Are you new to DI? Have you ever been involved in a Creative Problem Solving program before? If so, then you understand how hard it is to explain! If you are new, don't feel alone in your confusion. Please browse the list of questions and answers below, or click the DI logo (above/right) to visit the national DI site. If you don't get your answers, feel free to contact the folks listed on our contacts page.

1. What is a Creative Problem Solving competition?

2. What do they learn?

3. My child just signed up for DI. What kind of commitment is required?

4. How much can I help my child with DI?

5. How can I get involved?

What is a Creative Problem Solving competition?

Alabama Creative Adventures is currently affiliated with the national Destination Imagination program. In general, this program was created to give kids in many age groups and with many different kids of talents a structured program for expanding and developing group problem solving skills. Each team selects one of several problems to work on. These problems are carefully written to be challenging to kids with different talents. Some appeal to more technical kids; some are more artistic. The team works as a group to come up with a solution that is usually presented at competition in the form of a skit. They are judged on how well they met the goals of the problem, how original their solution is, etc. They are also required to follow a budget and document their expenses. In addition to their main problem, at competition they are required to solve an "instant challenge". This problem can be verbal, hands-on, or both. They have a very short period of time to come up with a team solution. They can practice the skills required for this type of problem ahead of time, but they will have no idea about the specifics of the problem until they walk in the room. The combined scores from all judges in both problems will be their score.
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What do they learn?

In your everyday life, whether you work for a living or run a household, you are seldom given tasks with specific steps to a solution. More often, you find out what needs to be done, but few specifics about how to get it done. In addition, you must often coordinate your efforts with others. Its not rocket science, but these types of skills are usually learned after you finish your traditional "schooling". Its our belief that kids actually do very well learning how to do these things early. The DI program gives them a structure for practicing group problem solving skills, following a budget, delegating tasks and managing their time toward an ultimate goal. Sound familiar? They work hard but they have a lot of fun along the way.

If you have never seen a Problem Solving competition, you are in for a treat. It will amaze you how many completely different solutions they come up with for the exact same problem specification. If your child is new to DI, they (and you) will not fully appreciate what they are doing until the first Regional competition. Once they have seen it in action, they'll be hooked.

My child just signed up for DI. What kind of commitment is required?

The commitment level required will depend on a number of things. Some problems require a lot more hands-on work, so more frequent teams meetings are in order. In general, teams will meet at least weekly in the fall, and frequency will increase as competition dates approach. The week or so leading up to competition can often have daily meetings. If your child is involved with numerous school and sports programs, talk with your school's DI sponsor for guidance as to what is an appropriate level of involvement and what is simply too much.  Remember, this is a team competition; your child is an important part of a team and the success or failure of the entire team is affected by your child's commitment. If your child has made the commitment, help them stick to it and see it through. Until they have been to the competition, they will not fully appreciate what they have accomplished.
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4. How much can I help my child with DI?

Very little! You will find out quickly that DI is quite strict about "interference". Your child may even tell you that they are not allowed to discuss their problem with you at all. This is not quite true, but its a common misunderstanding with the kids. In general, the solutions to the problems must be 100% the work of the kids. They are allowed to ask you questions, you are allowed to teach them needed skills, but all work and all ideas must come from the team. Lets discuss some examples:

If your team is making a backdrop by spray painting an old sheet, you may teach them to use spray paint properly and safely, but the sheet they use must be painted 100% by the kids. In fact, the idea to stray paint the sheet must be theirs. You can ask them "What kinds of things might you use as a backdrop?", and you can pose questions like "How would you go about holding it up?", but there is a fine line you cannot cross by suggesting "I have an old shower curtain rod you can use". Instead, you might offer to let them rummage through the basement or attic (or thrift store) in search of ideas. 

If your team is building a wooden frame and they want to use power tools, you are allowed to teach them how to use them properly and safely. It is entirely appropriate for you to closely supervise the use as well, but the kids must do the entire operation with their own hands when building their frame. In general, if they cannot do it safely, the tool is not appropriate for the problem. Safety is always a top priority. Even with common equipment like hot-glue guns, adult supervision is always a good idea. Its never considered "interference" to stop a child to remind them to be careful!

We encourage you to read the informative Parent's Guide from DI.
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5. How can I get involved?

We need help with many roles. Even if you do not have a child participating in DI, we can use your help. If your local school is not involved, consider getting a team started. If you have the time, becoming a Team Manager is a very rewarding experience (and the kids will love you forever). We can always use help setting up and running Regional and State Tournaments. This could involve anything from selling concessions to judging. Judges from all experiences are welcome. We will teach you what you need to know about DI, we need your expertise and experience to give our kids the information and feedback they need to be judged fairly and learn from the experience. And finally, we need your support. Come cheer on your school's teams, or help with the fund raising to send the State winners to Global Competition. 

If your company would like to help, please contact our affiliate director, Gary Brown.  Perhaps you might like to sponsor a team or tournament. The investment we are making with DI today will pay big dividends by producing the creative problems solvers we need in the future.
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