PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — After taking first-place honors in state competition, two Presque Isle Destination Imagination teams are on their way later this month to the global finals in Knoxville, TN.
Students from the teams, one from Presque Isle Middle School and the other from Presque Isle High School, are working to raise the $27,000 it will take to get them to the national event, slated May 24-27.
Presque Isle High School’s Destination Imagination team receives their first-place award during the March 18 state competition at the University of Maine-Orono. The team will participate in the global finals May 24-27. Team members are, from left, front row, Skyler Ellis and Kailey McKenney. Back row, Ally McLellan, Emma Postell, Sydney Craig, Valerie Black (team manager), Ariana Peterson and Sarah Craig. (Contributed photo)The Presque Isle schools are the only ones from Aroostook County headed for the finals this year, according to high school DI coach Valerie Black.
“It is an amazing international event. Beyond the competition there are activities throughout the week for the teams to experience and participate in,” said Black. “We will compete separately as we are in different levels, although both of these teams have worked on the same challenge. Teams choose from among six different challenges to do each year; ours is Improv.”
Much of DI is based on the STEAM concept — science, technology, engineering and math — that is becoming a large part of school curriculums. Teamwork is a central aspect. Group members must work together to complete their projects and can have no input or help from adults.
“As a team manager, Black said, “I can do activities to build teamwork and bring in resources to work on some skills, but I can in no way lead them or try to guide their approach to the central challenge that they work on.”
During a competition, she explained, each team will design a performance that is called the Central Challenge and is the culmination of what they have put together during the year. They will also go into a room alone with appraisers and be given an Instant Challenge — either building or performance-based — that they have to complete and demonstrate within a shorter amount of time, usually around 10 minutes.
Approximately 18 teams qualify in the state of Maine to go to global finals, having placed first in their area in state competitions.
The Presque Isle students plan to leave on their journey to Knoxville on May 22.
