Good News Matters: Destination Imagination
By: Jancey Sheats, KARK 4 News
Updated: May 25, 2010
If you use your imagination, you never know where you'll end up. A group of Arkansas students landed in Knoxville, Tennessee this week, all because of their creative minds.
"We have to build a machine that will shoot objects over a 6 foot wall," explains Dhruv Modi, a 3rd grader at Carver Magnet School in Little Rock.
"Well, we kind of thought of a pinball machine and how it works," adds classmate Lindsey Yarbrough.
"And we have target locating systems which helps us locate where the targets are," Dhruv says.
Seven shots, seven direct hits. Mission accomplished for these six Carver Magnet Elementary students.
It's the culmination of nine months of hard work, a little creativity and a lot of teamwork.
"Throughout the day, they go to math and someone tells them what to do, they go to language arts and someone tells them what to do and how to do it. They go to PE and someone tells them what game they are going to play and how they are going to do it. Destination Imagination is the only opportunity that kids have of where we say here's a problem for you to solve and only the six of you can solve this problem," explains Gene Williams, Destination Imagination Coordinator.
First created in 1999, Destination Imagination is an after school program focused on creative problem solving.
At the beginning of the year each team receives a challenge.
"We had to accomplish direct deposit which we had to shoot objects over a wall onto targets," Lindsey says.
And have several months to come up with a solution.
"They start out wanting help, how should I do this, how should I do that? And you have to turn it back around on them, how do you think you should solve this problem? How do you think you should build this machine?," Williams says. "There are valuable lessons in how to get along and how to cooperate and how to solve problems."
They then incorporate the challenge into a short skit and it's off to competition.
"We did good. We got first in regional and first in state," adds Lindsey.
And this week they'll compete in the global finals in Knoxville, Tennessee along with teams from all over the world.
And if practice is any indication, there's a good chance this ship will continue to sail right into the winner's circle.
Each team will also receive an instant challenge at the competition and will have five minutes to come up with a solution.
Carver Magnet is one of 15 teams in Arkansas headed to the global finals this week.
"We have to build a machine that will shoot objects over a 6 foot wall," explains Dhruv Modi, a 3rd grader at Carver Magnet School in Little Rock.
"Well, we kind of thought of a pinball machine and how it works," adds classmate Lindsey Yarbrough.
"And we have target locating systems which helps us locate where the targets are," Dhruv says.
Seven shots, seven direct hits. Mission accomplished for these six Carver Magnet Elementary students.
It's the culmination of nine months of hard work, a little creativity and a lot of teamwork.
"Throughout the day, they go to math and someone tells them what to do, they go to language arts and someone tells them what to do and how to do it. They go to PE and someone tells them what game they are going to play and how they are going to do it. Destination Imagination is the only opportunity that kids have of where we say here's a problem for you to solve and only the six of you can solve this problem," explains Gene Williams, Destination Imagination Coordinator.
First created in 1999, Destination Imagination is an after school program focused on creative problem solving.
At the beginning of the year each team receives a challenge.
"We had to accomplish direct deposit which we had to shoot objects over a wall onto targets," Lindsey says.
And have several months to come up with a solution.
"They start out wanting help, how should I do this, how should I do that? And you have to turn it back around on them, how do you think you should solve this problem? How do you think you should build this machine?," Williams says. "There are valuable lessons in how to get along and how to cooperate and how to solve problems."
They then incorporate the challenge into a short skit and it's off to competition.
"We did good. We got first in regional and first in state," adds Lindsey.
And this week they'll compete in the global finals in Knoxville, Tennessee along with teams from all over the world.
And if practice is any indication, there's a good chance this ship will continue to sail right into the winner's circle.
Each team will also receive an instant challenge at the competition and will have five minutes to come up with a solution.
Carver Magnet is one of 15 teams in Arkansas headed to the global finals this week.
