FAQS

Frequently Asked Questions

 

What is the Destination Imagination® program about?

Teams consisting of up to seven students, each under the direction of an adult Team Manager,solve one of six Central Challenges. Each team works together during the school year to develop a solution to the challenge. They then participate in the State Tournament, where their solutions are judged by a team of trained Appraisers against a set criteria . The judging includes an evaluation of both the team's solution and presentation. In addition, an Instant Challenge is given to each team on the day of the tournament. This challenges the team members to think on their feet.

Who is Eligible to Participate in DI®?

Students in grades K-12 are eligible to form teams and produce challenge solutions. There are also provisions for college-age people to form teams. Adults participate as coaches, judges, and parents. Please see the rulebook for exact age limitations.

How are teams organized?

A team consists of up to seven students from the same general age group and grade level, who will compete with other teams from the same level.

Level	Grade Level	Competing
Rising Stars	K-2	Non-competitive: teams prepare solutions to a challenge they select and present it at the tournament. Teams are not scored or ranked
Elementary	K-5	Teams select one of six Challenges and present them in a competition at the tournament. May have assistance in filling out tournament forms.
Intermediate	6-8	Competitive
Secondary	9-12	Competitive
College/Military	College Age	Special rules and tournament practices apply; contact the CPNMI Director

 

What are the scoring elements?

The team is scored in three areas, all judged at the tournament.

Area	Points	Description
Central Challenge	240	The team spends much of their time, possibly over several months, in preparing a solution to a published Challenge. They present their solution at the State Tournament. Appraisers award points for objective and subjective scored items, as described in the Challenge specifications.
Side Trips	60	Side trips are intended to link the team to their members' individual strengths and Multiple Intelligences. The team will be awarded points for demonstrating creativity and workmanship in several the team's selected scoring areas.
Instant Challenge	100	The team is given a Challenge to solve on the spot, one they've never seen before, and have a limited time to produce an answer. Instant Challenges are Performance and/or Task Based. Scoring depends on the specific Challenge, and is explained to the team when they receive it. The Instant Challenge is designed to help the team learn how to identify the components of creative problem solving and to work quickly to solve everyday dilemmas.

 

What Training is Available?

Training and Workshops are provided to coaches throughout the year. CPNMI conducts several coaches' training sessions - for new and experienced coaches - to teach the coaches skills that are needed to facilitate their teams. Creative Programs of New Mexico provides additional workshops on "Instant Challenge Improv" and "How to Prepare for Competition."

What is Destination ImagiNation?

Destination ImagiNation® is a non-profit organization that administers and coordinates a school-based program which encourages divergent thinking skills and teamwork. Participants learn by solving a long-term challenge and a spontaneous (not known in advance) challenge. The program is run on a worldwide basis. Destination Imagination® develops the challenges, distributes them to member schools, manages the clarification process, and conducts an International Tournament.

What is CPNMI?

Creative Programs of New Mexico, Inc. (CPNMI) supports the individual schools in our region, coordinates registration, hosts training workshops, and conducts the New Mexico Destination Imagination® State Tournament.

The goals and objectives of CPNMI are to provide programs for teams and coaches that encourage and develop creative problem solving skills, risk taking, and teambuilding.

Where Do I Get More Information?

The best place to start is your school's DI® Coordinator or amyone on the CPNMI Board of Directors. If you're not sure you're up for coaching yet, we can probably pair you with an experienced coach. Even very experienced coaches get better results working in pairs.

You are always welcome at the CPNMI board meetings, or to email the Director/Program Coordinator.