Cascade Ridge DI

Thursday, October 1st, 2009

A Parents Guide to Destination ImagiNation

If you're considering signing your student up for Destination ImagiNation at Cascade Ridge, be sure and read this informative Parent's Guide on what DI is, why it's a great program for kids, and more importanly, how your son or daughter will learn and have fun!

Here's part of what you'll read in the Parent's Guide:

...

Educational Goals of the Program

Destination ImagiNation is a community-based, school-friendly program that builds participants’ creativity, problem solving, and teamwork in enjoyable and meaningful ways. The goals of Destination ImagiNation are for participants to:

  • Foster creative and critical thinking
  • Learn and apply Creative Problem Solving method and tools
  • Develop teamwork, collaboration, and leadership skills
  • Nurture research and inquiry skills, involving both creative exploration and attention to detail
  • Enhance and apply written and verbal communication and presentation skills (both impromptu and sustained)
  • Promote the recognition, use, and development of many and varied strengths and talents
  • Encourage competence in, enthusiasm for, and commitment to real-life problem solving
Methods
  • Young people of similar age work on teams of up to 7 members over an 8-12 week period
  • No Interference is allowed from anyone outside of the team
  • Adult Team Managers act as facilitators to a team
  • Team Manager training is provided by experienced trainers
  • Problem solving skills are cultivated by using Tools
  • Teamwork is developed by using the eight building blocks for successful teams
  • Creativity is appreciated by Team- and Instant Challenges that are open ended
  • Individual and team strengths are promoted by Side Trips; based on Multiple Intelligence Theory
  • Instant Challenges engage participants in rapid-fire critical thinking
  • Team Challenges engage participants in sustained problem solving

Assessment

  • Tournaments are a celebration of what the team HAS accomplished and the PROCESS learned
  • Solutions are evaluated and Reward Points are a component of Instant and Team Challenges
  • Appraisers are trained to reward the PROCESS that the team has experienced
  • Tournament Data Forms provide opportunity for teams to culminate their experience
  • Special Awards are given for exceptional creativity, teamwork, and innovation
  • At the end of the Destination ImagiNation season, teams have an active reflection time

--rob