Washington Imagination Network

Destination Imagination is a unique, supportive, collaborative, life-changing program! I discovered it in 6th grade when I joined a team at my new school, and I participated up through high school graduation. DI nurtured my creativity, STEAM skills, even comfort with public speaking, and was a driving force in encouraging out of the box innovative thinking. Years later, I'm still volunteering with the program (and loving it) and am still friends with my teammates, despite the fact that we all live far spread across the country. I have gotten a job because I treated a group interview like a DI "Instant Challenge" (the interviewing panel stated that it was their favorite interview they'd ever participated in), and I have had success in creative and artistic fields because DI taught me how to press on and take risks. It's a wondrous program full of wondrous people, and is fun and educational for kids as well as adult volunteers.

My kids have been involved with WIN for 6 years and it is the highlight of their year! Working together with their friends to creatively solve challenges really builds camaraderie and learning to think "outside the box" are skills that will last a life time

My kids and I have been involved in this program for 12 years now. I can honestly say that of all the activities they have participated in, this program has had the single largest effect and impact on their lives. They are both well-spoken, confident young adults who know the value of hard work, largely due to WIN. In this program, kids learn life lessons and skills, all while having fun. The importance of this program cannot be stressed enough.

I have worked in education for 38 years and have been involved with Destination Imagination for 25 years through the Washington Imagination Network (WIN). I have seen hundreds of my students and others develop skills in creative problem solving, presentation, drama, technology and team work through this engaging and well developed program. I have used the strategies both in training teachers and across the curriculum in teaching students. I have strengthened my own creative problem solving skills in the process! As a parent, a team manager, an appraiser, a regional director and a state board member - I have watched all facets of W.I.N. work tirelessly to bring this opportunity to the children, K-12, in the state of Washington. W.I.N. provides the structure of hundreds of volunteers and thousands of children to benefit from Destination Imagination.

I've been involved with WIN for over 20 years and have watched firsthand the positive impact it has on the students and adults involved. As an educator, it is exactly the kind of problem solving activity we want our kids to be engaged in!

WIN is a fantastic program, the impact on participants is a positive life experience. I've watched hundreds of teams and team members learn, grow and become stronger and more self confident over 20 years. I highly recommend the program.

I began working with Washington Imagination Network when I was a teacher in a Gifted Education program looking for extracurricular activities for my students. That was twenty years ago, I no longer teacher Gifted Ed, and I am still involved! This is a fantastic enrichment program for all kinds of kids, and any child who participates becomes a more effective and creative thinker, worker and group member. Despite many other draws on my time, I continue to work with WIN because I know it makes a difference in the lives of children. And since I have seen the budget over time, I know it does this with careful and responsible use of every single penny.

I've been involved with WIN in some manner or another for about three years now. I've been impressed many times by what the smallest of children can accomplish with Destination Imagination's challenges.

But, from where I stand, as a regional director's assistant and the webmaster, what I find most incredible are the organizers. They spend an unbelievable amount of time-- easily as much as a second job-- pulling together all of the necessary pieces and people to make the tournaments special. And then they go beyond that.

After seeing the postitive effect WIN (Destination Imagination) was having on my kids, I got involved as a volunteer. That was fifteen years ago and I'm still at it. I continue to volunteer because I continue to see the opportuity kids have to learn such valuable life-skill as team work, communication, creativity and problem solving. The confidence kids get after a few years in DI is amazing.

Kids in Washington State have been so fortunate to have WIN bring such an awesome creative problem solving programs into their lives. My daughter was involved in both Odyssey of the Mind and Destination Imagination for 12 years. It had such a positive impact on her life that I went from being a parent of a team member, to being a volunteer and now I am one of the Challenge Masters for Destination Imagination. Every year I get to see Destination Imagination team members shine with creativity as they work together as a team to solve the challenges that are presented to them. This program reaches all students, regardless if they are in public, private or home school. Thanks WIN!

DI has been a huge part of our kids lives the past couple of years in a very positive and meaningful way. They have learned creative problem solving and maybe more importantly how to work with other kids in small groups. Our family supports WIN / DI 100%.

For nearly two decades I have had the privilege of serving as a team manager for DI in Washington State. It is an amazing program that develops teamwork, creativity, builds confidence and encourages kids to continually challenge themselves. Students work collaboratively to create solutions for well written, well developed Challenges that require a broad base of skills to solve. It is a unique program, as it is completely student driven/adult facilitated. Children's creativity and ingenuity is supported, rather then directed by team managers.

I have been involved with Creative Problem Solving (C.P.S.) programs for twenty-five years, first with Odyssey of the Mind, then Destination: ImagiNation (D.I.). I started as a School Coordinator and Coach, then progressed to Team Manager, Globals Appraiser, Regional Director, and International Challenge Master. D.I. provides an outstanding experience for students and guides them to learn an amazing variety of skills.

I am a classroom teacher, and use many of the team building and CPS skills taught through the D.I. curriculum with my students.

WIN organizes the BEST problem solving experience for kids called Destination Imagination (formerly Odyssey of the Mind). I have worked with kids at all ages as a coach/team manager. I am also a classroom teacher and I can share that this process is the best and most creative problem solving experience available for kids. With five different challenges each year, future engineers, musicians, mathematicians, leaders and theatre actors benefit greatly. IN DI there is a creative challenge for every member interested. Learning to work in a team of seven is an added benefit as kids learn to discover and contribute their individual skills to the solution of the challenge. DI offers training and support for new team managers and participants. DIve into DI!

I have been involved with Destination Imagination for the past 8 years as a Team Manager for my daughter's team. I've watched these same group of kids grow from 4th grade to Seniors in High School. They have really learned how to be a highly functional Team. They know each others' strengths and weaknesses. They have learned the value of planning and measuring. They can think quickly and creatively to solve problems, but also can think broadly and deeply to arrive at the best idea. The organization truly values kids and their ideas and gives parents the opportunity to witness the amazing talents their kids have when they are allowed to create and learn independently.

My children were involved with DI from elementary school through high school, and I'm amazed at how many skills this program taught them along the way. They learn to problem solve under pressure, meet strict guidelines, work with others, and communicate to large groups. I have beena volunteer at the Olympic Regional competition for 15 years and never regret donating a moment of my time to this organization.

This is an amazing, real world experience for kids of all ages. When I watched my daughters work with thier team mates and be forced to generate fast ideas and then present them in a team environment I was so impressed. I have not seen a student organization like this. No parent involvement, just the kids thinking on their own. IF you ever get a chance to see the scenes, or the engineering structures kids in 2nd, 3rd and on create, it really is incredible. Then to watch my oldest daughter compete at globals was an unforgettable experience. To complete, interact with kids from all over the world was something she is working hard to do again. It is open to everyone and many teams stay together all the way into high school and we met several teams even in college. Talk about fun!

I started working with creative problem-solving programs in WA in 1986 and feel it is the most valuable educational program in which I have been involved. I started as a volunteer judge, and have been involved as a judge, team manager, parent, tournament director and board member. The reason I continue to volunteer my time to this organization is because the program provides students the opportunity to develop thinking skills, creative problem-solving, time management, leadership skills, and communication skills in a fun and rewarding environment. DI rocks!

I can still remember the day I found out that I was going to have the opportunity to start participating in Destination Imagination as a second grader. I was ecstatic to have the chance to create stories and dress up in funny costumes with my friends. As I competed in DI for the next eleven years, I learned that I this opportunity was much more important than just dressing up and acting. The skills that I gained in DI have proven to be valuable in college, and I have no doubt that they will be indispensable for my future as a nurse. DI gave me the ability to stay calm and reason my way through stressful situations, confidence to speak effectively in front of people, teamwork skills, sportsmanship, engineering skills, artistic skills, and creativity. These are all skills that I will apply to all aspects of my life. DI was by far the most valuable childhood activity that I participated in.

Destination Imagination affords students multiple and varied
opportunities to discover, refine, and combine the intangible
qualities of self-expression and imaginative thinking with hands-on,
team-based problem-solving challenges. The kind of personal character
qualities fostered in the Destination Imagination experience serve
its participants well in collaborative efforts over the rest of their life,
benefiting them as individuals, but also the broader communities in
which they live and work.

I have served as a regional and state appraiser in the "Instant Challenge"
division of Destination Imagination annually since 1996.
- Donald L. Recker, Ferndale WA

I have been involved with Destination ImagiNation and WIN supported create problem solving for over 20 years taking on many roles including appraiser, team manager, challenge master and regional director. All 3 of my sons have participated on teams. My husband and sons continue to support the program through volunteering. It has been a joy watching my sons and the many children and adults I've met take on the challenges learning to work cooperatively and exploring their creative sides. When we step back as adults and give the children the freedom to take on the challenge themselves, the kids are amazing and the skills they learn benefit us all.

I participated as a student competitor from 2000, the first year of Destination Imagination when I was a 5th grader, until 2006 when I was a senior in high school. Since then I've also volunteered as an appraiser and hope to get involved again after I finish grad school. DI gave me a passion for learning and exploring that I have never lost. I loved my time in the program and learned many lessons ranging from teamwork, to working with tools, to artistic skills, to the most important lesson DI teaches you, how to work hard to solve problems creatively while having a positive attitude. The skills I learned in DI allowed me to excel in my studies at college and gave me the passion for problem solving that has helped me become an engineer. Because of the creative problem solving skills I learned in DI, I ended up being an intern for NASA in college and am now pursuing my PhD in engineering! I cannot thank the volunteers who set up the program enough for everything they did to make DI such an amazing program that has had a huge positive influence in my life!

I've been involved with DI, and Washington Imagination Network (WIN) since my son asked to join a team when he was in the 4th grade. Since then, our whole family has been involved -- both children were on teams, and my son, 13 years later, is still volunteering as an appraiser for DI. My husband and I have both volunteered most of those 13 years. Kid in DI learn so much -- team-work, but also the joy of self- motivated learning. They gain confidence in the face of challenging problems. It has been a pleasure to volunteer for this organization -- I have learned so much about working with others, and had a great time!

I have been involved in Destination Imagination both as a client and as a volunteer for the past 12 years. This organization has helped me grow in so many ways-- academically, mentally, socially-- as well as it has given me a greater appreciation of giving back to my community. The creativity that it fosters builds so much on a child's academic experience in a way that cannot be acheived in the classroom, and it provides so many opportunities for children of all different levels and strengths to grow. I am so thankful to be a part of this organization both as a participant and as a volunteer and will continue to be involved for many years to come.

Destination Imagination is the best program ever! I hope someday to see the future of education based on a DI model, where kids learn the value of team work, problem solving, and creative thinking. The world needs more DI because it helps to create innovation and hands on problem solving, while also teaching people how to work together and draw on each others strengths. If you can do Di, you can do anything.

Our family became involved in DI, through the Washington Imagination Network (WIN), two years ago when our daughter joined a team. Her experience gave her challenges in a way she felt she could tackle in the most fun ways. She enjoyed it so much that she begged her dad to be a Team Manager last year (and again this year!) What DI does for kids is AMAZING. These kids get to put their ideas into action without us parents getting in the middle of it. In two years, our daughters have made huge strides in their ability to work with others, problem solve, and to really think outside the box. Schools don't often have the time or resources for kids to fully let loose with ideas and DI provides that outlet where critical thinking explodes and real world application is made by implementing their ideas. Also, having volunteered at local workshops, WIN does an incredible job of bringing the community in to support these kids, and they provide relevant, practical and thoughful support to the volunteers.

My son will be participating in Destination Imagination (Washington Imagination Network) for his fourth year this year! This program is an amazing opportunity to all kids who want to explore creativity, teamwork, problem solving and healthy competition! Bonus: it's fun & Bonus: no parent involvement allowed! Not only do the kids learn an insurmountable amount about themselves, we parents learn how to step back, shut up, and watch the magic that is our child's unique, unbridled, energy. It has been nothing short of amazing watching a group of over-active boys at the age of 8/9 work through complex challenges ALL ON THEIR OWN. The transformation within each year of increased skills socially & scientifically (to name a few) is truly remarkable. Now the kids & parents look back on the last few years and shake our heads in disbelief at the accomplishments and growths. These are immeasurable. These are tools for life. We can only imagine what their team will be doing in six more years when they are participating as seniors! Oh, yes - they have made a pact to continue all the way through! DI must never cease to exist! It is too important, too inspiring, & too meaningful.

Washington Imagination Network is the state affiliate for Destination Imagination. I am a long time board member and parent of three kids who participated and thrived in the program. The DI program encourages teams of learners to have fun, take risks, focus, and frame challenges while incorporating STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), the arts, and service learning. My kids learned patience, flexibility, persistence, ethics, respect for others and their ideas. They loved the opportunity to collaborate with other kids while learning how to solve problems by themselves. I have watched many kids blossom with confidence after participating in this program. This program needs financial support because all funding from the State Legislature was cut in June 2011. We want to keep membership fees low in an effort to keep this wonderful program affordable for all kids in the state of Washington.