Two Ashdown DI Teams Advance to Global Finals

Two Destination ImagiNation teams from the Ashdown School District earned their way to participation in the DI Global Finals to be held on the campus of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville on May 20-23.  Both teams won their divisions at the State DI Competition in Jesseville on April 4.

The middle school team who competed and won in the challenge ViDIo Lit Hits consists of Whitney McWhirter, Matt Harris, Dara Gaines, Jamie Sullivan, Jalessa Hurd, and Ali Staton, coached by Donna Harris and Mindy McWhirter.

The elementary level team, made up of Erik Dorse, Karen McMillan, Chandler Matthews, Anthony Bennett and Jock Boler, won their challenge in Instinct Messaging.  Their manager/coach is Heather McMillan.

Destination ImagiNation Global Finals is considered to be the largest creativity competition of its kind held anywhere.  Teams from around the world compete, bond and create friendships.  Competitions are based on children’s talents at problem solving, innovation and creativity. 

The challenge of ViDIo Lit Hits focuses on the skills of playwriting, literature, fine arts/theater arts, choreography, technical design and construction, design process, and teamwork.  The team members are instructed to “bring literature alive as you retell it in your original Live Music ViDIo.”  Students must create the entire production, with their coach acting only as a facilitator, and under a stringent, limited budget and time frame.

Instinct Messaging requires the team members to use theater arts, animal science, research, and teamwork.  Their challenge is to create and communicate a new way for animals to get messages to each other using sounds, color, movement and other tools to warn, inform and network.  Once again, the budget and presentation time is very limited and their coach may only facilitate.

Over 300,000 students participate in DI each year, but only winners from states, provinces, or countries will travel to Knoxville in May to compete in the annual international creative problem solving tournament. 

Ashdown’s DI teams are made up of TARGETS students from 3^rd through 12^th grades who are interested in the competitions.  Students choose their own challenges and compete at the district, regional, state, and finally global levels.  TARGETS is under the supervision of instructor Stephanie Rowe.