The KCP team is on its home turf, and the team members are ready. But it won't be an easy day for them: 17 teams from different high schools have pre-registered to compete. Every team in attendance will face a variety of tasks that will test their resolve, resourcefulness, and knowledge.
The first set of tasks must be completed in 10 minutes each, and each team must use materials provided on-site. The materials include string, newspaper, labels, drinking straws, chopsticks, and aluminum foil. The KCP team members prepare themselves, and suddenly the competition starts. First, the team is asked to create three bridges using materials provided on-site. Second, they have to create a transportation device to move construction materials from four separate staging areas to four separate sites. Third, they have to create a course that includes a bridge, a channel and a sorter that prepare spherical materials for delivery. As if this were not enough, then the KCP team is given 4 minutes to design an imaginary product using a bell, a ball, a broom, a bucket and a banana. They spend the next 2 minutes demonstrating the features of this item to Big Business. After that, they are asked to play the roles of scientists examining unique, outer-space samples and advising NASA of possible uses for the samples on other planets.
Wait. That was all just the warm-up?! The KCP team is given an hour to utilize their divergent-thinking, technical, math, and performance skills to create a device and structure that… (Oh, sorry. We actually can’t tell you what it has to do. Let’s just say it’s more complex than the other challenges, and the clock just keeps ticking. You can see for yourself if you attend a DI tournament.) Suddenly it's 3:00 p.m. The time has flown by. The After School Matters team from King College Preparatory is asked to come on stage to accept their third place medals. It is the first year the students have participated, and they’re hooked. They know that they won by using their teamwork, creativity and problem solving ability. They know they increased their skills in infrastructure building and offering articulate presentations.
A DI extreme Coordinator runs up to the team when they walk off the stage. “Are you going to participate in DI eXtreme again?” she asks. The February Regional Construction Challenge is just around the corner. By placing in that competition, the KCP team can advance to the University of Tennessee for Global Finals.
The students look at her and smile. They’ll be back.
