Two Destination Imagination teams from Lakeside have qualified once again for the Global Finals in May in Knoxville, Tenn.
Last year was the first time in school history that two Lakeside teams qualified for the global competition. Both teams sealed a return trip at the state Challenge competition in Little Rock on April 5.
"It's a great group of kids," said Ronnie Formby, coach of the elementary level team. "They're into it."
Members of the elementary-level team are Carson Burnham, fourth grade; Madeline Doucet, third grade; Ronni Formby, fourth grade; Wini Formby, second grade; Simon Lowry, third grade; and Will Teague, fifth grade.
Members of the middle-level team are Torin Davis, eighth grade; Olivia Green, seventh grade; Erin Griffin, seventh grade; Brady Kline, seventh grade; Judson Spellings, eighth grade; and Skylar Wood, eighth grade.
Destination Imagination programs are challenge-based competitions that teach the creative process from imagination to innovation. The programs are developed annually to ensure they are relevant and align to National Education Standards, STEM standards and Common Core Standards.
The Challenge program is the most popular Destination Imagination program. Competitive teams choose one of six challenges for competition: Technical, Scientific, Fine Arts, Improvisational, Structural and Service Learning.
Both Lakeside teams competed in the Structural challenge.
"It is a competition where you solve different problems using creativity," Davis said.
"Every decision in DI has to be made by the children," coach Formby said. "All we do as coaches is keep them moving in a direction."
Formby and middle-level coach Keri Powell guide the students and utilize a preparation book filled with practice exercises.
Students are tasked with solving a problem presented to them, developing a skit and providing a presentation to judges. The skit must be pertinent and tie into the problem. The Lakeside teams included an anti-bullying message in their skit.
The two Lakeside teams won first place in the state Structural competition, "The Tension Builds." Details of the challenge differs from year to year, but the concept remains the same in each category.
"We had to make a skit that interacted with our tower that was trying to be pulled apart by the pyramid that was sitting on the bottom," Ronni Formby said.
"We got to see what was needed to advance to Globals," Davis said. "You've got more experience in the instant challenge, of course. And you've got more experience in front of judges and under pressure. I think that definitely helped us."
Lakeside's middle and elementary teams will return to the Global Finals, which will take place May 19-24. More than 1,300 teams from 45 states, seven Canadian provinces and 13 countries will compete and showcase their Challenge solutions.
"To make it to Globals was really amazing," Ronni Formby said. "It boosted our energy almost. It influenced us to do it again this year. We tried even harder because we really wanted to go back."
More than 16,000 people attend Global Finals each year.
"It was wonderful," coach Formby said. "When you can fill up UT's basketball arena with students from all over the world, it's just amazing.
"The opportunities that are there for kids are all about developing their interests and abilities to think around problems."
Many of the students enjoyed being able to meet students from across the world. They also enjoyed the Destination Imagination tradition of trading pins with students from other states, provinces and countries.
"It gives you interaction with kids your age, older and younger," Spellings said. "Everyone from our team liked the pin trading."
"I think my favorite was the pin trading," Lowery said. "You could trade pins and you also get to meet new people while you are trading pins."
Lakeside Destination Imagination students expressed gratitude to their coaches, parents and teachers that have helped them throughout the Destination Imagination challenges. Members of the middle-level team also thanked Dunaway's Body Shop for allowing them space for their project.
Ronnie Formby said the teams' preparations, which will include fundraising efforts, for the global competition are already underway.
Local on 04/16/2014