BFA 5th/4th Grade DI
Donation protected
Thank you for you helping our team get to
Destination Imagination Global Finals!
On April 9, our 4th and 5th grade Destination Imagination team from Ben Franklin Academy placed first at the Colorado state tournament, qualifying us to compete at Global Finals from May 25-28 at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. More than 300 teams competed at the state tournament, and we are honored to be one of the teams attending Global Finals to represent Colorado on the world stage.
We competed in the Structural Challenge called Musical Mashup - the team was required to design and build a structure that both supports weight and is a musical instrument, as well as play a musical solo using the structure as a musical instrument. We also had to create a skit that tells a story with at least one musical character and integrate the story with the weight placement testing of the structure.
What is Destination Imagination (DI)?
DI is a program designed to challenge young people (from kindergarteners to college students) to undertake creative problem solving through teamwork via the arts, sciences, and technology. The DI Challenges put forth each year foster students’ creativity, curiosity, and courage to step outside their comfort zones. Student teams work together to create solutions to selected Challenges using skills such as critical thinking, collaboration and communication – while having fun and experiencing the creative process from imagination to innovation – without assistance from adults. In other words, all teams and solutions are student-led; adults only act as facilitators for the group as Team Managers.
Our ability to participate in a program such as DI comes from the foundation we have received from our school, Ben Franklin Academy (a pre-K-8 charter school) in Highlands Ranch. Opening in 2011, Ben Franklin Academy’s mission is to develop young adults with character like America’s founding Renaissance man, Benjamin Franklin: well-read, scientifically curious, and civically engaged. As Ben Franklin Academy students, we strive to embody the school’s vision, which includes excelling academically through a challenging, sequenced curriculum that emphasizes math, science, and literacy – while fostering the arts, sports, nature, and character – as well as being held accountable for the success of our school. Our Ben Franklin Academy education is a natural complement to our participation in DI.
Now, our destination is DI Global Finals where we will compete among more than 1,400 teams from more than 15 countries. To attend, our team must raise $1,300 per person (more than $10,400 for our team), which covers our registration fees, air transportation and transfers, shipping costs, and on-campus housing and meals. The Douglas County School District, DI South Metro Region, and Ben Franklin Academy’s Parent Teacher Organization have already generously contributed to our fundraising efforts, but we need additional help.
Thank you for taking the time to consider our request and help us partake in this unique opportunity!
Destination Imagination Global Finals!
On April 9, our 4th and 5th grade Destination Imagination team from Ben Franklin Academy placed first at the Colorado state tournament, qualifying us to compete at Global Finals from May 25-28 at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. More than 300 teams competed at the state tournament, and we are honored to be one of the teams attending Global Finals to represent Colorado on the world stage.
We competed in the Structural Challenge called Musical Mashup - the team was required to design and build a structure that both supports weight and is a musical instrument, as well as play a musical solo using the structure as a musical instrument. We also had to create a skit that tells a story with at least one musical character and integrate the story with the weight placement testing of the structure.
What is Destination Imagination (DI)?
DI is a program designed to challenge young people (from kindergarteners to college students) to undertake creative problem solving through teamwork via the arts, sciences, and technology. The DI Challenges put forth each year foster students’ creativity, curiosity, and courage to step outside their comfort zones. Student teams work together to create solutions to selected Challenges using skills such as critical thinking, collaboration and communication – while having fun and experiencing the creative process from imagination to innovation – without assistance from adults. In other words, all teams and solutions are student-led; adults only act as facilitators for the group as Team Managers.
Our ability to participate in a program such as DI comes from the foundation we have received from our school, Ben Franklin Academy (a pre-K-8 charter school) in Highlands Ranch. Opening in 2011, Ben Franklin Academy’s mission is to develop young adults with character like America’s founding Renaissance man, Benjamin Franklin: well-read, scientifically curious, and civically engaged. As Ben Franklin Academy students, we strive to embody the school’s vision, which includes excelling academically through a challenging, sequenced curriculum that emphasizes math, science, and literacy – while fostering the arts, sports, nature, and character – as well as being held accountable for the success of our school. Our Ben Franklin Academy education is a natural complement to our participation in DI.
Now, our destination is DI Global Finals where we will compete among more than 1,400 teams from more than 15 countries. To attend, our team must raise $1,300 per person (more than $10,400 for our team), which covers our registration fees, air transportation and transfers, shipping costs, and on-campus housing and meals. The Douglas County School District, DI South Metro Region, and Ben Franklin Academy’s Parent Teacher Organization have already generously contributed to our fundraising efforts, but we need additional help.
Thank you for taking the time to consider our request and help us partake in this unique opportunity!
Organizer
Randi Curtis
Organizer
Littleton, CO
