The story states, “Richard Arum, a co-author of the book and a professor of sociology at New York University, tells NPR’s Steve Inskeep that the fact that more than a third of students showed no improvement in critical thinking skills after four years at a university was cause for concern.”

“Our country today is part of a global economic system, where we no longer have the luxury to put large numbers of kids through college and university and not demand of them that they are developing these higher order skills that are necessary not just for them, but for our society as a whole,” Arum says.  http://www.npr.org/2011/02/09/133310978/in-college-a-lack-of-rigor-leaves-students-adrift

In the last 15 years I have hired over 200 people – most of them recent engineering college grads.  These kids are not getting the skills they need to thrive in an American economy that is fueled by innovation.

Like most DI team managers that are a few weeks away from their first tournament, I’m totally stressed-out and frustrated and wondering why I ever signed up to do this again this year.  Then I ask myself, “Are these kids getting anything out of this experience?”

Here is the list of practical, high-value things these kids have learned from our DI team that they would have NEVER learned by the end of their college education.  (Keep in mind that I coach the technical (engineering) challenge).

Real-world Teamwork & People Skill

• When to stick-up for your ideas (central challenge) and when to back down when the leader sets a direction (instant challenge).
• One bad apple on the team …
• Why teams/companies often don’t hire friends and family
• Not everyone on the team does an equal amount of work
• Accountability to a team
• Real teams don’t have coaches yelling orders from the sidelines
• Power of specialized roles (instant challenge)
• Importance of a good leader – and when it is best to set aside your ego to let a good leader lead.
• Supporting and covering for a team member when a personal crisis happens.
• Bickering through the entire instant challenge will get you a score of 4 and nearly last at Globals.  Cooperating will get you an instant challenge score of 87 and in the top 20 at Globals.
• You can become great friends with Koreans and Chinese without ever speaking a word of each other’s language.
• Learning by living – Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing – and never getting beyond “Storming” is a strong motivation to fix team issues the next year.
• Setting expectations at the start – and enforcing them.
• If your team mate missed their commitment last week, then this week….
• Being a geek can be tons of fun.

Project Management

• Gantt Charts.  Linked tasks.  Task durations.  Crashing a schedule.
• Critical Path
• Work distribution
• Risk management & schedule – test the riskiest parts first.
• Importance of assigning small, well-defined tasks each week.
• Minimizing meeting time – but making sure everything is properly coordinated.
• Setting goals – and not giving rewards when reward milestones are not met.
• Recognizing and changing plans fast when something isn’t going to work.

Innovation Skills

• The difference in thinking from “my idea didn’t work” to “my first idea didn’t work”
• 90-90 rule – When you are 90% done, you only have 90% to go!
• Divergent thinking skills.  “That’s a great idea!  Can you tell me 10 other ways you could solve that problem?  Which of those ideas could you try now and have done in an hour?”
• “That idea sounds like a lot of work.  Can you do a quick test to see if it will work before you invest lots of time?”
• “That idea is really cool – but high risk.  What is a parallel path a team member can be working on if this idea does not work?”
• I WILL figure this out.
• Memorizing Thomas Edison quotes:
  • “Genius is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration.”
  • “Most people don’t recognize opportunity because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work”.
    • In other words, Innovation is ALL about hard work, not a light bulb that suddenly appears over your head.
• The fun is earned from lots of frustration and hard work.
• Brainstorming
• Designing something to complex customer requirements.
• Ask “what can I do that would NEVER work, then try to make that idea work.”
• Being labeled “weird” is a small price to pay for a really creative, interesting life.

Engineering Skills

• Having 3 years of experience as a critical engineer on a project with a professional engineering manager mentor – before the age of 15.
• Designing something when you don’t know how to use tools is like writing a cook book when you never have been in a kitchen.
• Going from not knowing how to use a screwdriver to being skilled and efficient with power tools -  safely.
• Make drawings before you start cutting.
• Realize that the first thing you make won’t be what you take on stage.  Make prototypes understanding that you are just trying to flush-out the main issues with a design.
• Find things that are similar to what you want to build –and get design ideas from things that work well.
• Screws – types and how they are properly used.
• Righty-tighty, lefty-loosey.
• Shafts, sprockets, couplers…
• Plumbing – pipes, threads, clamps…
• Hands-on Electrical – AC, DC, motors, solenoids, electrical valves, linear actuators, fuses, wire gage, soldering, crimping, voltage vs. current….
• Cylinders – hydraulic, pneumatic, leverage
• Duct Tape and Glue – friend and foe.
• Springs
• Structures
• If you build it in the PVC pipe isle of Home Depot – you will have access to every part you need – and get lots of attention.
• Literally getting a round shaft to fit in a square hole.  It is really hard to make a square hole.
• Learning measure twice, cut once – the hard way.
• How to get a stripped screw out.
• Discovering, through experience, why screws are better than nails and plywood is stronger than particle board.
• Researching basic designs that are available on the internet so I’m not re-inventing the wheel.
• When you go to the hardware store, buy lots of stuff that might be needed if the first idea does not work.
• Resourcefulness (find ways to use trash) and cost reducing “products” that are over-budget.
• A skirt made of magazines gets more compliments than an expensive skirt purchased at a fancy store.
• Find something in the garage (now) that you can make work instead of asking to take another trip to the hardware store.
• If you do nothing to solve a problem, it will happen again – and be real frustrating.
• Girls can be the best at using tools and designing technical things.
• If the tower is standing, don’t try to make it better in the last 5 seconds.

Presentation Skills

• Getting a timid kid to speak with confidence.
• Voice projection
• Improvisation – fake like you know what you are doing.
• Something colorful scores better than something cardboard-colored – even it more work went into the cardboard.
• Leveraging humor
• Storytelling
• “Selling” your product to your customer.

And MOST IMPORTANT – Independent Learning Skills

• The skill and confidence that “I don’t need to be taught how to do something – I know I’ll figure it out, one way or another, on my own.”

I’m still a frustrated and exhausted DI coach, but I’ve accomplished my goal of giving my team members a tremendous head-start with valuable, real-world skills that were learned the best way – the hard way.  In 9 years, I can’t wait to hire these kids.  They will be way ahead of their classmates in having valuable, real-world innovation skills.

Hang in there!  You are doing a great thing for these kids.  Keep in mind the real value comes from the process, not the product.

Scott Dalgleish, Boulder CO

My DI blog from last year: http://www.90percentdone.com/destination-imagination-globals/

About Scott (from personal blog):  http://ninetypercentdone.typepad.com/about.html

The relaxed atmosphere seemed to really help their motivation!  They made a lot of progress on their story, just by talking about the various scenes they wanted to include.  We were so relieved to see that a few of the kids continually referred to the “Think Like An Appraiser” poster we had made and hung on the wall… they were evaluating their ideas against the criteria for a good story. Making progress on their story excited them, and got them thinking about other exciting parts of DI like Team Choice Elements (TCEs).  It was fun to watch one kid grab a notebook and start drawing the designs for his ideas.

Upon resuming our regular meeting schedule after the break, we learned that one of the team members who had not been away for 2 weeks had spent part of his winter break making a specific prop for the story!  He really put a lot of work into it, and a lot of trial and error to make it do what he wanted it to do… and his Mom proudly took lots of photos and videos of his initiative.  The team was so excited to see him walk in with this thing they had talked about early on. He is really proud of what he did, and he has inspired others to get going on some of their particular passions outside of DI meetings as well. We don’t require that the kids do a lot of DI “homework”, but we certainly don’t mind if they decide to use their free time on DI, either!

We have 8 more meetings until the Regional tournament.  Of course, we are pretty anxious to get everything done in what now seems to be a very short time, but after two years of panicking at this point we know they will find a way to pull it off and be proud of their solution in March.  Two years ago they were completely absorbed in figuring out how to incorporate a giant slug into their solution (they were just CONVINCED the appraisers would find “Slugzilla” so cool that they would win), and last year about this time they were whining and complaining about having to “do work” on the weekends.  Both years we were pretty discouraged in January, got our hopes up in February, and hardly slept in March as they worked day and night to pull it off.  We’re hoping to change that pattern, and so far we are pretty happy with how January is going!

Our first year was full of amazing moments and trying times. We glowed with pride as the most fashion-forward team member conquered (and enjoyed!) construction skills, as the toughest football player on our team found a love for acting, and as the quiet introspective kid came up with the most amazing design (we won a special award for it!). We stuck with two team members who had a long-standing feud, and coached them through their issues week after week… Until they realized what a powerful combination they were on the team and stopped picking on each other. We dealt with our own failures as we learned how to coach a team of kids (especially challenging to parents of an only child).

The first year, the team came in first at Regionals (we were all shocked!) and 9th at State – not bad a all for our first time.  The second year we came in first at Regional again, but really didn’t place well at all at State – which was devastating for the kids.  However, their lowest scores had to do with team work, which is a great lesson to learn in 6th grade and not later in life. Rest assured we are focusing on how to handle team work under pressure THIS year!

We are now in our third year and have found our cadence as coaches.  Our core values include fun, respect and effort.  We teach skills, practice ICs and focus on a key aspect of the Central Challenge each week. At the beginning of every meeting we ask each kid to define where they fall on the following scale: 1 = I’m not able to focus much today, and will do my best not to distract the rest of the team. 2 = I’ve got my normal ability to focus and get things done. 3 = I’m completely fired up and am going to accomplish amazing things today!  We often get at least one 1, mostly 2′s and one 2.5.  No one has yet claimed to be a 3 (except the team managers!)… but we’re looking forward to the first time someone is brave and excited enough to cross that line!

We are thoroughly enjoying coaching a DI team each year, and are so glad we have persevered through the tough times. This year we both woke up the day of our first meeting with big grins on our faces, eager to jump out of bed and see what the kids would come up with for THIS year’s challenge!

Granted, we have 2 new team members who hadn’t done DI before, and they joined at different times, so there were some unexpected but stimulating delays in telling them each all about DI and how much fun they will have this year. And, we’ve had kids miss meetings due to a rash of colds, holiday travel, visiting relatives, key birthday parties, and the start of the ski season (which, in Colorado, is like the start of hunting season in Iowa). This is where I try to justify the apparent lack of progress for the past 2 months. It somehow still feels flat.

In October the team asked us to take them to the library to do some research on two topics.  So, we organized extra parents and even an older brother to come along and help keep the middle-schoolers from running amok in the library.  After 4 hours of research (and trying to run amok), they checked out seven books on their topics.  We were so proud!

They did a very good job of tackling their first topic, probably since one of the team members has a personal interest in it and her passion spilled over to the rest of the team. The second topic, however, has gone essentially nowhere.

With a VERY heavy sigh, I report that I just returned the 4 books related to topic #2 (renewed once, plus paid late fees), after week after week after week of the kids saying, “we still need them” and then just randomly flipping through them and reading the chapter headings.  They CLAIM they read them inside and out and there’s nothing useful in them.  We spied on them and read the books ourselves, and found TONS of useful information of the kind they are seeking… so we know they simply haven’t read them.  Ugh.  We have not only led the horses to water, but to THE WATERING HOLE OF THEIR CHOICE, and they still won’t drink even though they say they are thirsty.

On the horse theme, the knowledge they have at this point to apply to their challenge is similar to having checked out 4 books on horses and now claiming to understand them by knowing that horses are large herbivores that come in different colors. Nothing about the differences between Clydesdales and Arabians and Shetland Ponies.  Nothing about how horses defend their herd, a baby horse standing up within hours of birth, communications, pecking order, winter survival skills, sleep standing up – nothing insightful beyond the bare facts.

I definitely feel the universe sending me signs that we just need to let go and let the kids move on in their project, hoping they figure out at some point how little useful information they have on this topic and they need to fix that… OR that they have actually internalized more than they can express right now, and it will all come pouring out later in the project. We have tried to provide the structure within which they have the time, space and resources to learn about this topic, and now that it doesn’t seem to be working (from our perspective, that is), it’s time to just trust that these kids can take care of themselves in DI and we need to let them do just that.

How do other team managers help their teams find their own passions about a key requirement in a challenge, without “interfering”?  Please share your experiences with this type of frustration!

We learned what appraisers look for in ICs, experienced several types of ICs ourselves (humbling!) and got to hear the answers to lots of great questions asked by fellow team managers. This experience energized our focus on ICs and gave us solid direction on how to coach our kids in the coming months.

The only bummer was that some of the attendees repeatedly started side conversations that drowned out the important wisdom the leaders were there to share with us.

When our team arrived at our house this afternoon for our weekly meeting, we were excited to have them do one of the Instant Challenges we did this morning (where part of the team described a vacation while the others portrayed vacation photos and held their poses for at least 20 seconds)… and we were grateful for such a fresh perspective on how to coach them through the review afterward. Instead of stressing about how the team performed, we focused on what they could learn about the process of doing an IC well (remember, think like an appraiser!).

The Central Challenge-focused goal of today’s meeting was to get the team to draft their high-level description of the performance part of the challenge. We asked them to describe the “scenes” one-by-one by spending a few minutes collaborating on the performance and 20 to 30 seconds performing each scene. We have found that asking them to portray something in a short amount of time helps them to focus on the core elements of their story and avoid “unrelated creativity” that can be very distracting.

It went pretty well until about scene 4 or 5 when we realized they equated a “scene” with a camera shot! They were giving us the blow-by-blow (made up on the spot, mind you) of the details of the performance they were creating. We realized we had a problem and needed to step back and start over with a new approach.

We struggled to explain to them what “scene” is vs. a camera angle in a movie, and finally we gave up on the “structured approach” and just asked them, “How are you going to describe your entire story in the last 10 minutes of this meeting???” Surprisingly, they focused on the big picture, listened respectfully to each other, and were able to come up with a pretty succinct description of a relatively logical plot. We were amazed and delighted, and quickly wrote down everything they agreed on and posted it on the wall so they could reference it later.

In the final 10 minutes of the meeting they were able to answer the question we’d been asking for an hour – simply because we gave up and tried a new approach. The lesson learned for the day is if the first approach does not work try another and do not be afraid to admit our initial approach was not working.

If you are ready to start a team: Click Here.

Here are some questions you may have about starting a new DI team.

How do I enroll 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 afterschool programs; instead of signing up your child through a centralized location, parents interested in DI must form a team and recruit a volunteer team manager. All students may participate in DI as long as they have a Team Manager! Contact your Regional Director or School Coordinator to find out about an existing DI Program. Go to the Pages, Colorado Regions link to find your Regional information.

To start a new team, you need to have a Team Manager.

Why be 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.

What does it take to be a Team Manager?

• Enjoyment in working with children
• Patience
• Curiosity
• Meeting/Work space 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.

How do I know what to do?

With your paid membership you receive training and challenge materials including a road map outlining your first 16 team meetings, Team Manager trainings , webinar trainings, access to your Regional Director and Regional Challenge Master to get your questions answered.

How much Time does DI Take?

The DI season begins on September 1 with the release of that season’s challenges, and ends with the Regional Tournament in the spring. Most team Managers start in the late fall, but some don’t begin until January. The average Team Manager meets once a week for 2 to 3 hours, and as tournament approaches the team may decide to add additional practice time.

Teams placing at their Regional Tournament will advance to the State Tournament. Teams placing at State will advance to Global Finals at the end of May.

How do I form a team?

Teams can be formed in many ways, but as the volunteer Team Manager, you can decide how you want your team to form. You can have a single grade team, or a multi-age team. You can select children by posting a flyer, or just recruiting children you may know. Some schools have information nights where children sign up. There are NEVER any try-outs. Anyone can be on a team as long as there is someone willing to manage them.

How much does DI cost?

• Team Membership: $99 to $195 (5 pack vs. 1 pack), often paid by PTA or school.
• Practice and Challenge materials: Average of $250, DI emphasizes using inexpensive materials
• Regional Tournament Registration: $0 to $100 (Depending on Region)
• Regional T-shirts and Pins (Optional) $30/team member.

$72 – 144 per team member for a minimum of 16, 1 hour sessions.  (Most DI teams meet more time than this!)

Compare that to:

Scouting: $$95.00 per year plus additional materials and camp costs

Piano lessons: $20 for ½ hour: 16 hours for $640.00

Girls on the Run $110, plus fee to run in 5K: $25.00 Total: $135.00 per person

PTA sponsored after school enrichment: $15 an hour.

Hockey: $975 per player per year

Field Hockey: $300 per player per year

Soccer:  $125 per player per year (non-competitive) (uniform not included)

CHSSA Fees per school: ranges from  $850 to a high of $3,500.

• Design and build Equipment that retrieves Parts and delivers Products.
• Assemble Products from team-provided Parts to fill Orders, and use the Products in your team’s Presentation.
• Earn extra points by deciding how best to fill Orders with no Parts or Products left over in the Assembly Area.
• Present a team-created story about something that happens just in time.

• Create and present a theatrical performance that tells a Story about the use of solar energy.
• Integrate research about past and/or current uses of solar energy.
• Design and create a Solar Energy Prototype that demonstrates a new way to collect, capture and use solar energy.
• Design and provide Theatrical Lighting to illuminate the Presentation and to create special theatrical effects.

• Present a Movie Trailer involving characters from at least two Nations.
• Design a Cinematic Special Effect and feature it in the Movie Trailer.
• Create an Original Soundtrack that complements the Movie Trailer.

• Learn about different types of News Stories.
• Learn about Cause-and-Effect relationships.
• Use Cooperative Human Scenery and Props to enhance your Skit.
• Create a 5-minute Improvisational Skit about the Cause-and-Effect relationship between two unrelated News Stories.
• Have all your plans suddenly become totally discombobulated by a One-Minute Glitch (OMG)!

• Design, build and test a Structure made entirely out of wood and glue to hold weight and contain Tournament-provided golf balls.
• Design and build a Delivery Device that will deposit the golf balls, one at a time, into the Structure.
• Create and present an original Story about a “Captivator.”
• Integrate the Weight Placement and Golf Ball Delivery into the Story.

• Learn about toys and how they have changed over time.
• Create a play about making the last toy that will ever be made.
• Explore how your team works together to make decisions about your team-created toy.

• Use creative problem solving tools to identify and select at least one real community need.
• Design and carry out a Project to address the need.
• Create an Advertisement and use it in your Project.
• Create a Marketing Brochure to describe your Project.
• Share your Project at the Tournament with an entertaining live Presentation.

Take a look at just a few of the wonderful things we saw….

Photos taken during the State Tournament are available for purchase. With only two photographers and almost 300 teams is was impossible to be everywhere but we did our best! Any profits from the sale of photos will go back to Destination ImagiNation Colorado. View photos here: DI Gallery

Also, many Renaissance Awards were printed incorrectly, please email if you need a reprint.