This season’s Challenge, Against All Odds, asked teams to dive into the world of fantasy filmmaking and explore what happens when rival groups face a danger so great that they must set aside their differences to survive.

The results were imaginative, heartfelt, funny, dramatic, and visually ambitious… and we’re thrilled to share the accomplishments of these remarkable teams!

About This Year’s Challenge: Against All Odds

For this season’s Team Film Challenge, students were challenged to create an original fantasy short film that included:

• An epic fantasy story featuring at least two opposing factions in conflict
  
• A powerful shared threat that forces these factions to unite
  
• At least one example of color symbolism to deepen the film’s meaning
  
• A sweeping shot and a close-up shot to enhance cinematic storytelling
  
• One unique element showcasing the team’s strengths—such as original music, animation, costuming, technical effects, or performance
  
• An 8-week creative timeframe, requiring teamwork, time management, experimentation, and reflection
  

Through brainstorming, costume and prop design, filming, and editing, teams not only brought their stories to life but also practiced critical 21st-century skills while crafting worlds entirely their own.

Tournament Results

We had such a remarkable group of students from around the world participate in this season’s Team Film Challenge, and we are excited to announce the Top 3 teams in each level! 

Elementary Level

• 1st Place: D Icecream – Saint Michaels Elementary, Saint Michaels, MD
• 2nd Place: The Enchanted Alliance – Nyack, NY
• 3rd Place: The Jellyfish – Primary Campus, An Phu Ward, Vietnam
  

Middle Level

• 1st Place (Tie): Stuart Island School – Friday Harbor, WA and Sparkle Poof – Longfellow Middle School, Wauwatosa, WI
• 2nd Place: House of Cards – East Windsor Middle School, Broad Brook, CT
• 3rd Place: Bodacious Sango – East Windsor Middle School, Broad Brook, CT

Secondary Level

• 1st Place: Messengers of Athena – Knightdale High School, Knightdale, NC
• 2nd Place: The Fantastic Four – Interlake High School, Bellevue, WA
• 3rd Place: Maryland Destination Imagination – Reisterstown, MD
  

Special Award Winners

In addition to film scores, Appraisers also honored several teams with Special Awards for exceptional storytelling, cinematography, and more.

Best Storytelling: Messengers of Athena

Knightdale High School – Knightdale, NC

From beginning to end, this team told a cohesive story filled with humor, drama, and memorable characters. The team’s use of dramatic dialogue brought their story to life as the fate of the characters hung in the balance. We loved their story about two enemies teaming up to prove one character’s innocence.

Best Costume/Makeup:

The Enchanted Alliance – Nyack, NY

This team used costuming to bring their enchanting story to life! From their three adventurers, to a pair of puppeted mushrooms, to a dragon transformation, the costume design was magical!

Best Special/Visual Effects:

Sparkle Poof – Longfellow Middle School, Wauwatosa, WI

This team’s visual effects brought a trio of water bottles to life as characters with animated features. The Appraisers really enjoyed seeing the way this team integrated their animations with real-life action scenes as the water bottles fought to show who was the best water bottle at the skate park!

Best Cinematography:

D Icecream – Saint Michaels Elementary, Saint Michaels, MD

With their amazing cinematography and shot composition, this team made the Appraisers feel like they were part of the action when characters are teleported around a school by an angry medusa. Their use of dramatic lighting and camera angles added to the drama of the conflict between the characters as they attempted to escape the terrible fate of…DETENTION!

To every student who participated in this year’s Team Film Challenge: Congratulations on everything you created and accomplished! Creating a film from scratch with peers in just eight weeks is no small feat. We hope you had fun, learned a new skill or two, and discovered new ways to work together.

Thank you for sharing your creativity with us, and we can’t wait to see what stories you bring to life next year!

The post Stories Brought to Life: Celebrating the 2025 Team Film Challenge Winners appeared first on Destination Imagination.

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Teachers are the heart of learning. They’re not only sharing knowledge, they are sparking our kids’ curiosity, encouraging them to ask questions, and helping them to grow as thinkers and collaborators. Every day, they have to juggle different learning styles, communication hurdles, and the demands of their schools (not to mention everything they are dealing with personally!)—yet they still find ways to make sure their students feel seen and supported.

Teachers work hard to nurture these skills in classrooms. However, for kids to truly grow in them, they need more than a lesson here or there—they need consistent, hands-on practice. And that’s not always possible as much depends on factors such as curriculum, district priorities, and available resources.

Programs like the Destination Imagination Challenge Experience can help to reinforce that work. Each year, hundreds of teachers serve as Destination Imagination (DI) Team Managers, seeing firsthand how the program extends their classroom curriculum and helps to improve students’ self-confidence and well-being. They’re joined by many parents who step into the same role—evidence of how broadly DI is valued as a way to give kids consistent, hands-on opportunities that allow them to practice the very skills highlighted in the Cambridge study. Together, these mentors help students not only to stay afloat but to truly thrive in the future.

How DI Helps Students Build the Skills That Matter Most

Subject Knowledge

Even in the age of AI, strong subject knowledge still matters. The Cambridge study stressed that while technology can provide answers, students still need the curiosity and foundational knowledge to ask the right questions.

Each season, DI offers Challenges in a wide range of disciplines—Technical, Scientific, Fine Arts, Improvisation, Engineering, Service Learning, and Early Learning. While not every Challenge is tied to a traditional core subject, all are designed to stretch students’ thinking and connect learning to real-world applications. Many also align with U.S. curriculum standards in areas like English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Fine Arts, and Social Studies.

That means when students are designing structures, writing scripts, performing, they’re not just having fun, they are applying knowledge in meaningful, hands-on ways that deepen their understanding.

“DI is a fantastic opportunity for students to apply what they’ve learned in school to solve real problems in creative ways.” —DI Team Manager, New York

Self-Management

Every DI Challenge comes with budget and time limits. Students learn to organize tasks, manage their time and money for materials, and stick to a plan—skills that help them succeed in school, work, and life.

The Cambridge study found that teachers see self-management as one of the most important life skills—but also one of the hardest to teach. That’s why practice matters. In DI, students learn these habits of focus and regulation by managing real projects, from brainstorming to presentation.

“The biggest changes were in the understanding of managing a project. The team became much better at looking at the tasks that needed to be completed and then deciding how to delegate to each other based on their strengths and interests.” —DI Team Manager, Pennsylvania

“Our team learned to be on-task, self-motivated little project managers! And to be better listeners and treat others with respect.” —DI Team Manager, Ohio

Adaptability & Resilience

Materials break. Ideas flop. Time runs out. And that’s part of the point in DI. In a world where change is constant, it’s critical that students learn how to be both adaptable and resilient. The Cambridge study emphasized that thriving in the future won’t come from avoiding setbacks, but from learning how to face them head-on and adjust.

“Perseverance! They grew from giving up at the first obstacle to spending two months trying to make a mousetrap work as a pinball flipper before scrapping the idea and building a slingshot device instead. They figured it out—and got it to work.” —DI Team Manager, New Mexico

Communication & Oracy

The Cambridge study highlighted oracy—effective spoken communication—as one of the most urgent global gaps. Teachers reported that many students hesitate to speak up because they fear judgment, which limits their growth.

Programs like the DI Challenge Experience give students a safe and supportive place to build their voice. Teams must present their solutions live at a tournament and then speak with Appraisers (judges) to explain their process, including how they came up with ideas, how certain elements in their solution work, and how they collaborated as a team to create their solution. It’s a chance for kids to practice clear expression, active listening, and persuasive speaking—building confidence along the way, without the pressure of a classroom.

“Tremendous amount of growth in public speaking skills. Students who normally sit quietly and are just observers are taking a more direct and active role.” —DI Team Manager, Washington

“DI pulls kids out of their shells and helps them believe in themselves and their abilities.” —DI Team Manager, Alabama

Collaboration

While not listed in Cambridge’s “top four,” collaboration is woven through nearly every skill the study identified. Students don’t build resilience, apply knowledge, or strengthen collaboration in isolation—they do it in teams.

Collaboration sits at the heart of Destination Imagination. From the very first brainstorming session to the final presentation, students learn how to share responsibilities, navigate disagreements, and recognize the value that each member brings to the team. These experiences teach students that complex problems rarely have solo solutions and that true success often comes from working together.

“In the beginning, the kids argued a lot and didn’t work collaboratively. By the end of the season, they were a cohesive unit, and they all became true friends.” —DI Team Manager, Texas

“My elementary team was amazing. They went from a team of 6 individuals to an actual team. They became aware of each other’s feelings and learned how to solve problems as a team. They became great at compromising.” —DI Team Manager, Texas

The Whole Learner

The Cambridge study reminds us that education isn’t just about what kids know—it’s also about what they can do with that knowledge, how they handle challenges, and how they connect with others. Real success comes from developing the whole learner.

That’s exactly what happens in Destination Imagination. Kids don’t just work on creative Challenges—they learn what it feels like to lead, to listen, to compromise, and to create something bigger than themselves. Along the way, they take risks, bounce back when things go wrong, and discover pride in what they’ve accomplished together.

DI gives kids more than academic knowledge. It helps them grow into confident, capable people who can take care of themselves, support others, and step into the future ready to make a difference.

Preparing Kids for Tomorrow’s World

As the Cambridge report points out, AI may change the way kids learn, but it can’t replace qualities like resilience, creativity, or teamwork. Employers in every industry continue to say the same thing: soft skills—problem-solving, adaptability, and communication—are the hardest to teach later in life, but the most important for success.

The study also uncovered something eye-opening: while two-thirds of teachers believe their students are ready for the future, fewer than half of students feel that way themselves. Read that again because that gap really matters. Kids need chances not only to practice these skills, but also to see their own growth and feel proud of it.

That’s why reflection and celebration are built into every DI season. After months of brainstorming, building, and rehearsing, students don’t just present their solutions at tournaments, they get to celebrate how far they’ve come. For many, that’s the moment it really clicks: I really can do this. I’m more capable than I thought.

And once they believe that, there’s no limit to what comes next.

Take the Next Step

The world is changing fast, and schools can’t afford to fall behind. Our report, Future-Ready Learning: Harnessing Creativity for Student Success, explores why traditional education isn’t enough—and how creativity, adaptability, and collaboration prepare students to thrive in an ever-changing world.

The post Teachers Agree: Every Student Needs These 4 Skills appeared first on Destination Imagination.

Reflect on the last time you created something from scratch. Maybe you renovated a room the way you imagined it, cooked a dish without a recipe, or designed and planted a garden that finally grew. Remember that spark of accomplishment—the feeling that came from taking nothing and turning it into something real?

That spark isn’t just satisfying. It’s deeply human. From the first sharpened sticks used as hunting spears to the latest technological breakthroughs, our species has always been driven by the desire to imagine, problem-solve, and build.

This inherent drive is at the heart of the Destination Imagination (DI) Creative Process, a unique and powerful framework that goes far beyond a typical academic experience. By practicing it, kids learn that creativity isn’t just about making something new—it’s a life skill that builds confidence, resilience, and the ability to innovate. It’s a journey into applicable creativity, focusing not just on the final product, but on the transformative skills and behaviors that make innovation possible.

A Journey Into Creativity

The Destination Imagination Creative Process is a dynamic journey that involves recognizing the challenge, imagining solutions, collaborating and taking action, assessing progress, and then evaluating and celebrating the outcome.

Unlike a rigid checklist, the process is flexible. Students move fluidly between stages, circling back when new insights emerge or when things don’t go as planned. This adaptability reflects how we solve problems as adults, and it’s what makes the process so effective for kids who are learning how to navigate challenges on their own.

Here’s what the DI Creative Process looks like:

Understanding the Stages

Recognizing the Challenge
This is the foundational stage where a group (or an individual) first encounters the problem. It’s not just about reading the rules; it’s about deeply understanding the core of the challenge. The problem-solving group must deconstruct the problem, identify constraints, and uncover the unspoken or implied requirements. They ask questions like: “What are the key components of this challenge?” “What are the boundaries we absolutely must stay within?” and “What is the true spirit of what this challenge is asking us to do?” This phase is about intellectual curiosity and analytical thinking, setting the stage for everything that follows.

Imagining Solutions
Once the challenge is understood, the floodgates of thought open. This is the brainstorming phase where a wide array of ideas is generated without any judgment. The goal here is quantity over quality. A variety of creative-thinking tools assist in pushing past obvious solutions and exploring unconventional approaches. They might draw, role-play, or use word association to spark new connections. This is the space for “what if?” thinking, where every crazy idea is a potential starting point for a truly innovative solution. The focus is on divergent thinking—expanding the possibilities before narrowing them down.

Collaborating and Initiating Action
This is the pivotal stage where the work team transitions from abstract ideas to concrete plans. The team chooses the most promising ideas from the “imagining” phase and begins to build, design, write, and create. This is where teamwork and communication become paramount. Everyone collaborates with all available resources: other team members, materials, information, budget, and time. Care is given to delegate tasks, manage their time effectively, and combine individual skills to bring a shared vision to life. This stage is about initiating action and putting in the hands-on work. It’s where the prototype is built, the storyline is written, and the props are constructed.

Assessing Progress
As individuals, pairs, or the whole team work, they are constantly in a state of self-assessment. This is a crucial feedback loop where they evaluate their work against the original requirements and their own goals. They ask: “Is this working as we planned?” “Are we staying within our budget?” “Does this solution actually solve the problem?” If something isn’t working, they don’t see it as a failure, but as an opportunity to return to an earlier stage, re-imagine a solution, or simply make a small adjustment. This continuous assessment builds resilience and teaches the importance of iteration and refinement.

Evaluating and Celebrating the Outcome
The final stage is not just about presenting the solution; it’s about reflecting on the entire journey. The team evaluates the final product, considers the challenges they overcame, and recognizes the skills they developed along the way. This phase reinforces the value of the process itself, not just the result. This evaluation opens into a moment of celebration—acknowledging the hard work, collaboration, and innovation that went into the solution. This reflection solidifies the learning and is another challenge and opportunity to be creative.

The Innate Connection: Why Learners Find the Process So Rewarding

Being creative and looking for solutions are innate human behaviors. The DI Creative Process taps directly into this instinctual drive, making it profoundly rewarding for learners of all ages.

The process is entirely team-driven, regardless of the size of the team working on a challenge.  In a learning environment, adults are there to guide, not to dictate. This means that every idea, every solution, and every failure belongs to the team. This sense of ownership is incredibly motivating. Learners aren’t just following instructions; they are the architects of their own solution. They feel the thrill of a breakthrough and the sting of a failure, and they learn that both are essential parts of the creative journey.

The DI Creative Process is a journey of discovery. The constant discovery keeps learners engaged and curious. The process itself becomes the reward, a series of small victories and new insights that fuel the team’s progress. It’s the joy of figuring it out, of turning the abstract of a complex problem into a tangible solution.

A Life Skill for the Future

When we think about preparing kids for the future, it’s easy to focus on grades or test scores. But ask employers, or even reflect on your own life, and you’ll find the skills that matter most sound familiar: creativity, collaboration, adaptability, and resilience. These are the abilities that help people work through challenges, build strong teams, and come up with new ideas.

Through the DI Creative Process, kids don’t just hear about these skills. They live them. They practice brainstorming, making decisions together, testing ideas, and bouncing back when things don’t work out. Each project gives them a chance to grow more confident in their creativity and more comfortable with the ups and downs of problem-solving.

The DI Creative Process is more than a way to complete a project. It is a blueprint for a lifetime of learning and growth. It shows kids that creativity is not limited to a few naturally gifted people but is a skill that anyone can practice, strengthen, and carry into every part of their lives. And isn’t that what we all want—the next generation growing up confidently creative and ready to take on the world?

The post The Human Spark: Why the Destination Imagination Creative Process is a Life Skill appeared first on Destination Imagination.

What if two rival groups were forced to work together when a greater danger appeared? What if color itself carried meaning that could change the course of a story? What if your students could learn how to tell those stories while also building skills that will serve them for life?

This fall, Destination Imagination’s Team Film Challenge returns with a brand-new adventure: Against All Odds. Launching September 12, 2025, this challenge invites students to create and present an original short film that blends creativity, collaboration, and cinematic storytelling.

Why the Team Film Challenge?

The Team Film Challenge is more than an introduction to filmmaking. Over the course of eight weeks, students discover how to work together, solve problems in real time, and share their voices through story.

With each project, students learn to:

• Collaborate effectively as part of a team.
• Think critically about how stories are told.
• Experiment with film techniques and creative expression.
• Gain confidence by seeing an idea grow from concept to finished product.

No prior experience is necessary—just imagination and a willingness to try. Teams can film on any device, whether it’s a phone, tablet, or camera.

This Year’s Challenge: Against All Odds

At the heart of this year’s challenge is a timeless question: Can differences be set aside in the face of something bigger?

To meet the challenge, teams will:

• Create an epic fantasy story for film.
• Include at least two opposing factions locked in conflict.
• Introduce a “big bad” threat that forces the factions to unite.
• Use color symbolism to bring deeper meaning to the story.
• Incorporate at least one sweeping shot and one close-up shot.
• Showcase one unique element of the team’s choosing—whether that’s music, special effects, performance, or another area of strength.

The result? A short film that doesn’t just tell a story but reveals how young people see the world—and how they can reimagine it.

Learning That Lasts Beyond the Film

The true value of the Team Film Challenge isn’t just the film students create—it’s the process they go through to get there. At the heart of every DI program is the Creative Process, a flexible framework that helps students turn ideas into action.

As they work through the Challenge, teams practice each step of this process:

• Recognizing challenges and asking questions.
• Imagining solutions through brainstorming and exploration.
• Initiating and collaborating as they divide tasks and work toward a shared vision.
• Assessing and reflecting on what’s working—and what’s not.
• Evaluating and celebrating their progress as they bring the story to life.

Along the way, students discover that creativity isn’t just about making something new but learning how to persevere, adapt, and work together. These are the skills that help young people thrive in school and will carry them forward into the challenges of life beyond the classroom.

Get Started

Registration is now open for the 2025 Team Film Challenge. Whether you’re a teacher looking for an engaging classroom project or a parent searching for a meaningful activity, this is an opportunity to help students create something extraordinary.

Learn more and register here.

This fall, give your students the chance to take on an epic adventure and discover what they can achieve Against All Odds.

The post Against All Odds: The 2025 Destination Imagination Team Film Challenge appeared first on Destination Imagination.

When Kids Lead, They Grow

The DI Challenge Experience isn’t your average classroom activity. It’s hands-on, student-driven, and joyfully unpredictable. Teams of students choose a Challenge—from engineering to improvisation—and spend weeks dreaming, designing, and building their own one-of-a-kind solutions.

There’s no how-to guide, no single way forward. Just endless ways to imagine, try, fail, adapt—and try again. And that’s the magic.

Throughout the process, students build more than a solution. They build trust in themselves. They build the resilience to stick with tough problems. And they build the creativity and collaboration skills that will shape their futures.

Grown-ups (we call them Team Managers) are there to cheer them on and keep things on track—but the ideas, decisions, and breakthroughs? They’re all student-made.

Globally Recognized for Putting Kids First

This year, the Destination Imagination Challenge Experience was selected as one of just 14 programs worldwide championing child-centered learning and was featured in the HundrED Spotlight on Child-Centered Learning, developed in partnership with Montessori Global Education. Destination Imagination also received Montessori’s STAR Endorsement, which highlights programs that foster student agency, creativity, and lifelong learning.

These honors affirm what DI families and educators have seen for years: when students lead their own learning, incredible things happen.

Meet This Season’s Team Challenges

The post A New Season of Wonder, Growth, and Student-Led Discovery appeared first on Destination Imagination.

Team Numbers for the 2025-26 Destination Imagination (DI) Challenge Experience are officially on sale! Whether you’re a returning DI fan or totally new to our creative learning community, now’s the perfect time to plan a season of possibility.

Why Start Now?
Purchasing early means your team gets more than just a spot—it’s your launchpad to a head start. Early registrants get exclusive access to our Team Manager Roadmap and the 25-26 Instant Challenge Practice Set, providing you with the tools to start planning, preparing, and practicing right away.

Preview our 7 new and exciting STEAM Challenges!

Each Challenge is student-led and packed with STEAM-powered problem solving—perfect for classrooms, clubs, or homeschool families. No step-by-step instructions. No one “right” answer. Just imagination and creativity in action.

Team Numbers are your ticket in.
Start your team today and set the stage for your team’s next big adventure, with early-access tools to help you begin strong.

Just learning about DI?
Learn more about how the Destination Imagination Challenge Experience works or sign up for one of our free monthly webinars to chat with our team members.

The post Team Numbers Are On Sale for the 25-26 DI Season appeared first on Destination Imagination.

Whether you’re a returning DI team or just discovering our global creativity and innovation program, our upcoming Team Challenges promise to spark excitement, curiosity, and unforgettable growth in students of all ages. Here’s a sneak peek at the 2025-26 Challenge lineup:

Technical Challenge: Win it Big

The lights, the glamour, the prizes! Your team will create and present your own game show, complete with a host, contestant(s), and dazzling effects that ramp up the tension.

• Create and present a game show.
• Include a host character and at least one contestant.
• Build tension with a raising-the-stakes event.
• Design and create a gimmick, a reveal, and a razzle-dazzle effect for your game show.
• Create and present two Team Choice Elements that show off the team’s interests, skills, areas of strength, and talents.

Scientific Challenge: Unforgettable

Can your memory be trusted? Dive into the science of human memory and misdirection as your team brings a memory to life and reveals how it leads to a powerful realization.

• Create and present a story about how a character recalling a memory leads to a realization.
• Integrate your team’s research about the science of human memory into the Presentation.
• Create and present a memory depiction. Enhance the memory depiction with a special effect.
• Include a misdirection in your Presentation.
• Create and present two Team Choice Elements that show off the team’s interests, skills, areas of strength, and talents.

Engineering Challenge: Above and Beyond

How far can you push the limits—literally? In this challenge, teams will design a structure that holds weight placed far from the center, testing both creativity and engineering smarts. Alongside their build, they’ll tell a dynamic story where something expands, extends, or goes above and beyond, with an exciting visual effect to bring it all to life.

• Test how much weight a team-created structure can hold by placing weights onto the Structure as far from the center as possible.
• Create and present a story in which something important expands, extends, or goes above and beyond.
• Begin the Presentation with an in medias res scene.
• Include an expansion effect.
• Create and present two Team Choice Elements that show off the team’s interests, skills, areas of strength, and talents.

Fine Arts Challenge: Becoming Super

What happens when two characters make one tough choice but take totally different paths? Create an origin story for both a superhero and a supervillain, and bring their transformation to life with theatrical effects.

• Create and present an origin story that shows how one character becomes a superhero and a different character becomes a supervillain.
• Use theatrical methods to portray a difficult decision, situation, and/or event.
• Use stage makeup on at least one team member.
• Design and create one technical costume.
• Create and present two Team Choice Elements that show off the team’s interests, skills, areas of strength, and talents.

Improvisational Challenge: Casting Shadows

Use shadows and light to tell a powerful, improvised story based on opposing themes, an inciting incident, and a resolution trope—all in a randomly selected setting.

• Create and present an improvisational skit based on an inciting incident.
• Research pairs of opposing themes and incorporate a pair into the skit.
• Include a randomly selected setting.
• Research resolution tropes and incorporate one of them into the skit.
• Use a shadow screen and a box of materials to enhance the skit.

Service Learning Challenge: Give and Take

Take on a real-world project that meets a community need, then share the story of how two conflicting characters learn to work together, even through misunderstandings and differing viewpoints.

• Identify, design, carry out, and evaluate a project that addresses a need in a real community.
• Create and present a story about at least two conflicting characters who have to work together to address or resolve a dispute.
• Include a misunderstanding and at least two different viewpoints.
• Enhance your Presentation with a dispute depiction.
• Create and present two Team Choice Elements that show off the team’s interests, skills, areas of strength, and talents.

Early Learning Challenge: Helping Hands

Designed for our youngest creators, this Challenge celebrates the helpers who make our world better—and encourages kids to join in!

• Research different kinds of community helpers.
• Create and present a play about community helpers working together to solve a problem.
• Design and create a set that shows where at least one of the community helpers works.
• Create and present a song about helping.
• Create and present one Team Choice Element that shows off the team’s interests, skills, areas of strength, and talents.

Save the Dates!

• Team Numbers go on sale: July 15
• Challenge Season begins: August 1

Whether your team is ready to solve a memory mystery, face off as hero and villain, or lift a structure to new heights, this season will stretch their imagination, build their resilience, and forge lifelong skills.

Start your team, choose your DI Challenge, and get ready to create something extraordinary!

New to Destination Imagination?

If you’re curious about what DI is all about, we offer free monthly webinars where you can get an overview of our STEAM program, explore how it works, and ask any questions you may have.

Click here to register for an upcoming webinar.

The post Get Ready for the 25-26 Season of Destination Imagination! appeared first on Destination Imagination.

This Spotlight report identifies powerful, scalable innovations from around the world that are reimagining what learning can look like when it truly centers on students—their interests, needs, and individual growth. Alongside this recognition, DI has also received the prestigious STAR Endorsement from Montessori Global Education, further affirming the impact of our learner-driven approach.

These dual recognitions showcase the global relevance and quality of DI’s work—and we are honored to share this milestone with a vibrant community of educational changemakers who believe that when we trust children with their own learning, extraordinary things happen.

Championing Child-Centered Learning

The HundrED Spotlight celebrates educational models that reflect key elements often associated with Montessori-inspired approaches, such as student choice, hands-on engagement, and the development of independence and curiosity. Destination Imagination is honored to be recognized among the fourteen selected innovations that demonstrate how child-centered learning can be effectively implemented across diverse contexts.

At DI, our mission has always been rooted in the belief that students thrive when they are given the freedom to lead, create, and collaborate. Through our Challenge Experience, young learners work in teams to solve open-ended problems using our Creative Process—a structured method that guides students through the stages of recognizing challenges, imagining solutions, initiating action, and evaluating outcomes. This process nurtures creativity, perseverance, and critical thinking while helping students learn how to approach complex problems with confidence and collaboration.

Recognized with the STAR Endorsement

We’re also proud to share that Destination Imagination has received the STAR Endorsement from Montessori Global Education, a distinction awarded to programs that demonstrate excellence in innovation, learner-focus, and relevance in today’s educational landscape.

This recognition affirms that DI offers high-quality, student-centered learning experiences that align with the values of global, future-ready education. It reinforces our commitment to empowering young learners to explore, create, and lead through hands-on, meaningful learning.

More than just an accolade, the STAR Endorsement reflects the trust and confidence educational communities place in DI as a proven, impactful model for developing essential 21st-century skills in students around the world.

Elevating Learner Agency

The Spotlight raises powerful questions about modern education: “How can learner agency be placed at the forefront of every learning experience?” and “How do child-driven approaches support each student’s unique journey?”

At Destination Imagination, we believe deeply in student agency. That’s why we empower students to take charge of their own learning, supported by a wide range of adult mentors—educators, parents, or volunteers—who serve as Team Managers and act as facilitators rather than directors. One of the core pillars of our Challenge Experience is that students work completely independently—Team Managers (our version of adult guides) are not allowed to contribute ideas or help with the solution process. This approach ensures that the ideas, decisions, and solutions come entirely from the students themselves. This approach reflects a deep respect for each child’s individual path, interests, and strengths. It also builds essential life skills—like self-confidence, creative problem-solving, resilience, and teamwork—that are critical for success in an unpredictable and ever-changing world. By navigating challenges on their own terms, students learn not just content, but how to think, adapt, and lead.

HundrED’s report distinguishes between schooling and education, advocating for a more flexible, lifelong view of learning—one that aligns with our project-based, student-led model. We believe meaningful learning flourishes when students are encouraged to take risks, ask questions, and explore their world with curiosity and courage—complementing and enriching the great work already happening in classrooms around the globe.

Overcoming Barriers, Expanding Access

As highlighted in the Spotlight, child-centered practices often face barriers such as resistance to change, systemic inflexibility, and limited resources. Destination Imagination offers a pathway forward—an adaptable, scalable model that equips both students and educators with tools to thrive in learner-driven environments.

With supportive frameworks and hands-on experiences, we help schools and communities complement curriculum standards with rich, hands-on experiences that nurture essential future-ready skills—by preparing children to be future-ready innovators and leaders.

Looking Ahead

These dual recognitions from HundrED and Montessori Global Education are powerful affirmations of the work we do every day. We are deeply grateful to the educators, volunteers, families, and most importantly, the students who make Destination Imagination what it is.

Together, we are proving that when we trust students to lead their learning, they will lead us into a better future.

Read the full report here: HundrED Spotlight on Child-Centered Learning
Learn more about STAR Endorsement: Montessori Global Education STAR Endorsement

The post Destination Imagination Recognized by Montessori Global Education & HundrED for Child-Centered Innovation appeared first on Destination Imagination.

Auction Dates: May 16–25, 2025

Whether you’re a seasoned collector or simply appreciate the artistry behind each pin, this year’s auction offers something for everyone. The 2025 lineup includes pins that span decades of DI history—thanks to contributions from longtime DI volunteer Dr. Frank, who started collecting pins in the very beginning.

These vintage treasures, along with dozens of new and themed sets, capture the spirit of DI in every sparkle and swirl.

Read Dr. Frank’s story on our blog and see how his love for pins is helping support future innovators.

Where Your Bids Go

Every pin you win in the auction is more than a memento—it’s a direct investment in the future of education. All proceeds from the auction support scholarships for high school seniors and DI volunteers pursuing higher education. That means every bid helps fund tomorrow’s creative thinkers, doers, and leaders.

Bidding Deadlines—Don’t Miss Out!

Pin sets will be closing in phases throughout the auction, with final sets closing by May 25. That means you’ll want to check back regularly for newly released items—and act fast when your favorites pop up!

Upcoming Closures:

• May 23 @ 3 PM EST
• May 24 @ 10 AM & 3 PM EST
• May 25 @ 10 AM EST (Final sets!)

Not a Pin Collector? You Can Still Help.

Even if pins aren’t your thing, there’s still a powerful way to get involved. Consider making a direct donation to Destination Imagination and help us continue to empower youth around the globe through creativity.

Ready to Bid? Click here to browse the auction and place your bids!

Thank you for supporting DI, our students, and our mission to build a more innovative and inclusive future—one pin at a time.

The post The 6th Annual DI Pin Auction Is Here—Bid for a Cause! appeared first on Destination Imagination.