By Grace Allen

On March 2, a group of Wrentham schoolchildren showcased their creativity at the 2024 Massachusetts Destination Imagination Tournament in Beverly, earning 2nd place.

Destination Imagination (DI) is a project-based, kid-driven program that teaches kids to be innovative problem solvers by using creativity, critical-thinking, and teamwork in open-ended challenges. 

Wrentham’s winning team, called the DIplomats, was comprised of fourth graders Heidi Almeida, Lukas Signes, and Emily Wallace. They were led by team leader Grey Almeida. 

Two other Wrentham teams, second and third graders, also competed. A first-grade team participated in the non-competitive category.

The students were tasked with presenting a story about a character’s discovery and investigation of an artifact, leading to a significant finding. The challenge emphasized creativity in storytelling, the integration of scientific or technological methods in the investigation, and the design and manipulation of a puppet to represent a character from the past.

The DIplomats’ project centered on a Swiss UN delegate discovering an artifact in a bank safe in Zurich, leading to an intriguing narrative that involved a trip to Area 51, time travel, and meeting a historical figure from NASA, Mary Jackson, who ultimately offered a solution to climate change.

The Wrentham team’s solution not only adhered to the challenge’s guidelines by incorporating a creative story, an archaeological investigation, and the effective use of a puppet but also highlighted the students’ talents through DI’s “Team Choice Elements”—creations that show off a team’s interest, skills, and areas of strength.

The DIplomats also showcased their linguistic skills by incorporating multiple languages into their presentation (French, Italian, and Swedish), and their musical talent by composing and performing a piece on the recorder.

By securing second place in the competition, the Wrentham DIplomats qualified for the Destination Imagination Global Finals, to be held in Kansas City in May. 

Destination Imagination is a non-profit organization with over 100,000 students in more than 30 countries participating annually. Students in kindergarten through college can participate.

For more information, visit www.destinationimagination.org. Anyone interested in forming a team can register through their school’s administration.