Melrose Destination Imagination headed to Global Tournament!
Two Melrose Destination Imagination (DI) teams have advanced from the State Tournament round and now have the rare opportunity to compete at a Global level tournament in Kansas City at the end of May.
DI is a program that inspires and equips students to become innovators and leaders. Each year, DI publishes seven new team Challenges containing elements of STEM, Theatre, Visual Arts, and Community Service. The hallmark of DI is “no interference.” Kids work completely independently on creative ideas and trial-and-error solutions to challenges. Parents do not assist with costumes, props, scripts, or ideas.
This year, the middle school Improvisational Theatre team took First Prize at the State tournament. Manon Marchais, Lea MacIndewar, Rosalie Martin, Philip Murray, Susie Josephson, and Cassie DeGraaf. Team Managers Jennifer Leclerc and Leslie Steiner.
A Melrose elementary level team took Third place in the State in the Project Outreach Service category and are also headed to Global Finals. Nadia Thomas, Maya Genova, Magdalena Tenreiro, and Kyle Murray. Team Managers Ben Thomas and Leslie Genova.
Seventh grade team member Rosalie Martin says, “DI is so fun because it teaches you skills like teamwork, acting and building all at once. It’s unique because the grownups can’t interfere and the kids have to do it all by themselves, which sounds scary but really teaches you how to be independent. When we won I was so happy! I’ve been doing DI since first grade, and now to go to Globals is such a big deal and such an honor because you get to meet kids from around the world who have similar interests as you and have fun!”
The Melrose DI program has a rich history. Several service projects originally conceived by Melrose DI Project Outreach teams are still going strong in our community, such as the Spring Fling senior dance, first presented several years ago by then high school students Jenna Laidley and Lauren Parr. While Melrose has a strong DI program, getting to the Global Finals level is an amazing and rare achievement. It’s been eight years since Melrose has been able to send a team to represent the Massachusetts delegation.
Destination Imagination (DI) is a nonprofit, volunteer-run organization. The teams now need to raise $11,000 in funding to be able to register for the Global Finals tournament. Please visit the team’s GoFundMe page, or follow them on facebook (Melrose Desination Imagination) to follow their fundraising events and efforts.