it teaches them to be a member of the team. It teaches them that no matter whether you win or lose, you are a winner!!

I had a most wonderful day and can't wait til the first of April when we go to state. Go Lone Oak Buffaloes!! Go Greenville Lions. You are all winners in my mind!!