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Imagine, three schools have global destination
(by Sue Hoffman - May 20, 2010)
Imagine, three schools have global destination
By SUE HOFFMAN
For years, they've been using their imaginations to create skits or build objects on the spot and respond instantaneously to challenges. Now, they're getting ready to compete with the best teams in the world.
Three local Destination Imagination teams, including one each from Kenston and West Geauga high schools and one from West Geauga Middle School excelled at the recent state match to qualify for the global competition May 26 to 30 at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
The global competition is expected to bring in more than 8,500 participants from 15 countries and 7,000 spectators, school officials said.
"It's like being at the Olympics," Jenny Wilson, coordinator for the West Geauga DI teams said. "It's a huge deal and a pretty amazing experience. There are schools from the United Kingdom, Mexico, Canada, Guatemala and more.
"This area has a history of doing this," she said about going to the global match. West Geauga and Chagrin Falls schools have been represented many times, she said, and it's always thrilling and daunting. Region 15, which includes Geauga, Lake, Summit and Portage counties "has been well represented at globals every year."
Mrs. Wilson said, "This is a kid-generated program. They 100 percent own it and do it completely on their own." The students also conduct fund-raisers throughout the year to raise money for the team.
"The Seven Wonders of the World" team at the West Geauga Middle School came in second-place at the state match in "breaking news." The team had to build a geometric, weight-bearing structure out of newspaper. Their task involved engineering, international relations, innovation and design.
The environmental discovery team at West Geauga High School was given an outstanding rating at the state tournament for its "project outreach" concerning the environment. Project outreach is a new challenge in which teams are judged by a rubric and do not compete against one another.
The Kenston team is thrilled to be going to the global tournament, Julia Kolibab, who coaches the team, said. "It's the first time in 10 years a Kenston team qualified to go to global." Beside the honor, she said, "what's great about DI is the skills you get from working on it - creativity, thinking on your feet and teamwork."
"I was absolutely shocked," said Mrs. Kolibab's son, John, a Kenston High School junior who has been involved in DI since second grade. "The first time we went to states, we placed low." He said he didn't think his team would be at the top of the 17 competing teams. As it turned out, only Campbell Memorial High School in Mahoning County won more points at states, and both the first and second team go to the global match.
For John, DI has been a labor of love. "I love the team and it's fun to do the challenge with them."
The two-year-old Kenston High School team, called "Where's Weems?" had chosen an improvisational challenge.
DI offers five different challenges, all involving performing arts, technical skills and problem solving, Mrs. Kolibab said. In their challenge, the Kenston team had seven minutes to create a skit about whether carnivorous pitcher plants should be saved from extinction. The team's skit had to be five minutes long, and the only props allowed were themselves.
In the middle of the skit, the team had to pick a card which indicated "an odd super power they immediately had to include," she said.
The Kenston team also includes John's sister, Brigitte, a freshman, sophomores Katherine Hoffman and Mads O'Brien and freshman Maggie Woodworth.
The West Geauga Middle School team, managed by Linda Todaro, includes seventh-graders Liam Andes, Gregory Concilla, Katina Demarchi, Victoria Grabinski, Max Kucera and Andrew Todaro.
The West Geauga High School team, managed by Irene McMullen, includes sophomores Shawn Cooper, Zak Kucera and Clay McMullen, juniors Claire Slusarz and Mariah Wright and freshman Kelli Wright, as well as Isabella Todaro, a freshman at Hawken School in Chester.
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