Calling All New York Students Who Think Outside the Box!
Welcome to the World of Destination Imagination
What is Destination Imagination?
Destination Imagination® (DI) is a global, volunteer-led nonprofit organization that hosts Team Challenges for students who want to take on the entire creative process—from imagination to innovation. Students participate in DI in 48 states and 30 countries! The program boasts more than one million alumni and 38,000 volunteers worldwide.
Here in New York, we are a vibrant and active Destination Imagination Affiliate. We host tournaments at the regional and state levels. At our tournaments, student teams get to showcase their unique solutions to science, technology, engineering, arts, math, and service learning Challenges, watch each other present, and celebrate their achievements together.
Students who participate in DI build lifelong friendships, self esteem, and creative problem-solving skills. Not to mention DI is a phenomenal resume builder!
The Nuts & Bolts
Who
New York students in grades K-12 and University can participate in Destination Imagination by forming or joining a team.
How
To form a team, you will need between 2 and 7 students (they do not need to be in the exact same grade level) and a Team Manager who is 18 or older.
When
Each DI season begins in the fall and aligns with the start of the school year. Teams select the Challenge they want to tackle and work together on their solutions until Regional Tournaments take place in March.
Tournaments
New York’s Regional Tournaments take place in March. Top teams advance to our Affiliate Tournament, taking place in late March or early April. Global Finals are held in late May.
Registration Deadlines
New York Regional Tournament registration opens in early September. Teams must register by January 15th in order to avoid late fees. No registrations accepted after February 15th.
Time Commitment
DI teams generally spend 2-3 hours a week working together on their solutions and devote additional time fine tuning in the weeks leading up to each tournament.
"DI is what was missing from school for my son. He needed the creative outlet DI gave him. I'm grateful for all he (and I) learned from being involved with DI."Risa D’Amaso, DI Parent and Team Manager
A Look Inside the Magic
Destination Imagination is like its own creative universe! The fun starts right here in New York at the regional level when you form a team.
Warning: This is not your average art or science club. Students who participate in Destination Imagination do things like:
Build Robots
Write Plays
Make Movies
Design Sets, Costumes, and Props
Engineer solutions to Real-world Problems
Create Original Works of Art
Give Back to Their Communities
Compete for a Spot at Global Finals
Many students participate in DI multiple years in a row and will tell you the program has changed their lives. There’s no other club or program quite like DI. When you learn how to solve complex problems creatively as a team, everything becomes possible!
Take a Look Behind the Scenes
Quick Links for Current New York Teams
Already have an NYDI team up and running? You might be looking for:
"School taught me that I have a brain, but DI taught me how to use it."Erin Coyer, Alum
