RL Village Elem Super 7 Jr Einstein

Have you ever heard, or caught yourself saying, "Think outside the box", or "Be creative, one solution doesn't fit all", or "Think big"?  

We need creative solutions to solve the world's most challenging problems and it starts by nurturing, embracing, and enhancing creative minds early on!

This is the first year our students have been offered the amazing opportunity to participate in a program called "Destination Imagination", and they are CRUSHING IT!  Having a team make it the to Global Competition is rare, but it is especially rare for a brand new team!  As talented as this Super 7 bunch is, they really need your help...

Destination Imagination (DI) is a cause-driven, volunteer-led non-profit organization dedicated to teaching students the creative process through STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), the arts and service learning Challenges. With more than 30 years experience, DI is a leader in project-based learning and has helped more than 1.5 million kids tap into their creativity and learn the skills they need to build successful careers in the ever-changing 21st century economy.

The Destination Imagination Challenge Program gives teams the opportunity to solve open-ended academic Challenges and present their solutions at local tournaments, which can qualify them to compete at Global Finals in Knoxville, Tennessee. While solving one of the seven Challenges, team members learn patience, flexibility, persistence, ethics, respect for others and their ideas and the collaborative problem solving process.  (You can learn more about DI at: DestinationImagination.org)

Our team, self-titled the Super Seven Junior Einsteins, had selected Community Outreach as their team Challenge.  Natural givers-at-heart, this young team raised funds and much-needed supplies to help animals at Save-A-Pet in Grayslake, Illinois.  In addition to the community service this group completed, they had to put together a self-written, self-directed, self-created play complete with several costumed characters, props, and backgrounds.  And although some of the original 7 members had to leave the group due to unforeseen circumstances, the remaining four teammates carried the torch high.  They revised their play several times as needed, memorized additional parts, and got creative on how to incorporate their forth member remotely by using an iPad/video!  Their committment to this program, the animals at Save-A-Pet, their school, their district, and each other is unparralleled.  

Here is a letter from the Save-A-Pet manager:

Unsure what to expect having never participated in such an event, the team and parents attended their first DI Regional Competition in Gurnee, Illinois and had taken home 1st place!  They were so happy!  They saw their hard work and determination pay off.  Soon thereafter, they travelled to Northern Illinois University in Dekalb, Illinois and SMASHED the State Competition by taking home 2nd place!  

Here is a pic of the kids prepping for their Challenge at the Regional Competition:

And another pic of the crew at Regionals with their first-place medals and trophy (It's a little blurry...I'm not a professional, lol):

Here is a pic of the team at the recent State Competition:

Now, the Super Seven Junior Einsteins are off to the "Olympics of DI"...
GLOBAL FINALS: THE WORLD’S LARGEST CELEBRATION OF CREATIVITY!

Global Finals is the culminating event of every Destination Imagination season. DI teams that advance past Regional and Affiliate (state/country) Tournaments are invited to participate in Global Finals. The scheduled festivities include the Destination Imagination Tournament, interactive exhibits, pin trading, skills workshops, international events and more. 

There are more than 15 countries attending, more than 8,000 students, and more than 1,400 teams from around the globe.  This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these young scholars...

The event is held at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee in MAY.  It is coming up VERY quick!  We are all quite excited and proud of our young team and want to help make this dream a reality for them.

Super Seven Junior Einsteins NEED YOUR HELP!

Logan, Isabel, Kyle, and Laura: These are our Super 7... 

These four brilliant kids need to keep carrying that torch to the Global Finals and we need to help pave the path to get them there!

Please consider making a donation to the team.

Your donation will directly benefit the team and will help with various expenses associated with this trip like transportation costs, food expenses, hotel/sleeping expenses, mandatory apparel costs, etc.

Logan, Isabel, Kyle, and Laura have worked so hard by putting in countless hours practicing, analyzing, revising, and improving their Challenge.  Let's not let them down due to funding issues...

Please donate today.

Thank you,
The Super Seven Junior Einsteins' Fan Club