DI Globals 2010

Global Finals 2010 was awesome! I now know what it's like on both sides of the fence: as a team member and as an appraiser (judge). It was hard work and long days that began at 6am, but they were so much fun. Processes and rubrics are all the same but the teams always begin something different to the table. The week went by so fast and I can't wait for next year.

Here's a mini run down of how a DI tournament goes:

There are Region, State, and then the Global Tournament. Every team is scored on their Central and Instant Challenges. All teams are divided by the age of the eldest team member into rising star, elementary, middle, secondary, and university level.

Teams prepare for about 9 months on their Central Challenge(CC). The CC can be chosen from 5 different categories that emphasize a main skill: engineering (challenge A), science (B), theater (C), improv (D), and structure (E). Each have certain points, side trips, and attributes that must be met because that's how the team will get their points.

Every team completes an Instant Challenge (IC). For fairness and easy judging, every team of a certain CC and school level have the same IC (i.e. Challenge A, Middle Level teams do the same IC but that's different from Challenge A, Elementary Level).

I had to honor of being an IC appraiser. The IC appraisers are considered a different breed from the Central Challenge appraisers. I'm NOT saying we are better, treated differently, or anything like that. We just are able to form a bond with each other because we are in the same building, eat lunch, take breaks, have the same schedule as each other, and are dismissed at the same time. All the CCs are in different buildings or floors of the Convention Center.

Destination Imagination, Inc. is a phenomenal program and I urge anyone and everyone to try and participate anyway you can: volunteering, donating, be a team manager, be a team member. If you'd like to participate, comment and I'll help you get in contact with your state's affiliate director. Any questions at all, I'd be glad to answer.