At Destination Imagination Colorado (DICO), we prepare Colorado’s kids to be the innovators of the future by combining the arts, sciences, and technology with creativity, teamwork, and problem solving in team-based tournaments. Our goal is to create a different type of learner: a learner who asks questions, a learner who is in control of their learning, a lifelong learner. We are a non-profit organization run primarily by volunteers. As with other organizations, COVID affected our participation: we had less than half the number of student teams than we usually have, especially in economically depressed and rural areas of the state. We continue to run our organization efficiently, but it has diminished our ability to support the participation of teams needing to overcome financial barriers. We need your help!
"Destination Imagination is scarier than being in a play, because when I am in a play, I am doing what the teacher told me to do. Where I stand, what I say, and what I am wearing is from the director. I don't get to choose. In DI, it is all me and my team. We created everything: the story, the set, the costumes. WE did it." - Michele, 8th grade DI team member and Global Finalist
"I see the kids involved in the program (including my kids on my team) gain skills that are critical for success - and that they don't get from anywhere else. These include creative thinking, teamwork, project management - all the great DI skills.
I want to be a good parent and so I want to find good places to volunteer my time to help the kids that go to school with my child. I think DI delivers the "biggest band for the buck" in terms of what the kids get out of it relative to my effort as a volunteer as a team manager. I find that very rewarding and very worth my time.
I also have developed a very close relationship with the kids on my team - that has gone past the life of the team. I feel very fortunate to know these kids so well and be a bid part of their life." Scott Dalgleish Team Manager, Boulder CO