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About Destination Imagination (DI) Colorado

Enabling Colorado’s younger generation to become future industry and civic leaders by emphasizing excellence in teamwork, innovation, creativity, and integrated problem solving through structured challenge competitions focused on science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math. Destination Imagination is a non-profit organization primarily run by volunteers.

 

The DI experience is wholly unique:  ultimate learner ownership, learning through clarifying questions and experiences, resource awareness, rapid ideation and implementation, and authentic self-expression. Our goal is to create a different type of learner: a learner who asks questions, a learner who is in control of their learning, a lifelong learner.

 

State-wide academic tournaments provide teams the opportunity to present their solutions to trained DI Appraisers. Students have fun and gain confidence in their ability to solve and present solutions to any challenge. In working to solve DI Challenges, team members learn 21st century skills (Durable Skills), such as creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, communication, citizenship, and courage; they step outside of their comfort zones to pursue ideas and present their thoughts, and they learn to build upon their individual strengths.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What Is DI?

Check out the experiences of alumni, team members and volunteers from around the world.

2. How Does DI Work?

Students in teams from two to seven members from kindergarten to university level work over the course of a few months to solve open-ended academic challenges and practice Instant Challenges. The most unique aspect to DI is that this program is student-driven! There is absolutely no adult or outside help allowed.Team Managers are there to supervise, provide resources and teach skills, promote teamwork, and encourage creative problem-solving. Team members generate the ideas and bring them to life. The experience culminates in a performance showcasing their solution.

3. What Types of Challenges?

  • Technical
  • Scientific
  • Fine Arts
  • Improvisational
  • Engineering
  • Service Learning
  • Early Learning, our non-competitive challenge for students in K-2
  • Instant Challenge

4. How Much Time Does DI Require?

Most Team Managers start in the late fall, but some don’t begin until January. The average team meets once a week for two to three hours, and as the tournament approaches, some teams may decide to add additional practice time. The time commitment varies by age, challenge chosen, and the competitive ambitions of the team. You team decides how much time they want and need to put into solving the challenge they’ve selected. A new team should plan on 32 hours of work time to solve a challenge.

The Regional Tournaments are planned for late February and early March.

Teams placing at their Regional Tournament can advance to the State Tournament in April and teams placing at State can advance to Global Finals at the end of May.

5. How Much Does DI Cost?

Unlock the full power of creativity, problem-solving and teamwork with your purchase of a 2025-2026 Team.

By signing up for a team all of the following is included:

  • Your Team #: Join an exclusive community of like-minded individuals who share your passion for creativity and problem-solving. Students will develop an understanding of the creative process through student-oriented learning and will build durable skills including self-confidence, a growth mindset, creative thinking, collaboration and character building.
  • World Class Training Guide: access to a comprehensive training guide that takes you and your team on your journey to success!  An example season is planned for you.
  • Instant Challenge Practice Sets: Hone your skills with a variety of practice sets designed to challenge and inspire.
  • Team Managers access DI HQ’s Learning Platform: DI Learn. Dive into a world of learning and exploration with the exclusive online platform.
  • DI Colorado Training: Take advantage of in-person or online training sessions offered by Destination Imagination Colorado.
  • Team Managers access to Discord: a genuine local monitored connection platform for thoughts, insights, and questions.
  • Regional Tournament: Showcase your team’s talents and compete against other teams .
  • Instant Challenge Day: Put your problem-solving skills to the test on Instant Challenge Day, an exciting event tailored to your region and teams! (Only for specific Regions).
  • Personalized Support: We are here to help and assist you. Feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns  We can’t wait to connect with you.

Common costs not included in the team number purchase:

  • Team manager background check: $20.
  • Regional Tournament T-shirts. $20 each.
  • Materials to solve your challenge: This varies per team, depending on how creative you are with materials. A very loose estimate is approximately $300 per team.

For a team of seven, this is approximately $110.00 to $124.00 per student for a six to nine month joyful journey in problem-solving, team-building and innovative thinkers!

6. How Do I Involve My Child In DI?

DI relies on volunteers to establish teams in their neighborhood or school.

Many schools and school districts support DI through school coordinators who assist in the formation of teams. DI works differently than most after-school programs; instead of signing up your child through a centralized location, parents or students interested in DI must form a team and recruit a volunteer team manager. All students may participate in DI as long as they have an adult team manager! There are no try-outs, no ability requirements, just the desire to work with their team to solve Challenges.

7. Why Become A Team Manager?

Becoming a DI Team Manager can be one of the most rewarding experiences you will have as an adult volunteer.  You get to witness the growth of your team and the amazing solutions they develop first hand. Along the way, you learn how to build teams, teach creative problem solving and form lasting relationships with your team members and other adult volunteers.

 

“Unlike any other organization I’ve come across, I see that DI teaches extremely valuable real-world skills that will give my kids, and the kids on my team a major head-start in life. They don’t get these valuable skills in school and very few other organizations are effective at teaching and encouraging them. More than ever, the engine of our economy is “American Ingenuity” and I want my kids to enter the working world with strong skills in this area. Being part of DI is very satisfying – and worth my time. I’ve developed a much deeper and meaningful relationship with my kids (and other DI team members) through DI. DI has prompted some great “kitchen table” discussions with my kids on very practical real-world issues. It’s also allowed me to play a major increased role in their lives and in their development that I know they value.”-Scott Dalgleish

8. What Skills Are Needed To Be A Team Manager?

  • Enjoyment in working with children
  • Patience
  • Curiosity
  • Procuring Meeting/Workspace at a home or school
  • Ability to believe that team members can solve the problem
  • Tolerant of student’s work styles and pacing
  • Recognize that conflict is part of finding a creative solution

9. How Do I Form a Team?

Once you have selected a DI Team Manager, you need to find a team.

Teams are formed by finding students that are interested in DI.

How do you find these students?

  • Friends of your Student
  • Ask your child’s teacher for names of students that would like DI
  • Send out a flyer to students in the grade levels that will be on your team
  • If you have one, meet with the GT coordinator of your school for help forming a team

Teams are formed with 2 to 7 students, most often in the same school and grade level. However, ANY 7 students can be a team! You can form teams in your neighborhood, homeschool association, school, or church.

10. What Steps Are Needed For Starting A Team?

  • Identify the team manager
  • Select up to seven kids to be on the team
  • Determine time and place for team meetings
  • Look through the Challenge Previews to see the variety of challenges the DI team can choose from
  • Purchase your team number at the DICO Store

If you’re part of a school or school district DI group – check with your building coordinator first. They may have special instructions for you

  • Team Managers – check with your regional director to complete your background check
  • Begin planning team meetings using the DI Roadmap
  • Attend a Team Manager Training (both live and via webinar)
  • Have a great season fostering teamwork, creativity, collaboration, and problem solving!

11. Are There Proven Results?

In 2014, Dr. Mark A. Runco, Professor of Educational Psychology for the Torrance Creativity Center at the University of Georgia and Board Member for the Center for Childhood Creativity, completed a study measuring student engagement and creative attitudes and values among students who participate in Destination Imagination and students who do not.

 

According to the statistically significant results, Destination Imagination students were found to be:

  • More engaged and imaginative when completing given tasks
  • More creative than non-DI participants
  • More self-confident and tenacious
  • Able to elaborate on and generate more ideas than non-DI participants
  • Great collaborators—86% of DI students agree that their teamwork skills improved within 1-2 years of participation
  • More inquisitive—92% of DI students agree that solutions to problems are often improved by considering a variety of perspectives

12. What Is Destination Imagination's Impact?

13. What Might A Final Challenge Solution Look Like?

All final challenge solutions are different and individual to the team and to the challenge the team has chosen. But this will give you and idea of what a final solution can look like.

14. What Do DI Alumni Have To Say?

Hear from DI alum how the Destination Imagination program has and continues to effect their lives.

“Without the eight years of Destination Imagination that allowed me to conceptualize and build in a completely raw and creative environment, I don’t believe I’d be accomplishing the things I am today.” – Yale Shaw, Industrial Designer

 

“There are so many elements of DI that I use in my life. As an expat, you are always in a challenging situation. You should be learning a new language, navigating cultural norms, and deciding what food to try. Learning how to problem solve through Destination Imagination has helped me as a traveler because people are dynamic and there is never simply one way to handle an interaction. Teamwork is integral in a culture because each person has their role which keeps the community functioning. Creativity is needed with learning a new language because you’re not fluent so anything goes—words, gestures, sign language, pictures, Google translate, etc. You are always on stage performing; people are watching you even when you don’t realize it. When I travel abroad I represent not only myself, but my family, my country, and my race.” – Renee Smith, English Teacher

 

“The farther I go in my career, the more I understand how those countless hours spent brainstorming, paper macheing, painting and improvising have benefited me. Today, there’s really no challenge in my job that intimidates me. In fact, the bigger the challenge, the bigger the rush I get. I owe that to my DI training.” – Kevin Hoban, Producer

15. Do You Provide Training For Team Managers?

DI Colorado provides trainings for both our new and veteran Team Managers.

New Team Manager Training Covers –

  • Basic overview of the program
  • What you’ll need to get started
  • Instant Challenge
  • Team building
  • Our goal is to get you started on the right foot and comfortable with the Destination Imagination program
  • This training will not discuss any specifics of the long-term challenges

There is no charge for trainings. It is included as part of your fees when you purchase your DI team membership from our store.

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