April 13, 2010-Cherry Hill, New Jersey-Destination ImagiNation is kicking off the celebration of its sponsors and partners by thanking the Association of Equipment Manufacture(AEM) and Volvo Construction Equipment for their continued support of the Construction Challenge.
AEM initiated the Construction Challenge in 2007 as a response to the severe shortage of qualified workers to meet future construction needs. The competition blends the creative problem solving methodology of Destination ImagiNation with subject matter from AEM to create a program that engages youth in a fun learning experience and exposes them to new careers in the construction industry. After the first year, nearly 70% of Construction Challenge participants said they are now considering a career in construction.
"The prosperity of our industry very much depends on the availability of a qualified workforce. We at Volvo are committed to supporting efforts that develop the workforce of tomorrow. We look forward to working with AEM and Destination ImagiNation on promoting the value of construction and the construction industry in communities across North America through the Construction Challenge," said Göran Lindgren, president of Volvo Construction Equipment North America
Since its inception, the Construction Challenge has directly engaged over 3,000 middle and high school students across North America, and the program and its messages have made a global impression on more than 18 million students. In addition, AEM sponsors the Destination ImagiNation Technical and Mechanical Challenge so participants can continue to experience construction and engineering skills outside of the Construction Challenge.
“The continued growth of the Construction Challenge, the sponsorship of our technical Challenge and the addition of Volvo Construction Equipment is a clear indication that our goal of helping AEM increase interest in construction industry careers is working,” said Rusty McCarty, COO and Creative Director of Destination ImagiNation. “Volvo will be exhibiting for the first time at the 2010 Global Finals, with a display that will surely be talked about for a long time. We’re extremely anxious to see what they do!”
Video footage and photos of the Volvo exhibit from the 2010 Global Finals will be added to the event Web site from May 26-29, 2010. Bookmark www.GlobalFinals.org today, and contact Matthew Arts, Marketing and Public Relations Director for Destination ImagiNation, to schedule interviews with AEM and Volvo at the 2010 Global Finals.
About Destination ImagiNation, Inc.
Destination ImagiNation, Inc. is an extraordinary non-profit organization that provides two educational programs for students to learn and experience creativity, teamwork and problem solving. Every year, we reach 100,000 students across the U.S. and in more than 30 countries. Destination ImagiNation, our core program, is an exhilarating educational program, offered primarily in after-school settings, in which students work in teams to solve mind-bending Challenges and present their solutions at Tournaments. In our Destination ImagiNation 4-Life program, we design and implement cause-based programming for client organizations to reach target audiences in a powerful way. Destination ImagiNation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with more than 1.3 million alumni and a global network of 35,000 volunteers. Visit http://www.IDODI.org for more information.
