Medfield DI Team Places Third at DI Global Finals!

Medfield MA

16 September, 2021

1:52 PM

Description

Medfield DI Team Places Third at Destination Imagination Global Finals Recognized for Highest Fast Flex Challenge Two Medfield Destination Imagination (DI) teams competed at Global Finals 2021 on July 22nd which was held virtually, due to the pandemic. This year, 935 teams from 14 countries competed in Global Finals, and rising 5th graders, The DI Donuts, placed third overall. In addition, they were recognized for the highest Fast Flex Challenge score in the Elementary Service Learning division. Team members Maddie Abba, Elizabeth Barrette, Katie Dewar, Kacey Herrick, and Lily Maley planned and executed a Birthday Box project for the Medfield Food Cupboard, then made a Podcast about it. They organized a community-wide collection and supplied clients of the Food Cupboard a special gift during their children's birth-month. The project was such a success that they're still supplying birthday gifts on a monthly basis. Competing in the Middle Level Scientific category, rising 9th graders John Barrette, Will Boxmeyer, Adeline Keaveney, Ashlyn Ryan, Kieran Ryan, and Mark Tierney used STEAM-based principles and an abundance of humor and creativity to make a documentary to solve this year's central challenge. They placed first in the state and 18th out of 64 teams in their division at Global Finals As part of the competition, both teams had to submit video solutions for a Fast Flex Challenge, and were given the opportunity to refine their Central Challenge video for the Global competition. Scores from both their Central Challenge and Fast Flex Challenge comprise their final score and the teams are then ranked. The top three teams from each division received medals and a trophy. "The girls took the first place podcast they created for the statewide DI competition and improved upon it for the global tournament," explained manager of both Medfield teams, Michelle Barrette. "They also had to make a commercial for the global competition, advertising an imaginary fundraiser for their service project. This second video earned them the highest honors in the elementary service learning division. The best part is that they had so much fun throughout the whole process." The DI program is a fun hands-on system of learning that fosters students' creativity and curiosity through open-ended academic challenges. Teams, consisting of no more than seven members, choose to participate in either the engineering, fine arts, improvisational, service learning, scientific, or technical central challenge categories. In the elementary division, 3rd-5th grade teams compete against each other, while the middle level is comprised of 6th-8th grade teams, and the senior level has 9th-12th grade teams. There is also a non-competitive Rising Star division, for 2nd graders. DI's mission and vision is to teach students the creative process and empower them with the skills needed to succeed in an ever-changing world. In solving challenges using a student-driven, collaborative, problem-solving approach, DI participants learn patience, flexibility, persistence, time-management, and respect for others and their ideas. For more information, visit destinationimagination.org or madikids.org