New Challenge for the Trigg Brothers

Over the years, brothers Patrick and Chris Trigg have delighted audiences with their creative problem solving skills as participants of Destination Imagination® in Illinois. Their participation helped provide them with hands-on experience at combining their fertile imaginations with the kind of research, mechanical and verbal skills required to turn a DI Team Challenge into an entertaining, and award winning solution.

Christopher Trigg, started with his team of seven friends back in elementary school. Their team actually was the start of what has become a vibrant and enthusiastic network of memberships from the Waukegan, IL area. Chris has managed to stay friends and team mate with the original team members even though they attended different high schools and now colleges- calling themselves “Waukegan DI” to show that multi-representation. These kids feel so strongly about being a TEAM that they even applied for (and WON) a DI Scholarship as a team! They compete together now in the University Level and volunteer at the local and affiliate levels whenever and wherever they can! The Far North Region, in particular, counts on their spirit and their veteran perspectives in our training activities and at Tournament.

Chris will be a key volunteer at the upcoming Chicago Science in the City DI eXtreme Tournament at the Museum of Science and Industry in October, 2007.

Patrick is also a veteran participant and now a senior at Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein, IL. His “Waukegan DI” improv team took 4^th place at last years Global Event. They have become a fixture at Affiliate Tournaments and represented the state at Globals many times.

The brothers have always had Imagination as their Destination, but this past year they took it to a new level as DI met WDI, Walt Disney Imagineering. WDI is the unique, creative force behind Walt Disney that imagines, designs and builds all Disney theme parks, resorts, attractions, cruise ships, real estate developments, and regional entertainment venues worldwide. Every year, they sponsor The ImagiNations Design Competition which asks entrants to “show us your creativity by using your technical, artistic, or writing skills to design a ride, attraction, hotel, or perhaps a land within an existing Disney theme park or resort.”

Right up a DI’er’s alley…and just a new Challenge for the Trigg brothers! 

Entrants have strict eligibility requirements. Chris and Patrick were able to enter as “current members of a 501 (c)(3) Creative Arts organization”- Destination Imagination. As current participants and active in their local region and in the affiliate as volunteers, the ILDI organization was proud to sponsor their entry and sign off on the paperwork required as the 501(c)(3) Creative Arts Organization representative.

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Calling All Cooking Connoisseurs!

If you have young children (or grandchildren) at home or work with them in a school-like setting, we have something exciting for you!  We at Destination ImagiNation, Inc. have a new resource that will satisfy their sweet-tooth, tantalize their taste buds, and stimulate their senses. 

Young children love to cook and love to EAT.  We have created a new book,

Creativity through Cooking:  Out of this World Cooking Adventures.  You will be thrilled with 99 recipes and related activities organized in themes such as:  Animal Antics, No Cooking, Cheering a Child, Seasonal Favorites, Gifts Galore, and Just For Fun. 

Each recipe lists the ingredients, gives directions, and suggests some possible activities that align with the recipe.  For example:

• When you are making Biscuit Turtles, you might discuss turtles.  Where do they live?  How big can they grow?  Compare the sizes of different kinds of turtles.  Find out about the Galapagos land turtles.  What is the difference between a turtle and a tortoise?  Turtle story books are also listed.
• When preparing Rainbow Toast, you will discuss melting, What makes things melt?  Do all things melt at the same rate?  Discuss the colors of the rainbow.  How do rainbows form?  What ha to be present in order to see a rainbow?
• When a child has a rash, measles, or chicken pox, Red Rash Cookies are sure to bring a smile.  This activity leads to the discussion of the importance of washing hands, using tissues, and discussing ways to prevent the spread of diseases. 

You can use this book in so many ways.  Make yummy snacks as a group.  Prepare tasty treats for someone special.  Experiment with new foods and design taste tests.  Discuss the textures, aromas, and tastes of various ingredients. 

Many skills are incorporated into these cooking activities.  Some include:

• Listening for information
• Speaking effectively
• Taking turns
• Gathering information
• Making connections among ideas already known and newly acquired information
• Asking questions, searching for answers, and developing solutions
• Applying mathematical knowledge in real world settings
• Experimenting with scientific principles
• Measuring ingredients

Join in the fun of creating delicious foods.  Encourage your young children to create scrumptious treats and solve their problems as they work together.  Go to www.shopdi.org to order your copy. 

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The Arkansas Association of Gifted Education Administrators (AAGEA) announced that Bill Waskom is the recipient of the Administrator of the Year award for 2007. Benton School District honored their tenured supervisor for his unrelenting dedication to the education of Benton-area youth.

Bill, Supervisor of Gifted Programs and Special Projects, is also President-elect of Arkansans for Gifted and Talented Education. Bill is a volunteer Affiliate Tournament Director for Destination Imagination, the largest creative problem solving organization in the world, and foster father of two teen boys.  

“DI provides students with a connection, they learn a lot of things in school, DI helps them to understand why they are learning, what they are learning,” said Bill. “Without DI, school is just a bunch of unconnected facts and skills. DI helps them to pull all the information together.”

 “We are extremely proud of our Affiliate Tournament Director and grateful for his dedication to youth,” said Bob Purifico, President of Destination ImagiNation Inc., a 501 c3 non-profit organization.

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DI is actively seeking to become the subject of a segment on Oprah, and here is a recent pitch we sent over to her producers.

What do these five people all have in common?

• A young man with more than 30 patents before the age of 30.
• A female doctor that developed a surgical technique for what was previously considered an inoperable brain tumor.
• A female engineer under the age of  25 yrs holds an executive position with a national aeronautics company
• A childhood spinal meningitis victim who doctors predicted would live her life as a vegetable is now a bright young woman surpassing all others in academic standards.
• Zac Efron. Yes, the current young hottie of Disney musical fame.

These are only five of the graduates of the Destination Imagination (DI) program. More than one million kids have experienced this program in the last 25 years.

Why might Oprah be interested in DI?

DI youth are the kids next door, down the street, the athlete, musician, scientist, mathematician, dancer, artist, historian, researcher, etc. They are in private schools, public schools, faith based schools, after school programs, and/or just kids who hear about DI and want to form a team. In their world, being different is normal, capitalizing on the differences makes a better team. Respect for others is a just another attribute of these wonderful youth. 

I know you are always looking for meaningful, quality content. Please read on to get a little better overview of DI.

• Taking part in one of the many creative problem solving programs offered by Destination ImagiNation, Inc. helps to teach kids critical thinking, teamwork, self reliance, presentation skills, innovative thought, project management and research skills.
• The U.S. Department of Education is interested in DI’s creative problem solving processes, and the National Center for Education and the Economy has recognized that DI’s teamwork approach to problem solving should be integrated into American classrooms.
• Now entering its 25^th year, non-profit Destination ImagiNation has touched the lives of millions of youth worldwide, and our alumni occupy some very lofty positions today in corporate America, academia, industry, finance and other fields. Some say they could not have gotten there without their DI experience.

Finally, while Destination ImagiNation Inc.’s Flagship program is for youth, DI also has several other programs that solve community and neighborhood problems, Challenges for college students, and a creative problem solving program tailored for business executives.