Instant Challenger registration opens TODAY

The Instant Challenger registration opens TODAY. This popular team workshop is open to only a limited number of teams. Currently we expect to be able to serve 24 teams. The Instant Challenger will be held on Sat., Jan. 16 at Ames Middle School in Ames.

How does it work? Teams register for a 2-hour morning or afternoon slot, and spend 25 minutes apiece, rotating through four skill sessions: Task-Based Instant Challenge, Performance-Based Instant Challenge, Making Materials Work, and Principles of Performance. There is a direct relationship between Task-Based Instant Challenge and Making Materials Work, and Performance-Based Instant Challenge and Principles of Performance.

The Instant Challenge sessions are designed to expose your team to different types of Challenges in a risk-free environment where they will receive constructive feedback from experienced Appraisers, older DI participants, and Board members. The focus of Making Materials Work is to teach teams how to analyze the properties of materials--a necessary skill in both Task-Based Instant Challenge and in every Team Challenge. If your team participated in this session in previous years, please realize (1) we look for teams to grow in this area from year to year, and (2) the content is being presented in a different way each year. The content of Principles of Performance changes each year. This year’s Principles of Performance session, as in previous years, focuses on improvisational skills, which are present in every aspect of the Destination ImagiNation program, not just the improv Challenge.

Yes, this Instant Challenger is also for Rising Stars! teams. However, these teams will be presented with four different Instant Challenges that are geared down to their level. Many Rising Star! teams do not realize that if they participate in the Tournament experience, their teams will also participate in Instant Challenge.

To register for the Instant Challenger, you must follow 3 steps:

1. Send Judy Nolan an e-mail request to reserve an 8:30am, 10:30am or 1:30pm slot. Please rank these times from 1st choice to 3rd choice. If there is not space available in your 1st choice spot, we will try to fit you in using your 2nd or 3rd choices (as applicable).

2. Your e-mail should state the following: Name of adult(s) who will accompany the team at the workshop, name of school or group, and level of the team (Rising Stars!, elementary, middle, secondary).

3. Mail a non-refundable check within 10 days ( in the amount of $20) to: Students for a Creative Iowa, c/o Judy Nolan, 3825 92nd Drive, Urbandale, IA 50322-2187, OR fax a signed Purchase Order to 515-270-0566. 

Please note that your reservation is not confirmed until your check arrives. Teams that do not send payment within 10 days will drop to the bottom of the reservation list. I will send a confirming email to let you know that your check has arrived. Detailed driving instructions and room numbers will be sent closer to the time of the Instant Challenger.

Questions? Please contact me at: judynolan@aol.com

projectOUTREACH® introduced to Iowa's DI participants

ProjectOUTREACH® is Destination ImagiNation’s community service challenge. It is designed to engage students in community activism by inviting teams to address real community issues through personal expression. Although the Iowa Affiliate did not participate in the pilot program of projectOUTREACH last year, this year Iowa students in grades 6-12 will be able to present their solution to this Challenge at the state Tournament on April 10.

The 2009-10 projectOUTREACH challenge, Band Together, was inspired by the indie-rock band MAE from Norfolk, Virginia, which has demonstrated that each of us can make a difference in our communities. MAE is an acronym for Multi-sensory Aesthetic Experience, which is exactly what is involved in this year's projectOUTREACH Challenge. Rather than releasing a full-length album this year, MAE is releasing a new song every month on its Web site at http://www.whatismae.com/. Fans can download each song for a minimum donation of a dollar, and all of the proceeds go to a charity of MAE's choosing. Thus far, MAE has fully funded a family’s home through Habit for Humanity. The band has also raised thousands of dollars for additional charities.

Teams participating in projectOUTREACH will take MAE’s lead and use music to address real issues in their communities. Each team can select any specific issue in their local community, and then they will use music as a tool to address that issue. As their community projects evolve, teams are invited to engage others in their community to promote their cause. Teams will then present their community projects at Iowa's state Tournament on April. 10.

ProjectOUTREACH is open to all Middle Level (grades 6-8) and Secondary Level (grades 9-12) students. There are two distinct parts to the challenge. The first involves the Project, a community need that the team identifies and uses creative problem solving tools to solve. The second part of the challenge requires students to document the Project through an Album. At the state Tournament, they will perform an entertaining Presentation that incorporates a Multi-sensory Aesthetic Experience. This Presentation will be no longer than 8 minutes.

Like most of the other competitive Challenges, projectOUTREACH teams incorporate two Side Trips into their Presentation. Side Trips are scoring elements that showcase team interests, skills, areas of strength, and talents. Additionally, projectOUTREACH teams participate in Instant Challenge, or on-the-spot problem solving. Unlike the other Challenges, projectOUTREACH teams do not compete directly against each other. Instead, scoring reflects how well the team met the Challenge criteria, not how they compare to other teams. Like all other competitive teams, they compete for the opportunity to advance to Global Finals at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

ProjectOUTREACH is aligned with national standards for learning. It is a great way for students to become active in their communities.

Team Manager & Coordinator Training Workshop to be held Dec. 5

Students for a Creative Iowa is offering a Team Manager & Coordinator Training Workshop for new and returning participants on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009 at Ames Middle School. While new participants gain an overview of the program, returning ones will learn about strategies for problem-solving. A separate session has been scheduled for Rising Stars! participants. All workshop attendees will learn about their team's different problem-solving styles, take home some team building and warm-up activities, gain insights about how to facilitate task-based and performance-based Instant Challenges, and learn how to get through the season without losing their minds. A new session called "Talk to the Challenge Masters About the Challenges" has been added to the workshop, which we hope Team Managers and Coordinators will find helpful.

To register for the all-day workshop, participants need to complete the Workshop Pre-Registration form found here, and mail this form with their check or purchase order to: Students for a Creative Iowa, c/o Judy Nolan, 3825 92nd Drive, Urbandale, IA 50322-2187. A non-refundable materials fee of $20 per participant must be pre-paid at the time of registration. Co-Managers pay a single $20 fee.

When: Sat., Dec. 5, 2009

Registration deadline: Mon., Nov. 30, 2009

Where: Ames Middle School, 3915 Mortensen Road (Ames)

Schedule:

• 8:30-8:55 Check-in (name tags, lunch orders, participant packets, 10:00 a.m. session selection)
• 9:00-noon Morning sessions
• Noon-12:40 Lunch on-site / Shop cre8iowa
• 12:45-4:00 Afternoon sessions
  

Questions? Contact Judy Nolan at judynolan@aol.com.

Scholarship opportunities for Iowa's DI participants

Four separate scholarship opportunities are available to Iowa's Destination ImagiNation participants. You can click on the Scholarship Opportunities link in the left side bar for information about each of the following scholarships, or you can visit the state Web site and click on the appropriate links.

The Destination ImagiNation Support Committee, or DISC, is once again offering $10,000 in scholarships to Destination ImagiNation participants. To be eligible, applicants must be pursuing a degree in a trade school, community college or university during the 2009-10 school year. In addition, they must have participated in at least one Destination ImagiNation-sponsored creative problem solving program, either as a team member or as a volunteer. Scholarship participants may participate in one of the following tracks: Personal Essay, Internet and Presentation. The maximum award for the Essay track will be $500. Award amounts for the other two tracks will be higher, and will be determined by the quality, value and depth of the entries submitted. For each application, the applicant's creativity and involvement in the Destination ImagiNation program carry the most weight. Visit http://didisc.org/scholarshipinstructions for instructions on how to apply. The deadline for receipt of all application materials is February 1, 2010.

The MudDI Waters Consortium, which consists of 10 U.S. Affiliates (Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin), is offering a $500 for one year. Applicants must have participated on a Destination ImagiNation team, and must be seniors currently in high school who plan to attend a two or four-year college or trade school. In addition to providing information about DI involvement and education plans, students will need to furnish two letters of endorsement and write a 500-word essay. The application deadline is February 1, 2010, and the application form may be downloaded from http://www.cre8iowa.org/mwscholarshipform2010_final.pdf.

The Students for a Creative Iowa Student Scholarship is available to Iowa high school seniors who have been involved in Destination ImagiNation for at least two years. The scholarship is a one-year, non-renewable grant of $350. It will be sent to the student's post-secondary institution following verification of successful completion of the first semester at that institution. Students must write essay responses of 250 to 750 words each to four essay questions. Application materials must be postmarked or faxed by March 15, 2010. The winner will be announced at the Iowa Affiliate Tournament on April 10, 2010. Visit the state Web site to download the application.


The Kitch-Eilerts Memorial Scholarship honors the memory of two former Destination ImagiNation participants from Iowa. Dayle Kitch was a team member for 8 years and later an adult volunteer. Aaron Eilerts was a team member for 3 years. Both Dayle and Aaron are also remembered for their service work through church, school, community, Scouts and more. They both exhibited the Spirit of DI as they each faced challenges and often used their creative problem solving skills. Both lives ended too soon. Dayle died on May 29, 2007 after a short illness, and Aaron died on June 11, 2008 when a tornado struck a Boy Scout camp. The Spirit of DI Award is granted at tournaments in recognition of those who act as superior role models in the areas of spirit, sportsmanship, and volunteerism. Dayle Kitch and Aaron Eilerts were role models for many of us. As a result, the Students for a Creative Board of Directors is offering this scholarship in their memory.

The Kitch-Eilerts Memorial Scholarship is available to Iowa high school seniors who have been involved in Destination ImagiNation for at least two years. The scholarship is a one-year, non-renewable grant of $350. It will be sent to the student's post-secondary institution following verification of successful completion of the first semester at that institution. Students must write essay responses of 250 to 750 words each to four essay questions. Application materials must be postmarked or faxed by March 15, 2010. The winner will be announced at the Iowa Affiliate Tournament on April 10, 2010. Visit the state Web site to download the application.

Thanks for your participation in the Pin & Shirt DIsign Contest

Thank you to all of the students who submitted designs for the Pin & Shirt DIsign Contest, and also to all of the students who voted either online or by e-mail. The results will be announced at the first Regional Tournament this program year.

DI announces Creative Spark Challenge

Do you think you have what it takes to create the next great interactive game? Is there an entrepreneurial spirit inside you just yearning to get out? Destination ImagiNation, Inc.® (DI) has partnered with Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) to bring you a Challenge that combines creativity, teamwork and problem solving with a self-starting spirit.

The Creative Spark Challenge is all about designing and creating a new interactive game that will ignite creativity, teamwork and problem solving in teenagers. Teams will be required to create and test prototype games, assign price points not to exceed $10, secure sponsorships, and create short commercials.

The winning team will have its game produced and sold by DI, and receive an all expense paid trip to DI’s Global Finals 2010 in Knoxville, Tennessee. At Global Finals, the team representative will showcase his or her team’s game to more than 16,000 attendees.

The deadline for entries is November 22, 2009.

Submissions will be reviewed and the top five games selected by GEW and DI will be presented for final voting to the public on December 1-7, 2009. The winning game will be announced on December 9th, 2009.

Test your creativity and entrepreneurial skills by entering the Creative Spark Challenge today.

Visit www.ShopDI.org to register and view the full contest rules.

Pin & Shirt DIsign contest entries . . . let the voting begin

Student voting begins today for cre8iowa Pin & Shirt DIsigns, and ends this Saturday on October 17th at 11:00 p.m. Only Iowa students participating in the Destination ImagiNation program may vote. 

Please vote once only for your 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices. Use the ballot boxes in the righthand side bar of this blog. Late-arriving entries will be added to this blog post, but in order to vote for them, you will need to e-mail me instead at judynolan@aol.com.

Please note that designs will be modified for the manufacturing process. CLICK on any photo to see an enlarged version. Let the voting begin NOW!

DIsign #1 - Expanding our Horizons

DIsign #2 - D.I.dea People

DIsign #3 - Iowa Blasts Off With Creativity

(Designer note: "Fire could be glittery red or be a blinkie.")

DIsign #4 - Outweighing Creativity

(Designer note: "Scale could move up and down. Gray could be chains."

DIsign #5 - Great Balls of Creativity

DIsign #6 - Iowa is Sailing Away With Creativity

(Designer note: "The boat could be attached to the water by a spring or something so it moves behind it.")

 

DIsign #7 - Suitable for Masterminds: Legal Creativity