NEWS

DI Teams Finish Just Shy of States

03.19.17

Destination Imagination is a global community that uses open-ended academic challenges in STEM, the fine arts, and service learning to foster students’ creativity & curiosity and help them build 21st century skills. Every year, DI impacts more than 150,000 students in 48 US states and 30 countries.

In 2016/17, YDO formed two teams (1 elementary, 1 middle level), both coached by parent volunteer Chrystal Pennisi and supported by LHS junior Jahzeel Rosario. As is DI’s student-driven model, the teams each chose one of the 6 pre-defined “Challenges” to prepare and present their solution at a regional competition. 

The Region 5 competition was hosted at Greater Lawrence Technical School (The Voc) on Saturday, March 18th. As always, our teams represented themselves and YDO very well. Unfortunately, both teams fell short of qualifying for the state finals in their respective Challenges. The elementary team finished 5th (of 18 teams), and the middle level team finish 4th (of 14 teams). Only the top three teams in each of their Challenges advanced to States.

Please enjoy this slideshow of the kids’ prep and competition!

There is a point of fact worth mentioning with these results. Though DI is an international program with reach across the globe, the single community with the largest number of teams anywhere in the world is the Town of Andover, Massachusetts. This year, over all five age levels, Andover fielded more than 40 different teams. Cross the highway into Lawrence, and we have just two teams – both from YDO.

Why is it that DI seems to be such a valuable enrichment and learning opportunity for Andover’s kids but not for those in Lawrence? Our students are proof that the answer is not that Lawrence kids lack the creativity, intelligence, or work ethic.