Destination Imagination Info Session

Pilot Season

June 2, 2026

www.piedmontmakers.org

Who We Are

Dave Ragones

Co-Founder

Piedmont Makers

Allan Lam

California DI

Best of the Bay Region

Beth McCarthy

California DI

Best of the Bay Region

Mission

Our Mission is to inspire and equip youth to imagine and innovate through the creative process.

Vision

Our Vision is to ignite the power of ALL youth to be creative and collaborative innovators of tomorrow.

History

- Founded in 1999

- Serving 30K students annually

- 40 US states, 27 countries worldwide, and growing!

A global, non-profit organization dedicated to fostering creativity and problem-solving in young people.

About Piedmont Makers

501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 2014

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Our mission is to inspire kids to be innovators and creative problem solvers in STEAM

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Champion youth robotics across the East Bay

• 2025-26: 125+ teams, 900+ students, 300+ adult volunteers (29% Y/Y increase)
• Operate a 7,000 sq ft youth robotics practice facility in Oakland

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Community Highlights:

• $30K annual Teacher Grants to fund K-12 STEAM initiatives, including $420K to build the PHS Engineering Lab in 2021
• Community events like School Maker Faire, 4th of July Parade, Popup Makerspaces

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Expanding our program to bring Destination Imagination to our community!

What is Destination Imagination?

• Destination Imagination (DI) is an educational nonprofit that prepares learners for a future that is rapidly evolving.
• We do this through a project-based learning experience that applies the creative process across seven different Challenge types.
• Our participants learn 21st century skills and more.

WHAT

The Challenge Experience

Each year, more than 150,000 students across the U.S. and in 30-plus countries participate in the Destination Imagination Challenge Experience.

• The Challenge Experience includes six competitive Challenges rooted in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) concepts.
• Our Challenges are developed annually with the help of educators, subject matter experts, and qualified volunteers.
• Each Challenge encourages students to explore their passions, discover their own talents and abilities, and learn new skills.

WHAT

The Challenge Experience

• Open to all kindergarten through university level students worldwide.
• Student teams of up to seven members select their Challenge and work together to develop a solution.
• Each team has at least one Team Manager to help keep the team on track, but does not assist or interfere with the team’s solution. This volunteer role is typically filled by a parent, teacher, or community member.
• Teams showcase and celebrate their innovative Challenge solutions at a local tournament.

WHAT

Our “No Interference” policy is one of the most valuable components of the Destination Imagination Challenge Experience and applies to each of our six competitive Challenges.

All Destination Imagination (DI) Challenge solutions are kid-powered, meaning that no Team Managers, parents, or any other non-team members may contribute to a team’s solution in any way.

Non-team members, such as Team Managers and parents, may teach the team members skills needed and identified by the team, guide them through the creative process, answer clarifying questions about the Challenge they have chosen, determine safety rules, and help them to understand project management. However, they may not offer ideas contributing directly to the solution in any way.

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Interference

Students on a DI team must work together

to do everything themselves, including:

• Choosing the Challenge
• Generating Ideas
• Researching
• Designing & Building
• Making Decisions
• Managing a Budget
• Solving Conflicts

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TEAM CHALLENGE CATEGORIES

WHAT

INSTANT

CHALLENGE

Instant Challenges require teams to engage in quick, creative, and critical thinking. At a tournament, a team will receive an Instant Challenge and the materials with which to solve it. The team members must think on their feet by applying appropriate skills to produce a solution in a period of just five to eight minutes. Instant Challenges are kept confidential until the day of the tournament.

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WHAT

INSTANT

CHALLENGE

Flying Feather

Challenge

Build the tallest possible structure, place a feather on the top, and then blow the feather off to land as far away as possible.

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Time

You have 5 minutes to use your teamwork, creativity, and innovation skills to build the structure with the materials provided. You will then have one chance to blow the feather as far as you can.

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The Scene

You have been asked to build a new prop for the sequel to The Muppets. The structure must be freestanding on the table top and must be as tall as possible so that the feather can fly a long distance. After the 5-minute build time, the height of the structure will be measured. You will then place the feather on the top of the structure and, with one large puff of air, see how far the feather will fly.

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Materials

aluminum foil, 2 paper clips, 4 straws, 3 sheets of paper, 4 pipe cleaners, 1 label, 1 feather

WHAT

Tournament Season at a Glance

Teams typically spend two to four months planning, developing, and practicing their Challenge solutions.

They exhibit their creativity and innovation by showcasing their Challenge solutions in front of live audiences at local tournaments.

WHAT

AUGUST

We need Parent Team Managers!

• We need parent volunteers as team manager! �There are no professionals here, we’re all volunteer parents like you.
• Bonus (not required): experience teaching, coaching, or doing STEAM projects
• Your job is to make sure the kids are having FUN!
• Spend quality time with your child and you pick the practice times!
• Support for you:
• Pre-Season: Coaches Training
• Slack channel & Email list for sharing practice plans / tips

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How am I supposed to teach kids?”

It’s Okay! We’re here to help!

Registration & Team Formation

Pilot season of 2-4 teams

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We will form teams based on age, school, gender mix, practice day availability, coach/friend requests

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Max 7 students / team, $200 registration fee per student via Teamsnap

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** Teams will not be formed without parent team manager **

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Registration fee includes:

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• DI Registration
• Team Manager Training
• Team Supplies

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• Team Manager Background Check
• Tournament Registration Fee
• Piedmont Makers T-Shirt
• Program Manager support

Next Steps

www.piedmontmakers.org/di

Questions?

Email di@piedmontmakers.org

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Thank you!