Destination ImagiNation Offers Creative Outlet, Team-Building for Area Youth
By Lauri Gross
In Search of: Creative young minds with a desire to solve problems, rise to challenges and have a ton of fun in a team setting. Ability to learn quickly, think on your feet, take risks and perform on stage, a plus. No experience necessary. Will provide training. Last year nearly 50 Kenston-area youths heeded this call by joining the Kenston chapter of the national Destination ImagiNation, Inc., a group that bills itself as the world’s largest creativity and problem-solving organization. According to destinationimagination.org, Destination ImagiNation (DI) inspires participants in all of its programs to learn the process, art, and skill associated with problem solving.
The participants, from kindergarten through high-school age, meet for eight weeks with about a half-dozen similarly aged kids to solve a challenge their team selects from a list of challenges created by the national DI. At the end of eight weeks, the kids present their solution -- in the form of an elaborate eight-minute skit -- to a panel of appraisers who score each team for how well it solved the challenge, how creative the solution was, how much teamwork was involved and whether the kids met their own self-described goals. Winners go on to state and national championships. (Kids in grade K-2 do not compete. They solve challenges just for fun.)
This year, Beth and Bob Hietanen share the job of president of Kenston Destination ImagiNation. Their daughter, Alyssa, a Kenston seventh grader, will be starting her sixth year as a DI competitior and their son, Aaron, a Kenston fourth grader, will be starting his fourth year of DI competition.
Aaron and Alyssa agree that DI is a lot of fun. Alyssa explained, "If kids like acting, it (DI) would be good for them or kids that like to make up things. You have to use a lot of imagination. You all work together. Everybody gets involved….And the ceremony at the end is really fun."
Bob, a software engineer for Smither Scientific said, "We became excited about the program as we saw how much it helped our own children. Both are very shy, but through the DI program they have had a lot of experience standing up in front of large groups of people to perform. It is amazing to us how easy it is for them to perform in front of a crowd. We've noticed a big difference in not only how unafraid our kids are at being in front of a group of people, but they now work well in teams. DI also gives them an opportunity to bring out their creativity..... DI allows children to have fun, but to also develop teamwork skills, to gain confidence in themselves and it is a great avenue to show their creativity.
The Kowalics family has been involved in DI for many years as well, and, according to Bob Hietanen, has been instrumental in the success of the program. Rich Kowalics served as the regional chairman and as a member of the national board. Rich and his wife, Susi have both coached numerous teams, some of which went on to compete at the station and then global tournaments. Local residents Kitty McCarthy, and Julie Kolibab are among many others who also served as past DI leaders and/or team coaches.
Laurel School seventh grader Kiran Kowalics said she likes DI because it lets her be with her friends every Saturday. She added, "I like using power tools to build the set." Kiran’s sister, Kailey (17) has competed at the DI global level.
Last year, Kenston 5th grader Claire Rundelli was part of a DI team that presented a skit about "a girl who was didn’t want to do her homework and fell asleep and woke up in munchkin land." Claire played the role of Queen of Munchkinland and said her favorite part of DI is performing. Claire’s mom, Mary Reid, an attorney, coached Claire’s team. "I was absolutely amazed at the ideas they came up with," Mary said. To others considering joining, she added, "Do it….because you will see your child grow in wonderfully creative ways and learn to work with other children."
The DI challenges come in five categories: Technical/Mechanical, Theater Arts/Science, Theater Arts/Fine Arts, Theater Arts/Improvisation, and Structural & Architectural Design.
To compete in the Technical/Mechanical category, last year’s competitors had to build a car that actually ran. "The winning team in the state tournament," Beth recalled, "used a drill press motor hooked up to an electrical outlet." This competition was known as the Dizzy Derby.
The Theater Arts/Science challenge required competitors to create an invention and, during their eight-minute final presentation, the groups demonstrated their invention, explained how they arrived at the idea for the invention, and talked about and/or demonstrated their failed ideas that led them to the invention they eventually created and presented. "Last year," Beth said, "the team from Kenston created a dogwash. Someone thought of a way to push a dog through a car wash." They used a huge plush toy St. Bernard for the demonstration.
For the Theater Arts/Fine Arts Challenge last year, teams had to present a radio show, complete with an assortment of creatively produced sound effects.
For the Theater Arts/Improvisation category, teams have 30 minutes to create and practice a play according to the theme of the current year. In the past, when the theme was transportation, teams prepared by researching boats, trains etc. Also, for this challenge, just as teams are about to begin their eight-minute presentation, they are given a single word that they try to incorporate into their script as frequently as possible for maximum points.
For the Structural & Architectural Design challenge, usually competitors have to build a balsa-wood bridge. Last year’s rules indicated that the teams should design a bridge that would connect two countries and, in their eight-minute presentation, they were required to demonstrate the strength of the bridge and present information about how they designed the bridge. Beth explained that, in the past, a team that chose this category, presented a play about Italy and Greece and built bridge between them. "They even showed how they made pizza," she recalled.
DI teams may spend up to $120 on costumes, props and sets but Beth said, in reality, most teams spend a lot less. Tools are borrowed and shared by DI families and organizers. This year, Kenston DI teams may be required to pay a small entry fee to cover rising costs
While teams meet under adult supervision, adults are not allowed to actually participate in the creative process. "The idea is to have the kids come up with ideas for a solution to the problem," said Beth. We are not allowed to give them ideas. We are supposed to let them figure it out. We can say ‘here is the problem. What do you think you could do to make it work?’ We call it interference if a coach or parent says, ‘I know how you could make your costume…’ A little bit of guidance - but very minimal- is allowed. It’s their challenge, not the coach’s."
On September 27, at 7 p.m. in the Timmons Multi-Purpose Room, Kenston DI is holding an orientation meeting for parents and kids who think they may be interested in joining DI this school year. The DI season, which culminates with the global finals at the University of Tennesee in the spring, includes a clinic where competitors will learn skills that may help them solve their challenge. The clinic may include acting lessons, or instruction in using word-working tools, sewing fabric or building scenery. Parent volunteers run the clinics.
On March 4, Kenston DI will hold a mock competition to prepare for the March 18 regional competition in Barberton, Ohio. The mock competition serves as a dress rehearsal. Beth said, "We don’t check off requirements on paper at this point but it’s a chance to do what they want, to work out bugs, and get used to it and see if it fits in the eight minutes." The State competition is April 22 in Fairfield, Ohio, near Cincinnati.
For more information, visit ohdi15.org/kenstondi/index.htm. Bob, who built the Kenston DI website, believes the site is the only Destination Imagination web site for a local school district. He points out that Kenston DI is run completely by parent volunteers and not officially sponsored by Kenston but the group is permitted to use the Kenston name. "
Bainbridge Banter, Thursday, September 15, 2005