What is Destination Imagination?
Destination Imagination® (DI) is a global, volunteer-led nonprofit organization that hosts Team Challenges for students who want to take on the entire creative process—from imagination to innovation. Students participate in DI in 48 states and 30 countries! The program boasts more than one million alumni and 38,000 volunteers worldwide.
Here in New York, we are a vibrant and active Destination Imagination Affiliate. We host tournaments at the regional and state levels. At our tournaments, student teams get to showcase their unique solutions to science, technology, engineering, arts, math, and service learning Challenges, watch each other present, and celebrate their achievements together.
Students who participate in DI build critical thinking skills, teamwork skills, creativity, self esteem, and lifelong friendships. Not to mention DI is a phenomenal resume builder!
If you’re a teacher, parent, or community member who is:
Seeking creative challenges for kids
Wondering how to start a STEM or art club but don’t know where to start
Know a group of talented/gifted students who would benefit from a team-based activity they can work on together after school
Destination Imagination is your answer!
When Does the New York Season Take Place?
Each annual Destination Imagination season begins at the start of the school year when students form teams and select one of the season’s Challenges to solve together. NYDI teams typically meet for 2-3 hours a week beginning in September or October and prepare their solutions for one of the New York Regional Tournaments in March. The teams that receive the highest scores at Regionals go on to our statewide Affiliate Tournament in April, and the highest scoring New York teams are then selected to represent our great state at Global Finals—the world’s largest celebration of creativity!
DI is not only about the tournaments. If students want to form a team and take on DI Challenges for fun without registering for the tournaments, they absolutely can. Check out our Instant Challenge Events as a lighter way to participate.
The Nuts & Bolts
Who
New York students in grades K-12 and University can participate in Destination Imagination by forming or joining a team.
How
To form a team, you will need between 2 and 7 students (they do not need to be in the exact same grade level) and a Team Manager who is 18 or older.
When
Each DI season begins in the fall and aligns with the start of the school year. Teams select the Challenge they want to tackle and work together on their solutions until Regional Tournaments take place in March.
Tournaments
New York’s Regional Tournaments take place in March. Top teams advance to our Affiliate Tournament, taking place in late March or early April. Global Finals are held in late May.
Registration Deadlines
New York Regional Tournament registration opens in early September. Teams must register by January 15th in order to avoid late fees. No registrations accepted after February 15th.
Time Commitment
DI teams generally spend 2-3 hours a week working together on their solutions and devote additional time fine tuning in the weeks leading up to each tournament.
"It is amazing to observe the transformation that DI participants undergo as the year progresses and their Challenge solutions begin to take shape. Watching them present solutions at tournaments is awesome - I am always wowed by their level of creativity!"Nancy Woeckener, Volunteer
Learn More
Global Impact: DI By the Numbers
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Alumni worldwide
NYDI is a Nonprofit Powered by Volunteers
There’s a lot that goes into running a statewide Affiliate of DI, especially in a state as large and diverse as New York. Our Board of Trustees is made up of volunteers who dedicate many hours to running this program every year because we have experienced firsthand how DI changes lives.
There are big and small ways you can get involved with NYDI! You can lead a team, serve as an Appraiser (score team presentations), sign up to be a tournament volunteer, build a DI program at your school, donate to NYDI, or become a sponsor. Anything you contribute will help us grow a future generation of New Yorkers who:
- Are global citizens
- Think outside the box
- Can work together to solve our world’s most complex challenges
Ways to Get Involved
