Destination Imagination Advances 23 NY Teams to its Global Finals

Binghamton, NY – April 17, 2024 – Destination Imagination of New York, Inc. (NYDI) is proud to announce that 23 teams have advanced from its Affiliate Tournament, held in Binghamton, NY on March 30, 2024, to Destination Imagination Global Finals, which will take place in Kansas City, MO on May 22 – 25, 2024. Destination Imagination is an international, project-based educational program that encourages innovation, teamwork, and creative problem-solving. Its Global Finals is the culminating tournament with the top teams from around the world presenting their work in their respective Team Challenges.

65 student teams — a total of 334 team members — participated from areas across the state including Erie County, Ithaca, Long Island, New York City, Syracuse, and Westchester County. Each team competed in one of two Regional Tournaments, which selected the 30 teams advanced to the Affiliate Tournament.

“We are excited to see teams coming together to solve tough challenges with creativity and originality! They showed great teamwork, learned problem-solving skills, practiced engineering techniques, and wowed us with their creative solutions that often went far beyond what the appraisers expected,” said Josh Diamond, Affiliate Director and Eastern Regional Director.

Teams of up to seven students selected one of seven STEAM-based (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) challenges and worked over several months to research, plan, create, and present their solution. Throughout the year they also practiced Instant Challenges, which are quick creative and critical-thinking exercise, and were presented one to solve at each tournament. Teams are responsible for designing and creating 100% of their Team Challenge solution with no interference from adults or other non-team-members.

Every year, new challenges are created by Destination Imagination for each of the seven categories. Here is a list of the 2024 challenges and the NYDI teams that will advance to the Global Finals. Full tournament results can be found here.

Pinball Heroes/Technical Challenge: Prompts students to complete tasks by using engineering, research, strategic planning, and related skills. Teams were challenged to design and build a pinball system and create an adventure story about a hero who goes on an extraordinary mission.

• Elementary
  • Ossining Owls, Ossining DI
  • Buffalo Bosses, Orchard Park DI Boosters
• Middle
  • Fresh Empire, Lakeland CSD
  • THE Trojans, West Seneca CSD

Blast From The Past/Scientific Challenge: Blends the curiosity of scientific research with the creativity of performance art. Teams were asked to present a story about a character whose discovery of an artifact leads to a finding.

• Elementary
  • Long Island Natives, Sachem CSD
  • The Kooky Brainiacs, Blind Brook-Rye UFSD
• Middle
  • The Roomba Republic, Somers CSD
  • Deformed SpongeBob Popsicles, Ossining DI
  • Undecided, Orchard Park DI Boosters
• Secondary
  • D.I.amonds, Lakeland CSD

In Motion/Fine Arts Challenge: Helps students develop acting and creative skills through artistic media, theater arts, scriptwriting, and prop design. This year’s challenge included bringing a work of visual art to life and creating a piece of kinetic art.

• Elementary
  • Toto-ly Oz-some Girls, Blind Brook-Rye UFSD
  • D.I.namic Artchitects Lakeland CSD
• Middle
  • Queen Quartet, Lakeland CSD
  • DInosoars, Blind Brook-Rye UFSD

So Extra/Improvisational Challenge: Focuses on research, spontaneity, and storytelling. Teams received topics on-site and quickly produced a two-act improvisational skit.

• Elementary
  • DI Duo, Lakeland CSD
  • DI Dragons, Dobbs Ferry UFSD
• Middle
  • Supreme Sloppers, Orchard Park DI Boosters
• Secondary
  • Sir Henry’s Surrealist Henchmen, Dobbs Ferry UFSD

Going The Distance/Engineering Challenge: Asks students to apply engineering skills and tools to a challenge. This one included launching beanbags and telling a story about what happens when things do not go exactly as planned.

• Elementary
  • Wonderful Wizards, Lakeland CSD
  • The Building Buddies, Somers CSD
• Middle
  • The Beech Bros, Lakeland CSD

Uncharted/Service Learning Challenge: Designed to engage students in public service that addresses real-life issues. Students are tasked with designing a community-based project which also includes a fantasy story about a character who goes on a quest.

• Elementary
  • The Questers, Lakeland CSD
  • Mushroomies, Genesee Valley CSD

Rising Stars for Early Learners Challenge: Offers simple experiences with the creative process, and gives young kids (preschool through 2nd grade) a place to work together and make new friends. This year focused on researching underwater habitats. This is a non-competitive challenge.

To learn more about NYDI, please visit us at https://www.nydi.org or contact [email protected].

Destination Imagination, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) volunteer-led non-profit organization whose purpose is to inspire and equip students to become the next generation of innovators and leaders. The organization is a leader in project-based learning experiences, where students work together in teams to solve open-ended STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) and service learning Challenges and then present their solutions at tournaments. Destination Imagination has impacted more than one million students. To learn more, please visit http://destinationimagination.org.