In a strategic move designed to expand the number of students benefitting from access to creative problem solving and critical thinking skills programs, Destination ImagiNation announces the appointment of Heather C. Gaskins as Director of Institutional Advancement and Resource Development.
“With schools facing budget cuts in creative programs, and with increasing pressure on educators to teach only so students will achieve higher test scores, DI will play an ever more important role in developing the holistic set of critical thinking, problem solving skills and self confidence students will need to succeed in life,” said Chuck Cadle, CEO of the non-profit Destination ImagiNation. “To do that, we must grow our worldwide presence significantly.
“Heather has nearly 20 years of professional fundraising experience with an emphasis on non-profit partnerships, and her expertise in these critical areas will be applied to expand DI’s family of strategic partners so we can achieve our aggressive growth goals,” said Cadle.”
Heather, a well-known development professional who most recently served as Director of Development for the National Head Start Association in Alexandria, VA (http://www.nhsa.org), will be responsible for securing strategic partnerships and for grant applications that bring in funding and resources to assist DI in implementation of its aggressive growth and expansion plans.
Heather will work closely with Cadle and the Board of Trustees to manage a comprehensive development plan to identify and maintain a portfolio of supporting organizations.
“In our 21st century economy, strong problem solving and critical thinking skills will be essential for the success of our nation’s young people,” said Heather. “When our children are not armed with these skills we will pay an enormous price. I am thrilled to be joining the DI team and using my skills to help ensure more kids are equipped with the tools they need to reach their full potential.”
Heather holds the designation Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE). Early in her career, Heather worked for the Association of Fundraising Executives, where she served as Manager of Development Operations.
At MATHCOUNTS, Heather was the Director of Development, responsible for growing corporate giving to $2 million annually.
Heather launched and successfully ran an independent consulting practice with a focus on partnership development for organizations with an emphasis on education and STEM. Heather is a graduate of Roanoke College with a B.A. in theater.
WITH SCHOOL BUDGET CUTS, DI HAS A CRITICAL ROLE IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Destination ImagiNation is a unique after-school program that complements classroom education by involving students of all backgrounds and capabilities in team-based competitive challenges that teach creativity, critical thinking, innovation, teamwork and communication.
“We complement what is taught in the classroom. Our plan is to involve thousands more students each year in our unique problem solving challenges that test their creativity, imagination and innovation and prepare them to achieve success in all they do in work and in life,” said Cadle.
In the 2010-2011 challenge year, more than 15,000 student teams from the U.S. and countries around the world competed in local, regional and state problem-solving tournaments. DI’s growth goal for 2011-2012 is 18,000 teams. By the 2012-2013 challenge year, DI will hit the 20,000 team mark worldwide.
UNIVERSITY STUDY SHOWS DI KIDS EXCEL
A comprehensive evaluation by researchers at the University of Virginia provides evidence that students participating in team-based problem solving competitions with Destination ImagiNation exhibit stronger skills than non-DI students in applying critical and creative thinking to reach innovative solutions to complicated challenges. Please visit http://www.idodi.org/10-11downloads/2011di_program_evaluation_report.pdf.
