Article Contributed on: 6/18/2008 8:47:09 PM
Every spring the Destination ImagiNation competition takes place across the nation. This internationally- recognized program challenges school children from all over the world to work together to solve unique team challenges.
Teams consist of five to seven members committed to finding a solution, building a prop and writing a skit. The top three teams from every Colorado school district (region) are selected to compete state-wide. The top teams from every state then go on to compete in the global competition in Nashville Tennessee.
This year Cory Elementary in Southeast Denver was fortunate enough to send two of their eight teams to state competition at Dakota Ridge High School in Highlands Ranch.
One of the youngest teams, The Cory Sharks, consisted of seven boys between the ages of six and nine. Team members were:
Reagan Burckhardt,
Davis Burckhardt, David Crum,
Ethan Schultz,
Edgar Fuentes,
Dalton Dames-Siegel and
Alex Robinson. Their challenge was to construct a vehicle to maneuver through an obstacle course. With true thinking "outside of the box", the Cory Sharks folded an origami frog that 'hopped' it's way through the obstacle course.
One very excited judge declared, "They thought so far out of the box that we couldn't even find the box".
At regionals, their solution was rewarded with a $75.00 College Invest Scholarship and the prestigious Da Vinci award. The Da Vinci award is "offered for exceptional creativity (not skill or talent), a unique approach to the problem and/or risk taking. The solution need not be successful to qualify for this award. This is Destination ImagiNation's most prestigious award and should not be given lightly."
The judges specifically wrote, "They (the Cory Sharks) solved a technical challenge elegantly and creatively using a piece of paper for a vehicle. Their origami 'frog' hopped around the course overcoming even the most difficult obstacles with ease. It was one of the most powerful examples of "DI think" ever. This was a solution that truly would have brought a smile to Da Vinci's face."
Team Manager,
Michele Miller, had nothing but praise for her Shark team. "At Regionals, the 7 little boys of the Cory Sharks got 1st place in the Instant Challenge, competing against much older teams. During their Instant Challenge they had a few minutes to accomplish a challenging task, with only judges and their team manager allowed to watch.Every one of them focused on the task, commonly discussed their solution, chose specific roles, and were quiet and still when they were not directly involved in the solution. Every single one of them contributed, and no one fought, punched, or cried! I sure wish their parents and teachers could have seen them!"
At state finals, the Cory Sharks came in 15 th out of 25 teams. Although they didn't get to continue their journey to global competition, the Sharks have much to be proud of.
"They all gave 110% in their 3 months of preparation and during their performances. It was awe inspiring to see all 7 energetic, enthusiastic little boys truly come together as a team to accomplish amazing things. We all grew tremendously during this process, both individually and as a team," said a very proud Michele Miller. Way to go Cory Sharks!!!