Destination ImagiNation Counting Down to Global Finals 2011

Tuesday, 10 May 2011 19:17

Destination ImagiNation counting down to Global Finals 2011;
Some of the smartest kids on the planet compete for world honors

CHERRY HILL, NJ –More than 100,000 students from throughout the U.S. and 30 countries answered the call from Destination ImagiNation, Inc. this year to take part in after-school creative problem solving challenges in their local areas.
The Cherry Hill, NJ-based non-profit announced today that about 8,000 of those students – some of the smartest kids on the planet – have taken honors at regional and statewide tournaments and have earned the right  to travel to compete for world honors in Global Finals May 25-28 in Knoxville, TN.

For the small staff at Destination ImagiNation, Inc. (www.idodi.org), it’s another record year for worldwide participation. Officials said today they expect more than 1,100 teams to qualify for a shot at world problem solving bragging rights when they converge on what will become their epicenter of creative thinking later this month: the campus of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
“The DI competition requires students to work through some very demanding critical thinking and problem solving assignments that strengthen our educational systems by enhancing the learning processes taking place in the classroom,” declared Chuck Cadle, M.Ed., CEO of Destination ImagiNation, Inc., a 501 (c)(3) non-profit with more than 1.3 million alumni and a global network of 35,000 volunteers.
 

UNIVERSITY STUDY SHOWS DI KIDS TOPS IN CREATIVE THINKING
A comprehensive evaluation in late 2010 by researchers at the University of Virginia provides evidence that students participating in team-based problem solving competitions with Destination ImagiNation (DI) exhibit stronger skills than non-DI students in applying critical and creative thinking to reach innovative solutions to complicated challenges.

For more information, please visit http://www.idodi.org/10-11downloads/2011di_program_evaluation_report.pdf
The world’s premier problem solving competition for youth, Destination ImagiNation has attracted the sponsorship of some top businesses and organizations that see its value, including:

• 3M
• National Dairy Council
• Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM)
• Volvo Construction Equipment
• Motorola Foundation
• Ameresco
• GE
• IBM

Destination ImagiNation, Inc. dedicates itself to enriching the global community by providing opportunities for learners of all ages to explore and discover unlimited creative potential through teamwork, cooperation and mutual respect.

Media Contact: Andy Bowen or Michelle Griffith
813-374-3735

Source: http://www.globalfinals.org/ (opens in new window)