Monadnock Ledger-Transcript
Published: 3/15/2023 11:49:23 AM
Two teams from the Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative School District will be moving on to the Destination Imagination state finals next weekend after strong showings in the regional tournament las.
Trams from both Rindge Memorial School and Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative High School competed in the regional event in Amherst on Saturday, among 47 teams putting on display creativity, collaboration and problem-solving skills.
The Rindge Memorial School team, the Monstrous Markers, took first place in the “Flip the Script” fine arts challenge for the elementary school level. The Jaffrey-Rindge High School team the Improvables, took second at the secondary level in the “Showdown” improvisational challenge for the secondary-school level.
Destination Imagination is a global nonprofit organization that creates challenges for children of all school levels, which the students must work through as a group. There are several categories for students to choose from, such as technical challenges or improvisation, but all are based in STEAM principles (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) meant to build skills students can take into the real world.
For example, the “Flip the Script” challenge has students create a script based on a well-known tale, but with a new main character. They must research literary devices, use one in their play and use stagecraft to move the audience’s attention from one area of the stage to another, as well as build a piece of scenery that goes through a scene shift.
In the “Showdown” challenge, students must create an improvisational skit about an underdog performing in a competition, and must create elements such as creating an expert and a complication, and incorporate specific props such as trash bags and rubber bands.
Since the fall, teams have been working on solutions to these challenges, with all solutions required to be strictly team-solved. Last weekend represented the first full return in three years due to complications from COVID-19.
Top-finishing teams, including the two teams from Jaffrey-Rindge, advance to the state finals on March 25 in Bedford. Teams from that tournament can qualify to represent New Hampshire at the Destination Imagination Global Finals, where they will compete with the top teams from 15 countries and nearly every state.
Each year, more than 150,000 students participate in the Destination Imagination program, which is offered in over 30 countries and has 1.6 million alumni.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172, Ext. 244, or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.