Text and Photos By Wendi Grant
When five Grantham Village School (GVS) sixth-graders began mapping out their project in October 2017 for a competition called Destination Imagination (DI), they had no idea that their efforts would take them to Knoxville, TN. With the guidance of Team Manager and GVS teacher Deebee Bechta, Eastman residents Ayla Frye-Matte, Conner Chinn, Sophia Salo, and Will Grant, and classmate Nick Engert spent months researching explorers and cultural treasures, practicing improv, making structures out of office supplies, and having a great time together for their competition in the “Improvisational Challenge.”
The Road from Grantham to Knoxville
Under the name of “The Five,” the team first competed in a regional tournament in Swanzey in March 2018 with an improv performance that was both educational and funny. The team was able to demonstrate their knowledge while using a white sheet in various ways as a prop and impressing the audience with their birdcalls! This, coupled with a successful “Instant Challenge,” paved the way for the team to advance to the state tournament only a few weeks away.
With skills polished by additional afterschool practices, before they knew it they traveled to Bedford for a day full of activities in “States.” Aside from their performance that featured a storyline about the Queen of England and The Beatles, The Five enjoyed watching and supporting other teams’ performances, winning a cake at the Bakery Boogie fundraiser, and spending quality time together.
Will Grant with his pin collection
Will Grant, Conner Chinn, Sophie Salo, Ayla Frye-Matte, Nick Engert
The Five had decided that they were happy to have advanced to States as a first-year team and when it was announced during the closing ceremony that The Five had placed second and would be advancing to the Global Finals in Knoxville, TN, they were over the moon with excitement.
When asked what they recalled about the moment that they learned they were going to “Globals,” Will said, “I don’t even remember. I was so surprised that I think my brain shut down!” Ayla said, “One of the best things I remember about this DI season was at the state level competition. Right before they announced that we were going to ‘Globals,’ we noticed that we hadn’t been called in any other placement, so we all looked at each other like, ‘OMG, this is happening!’ That was the best feeling ever. We have so much fun together, and we’re always making each other laugh, and Ms. Bechta is the best of the best when it comes to coaches.’” After-school practices continued for a few more weeks in preparation for the trip to Tennessee. Ms. Bechta invited former GVS Principal Kurt Gergler to act as co-manager for Globals and he not only accepted, but offered to be the team’s driver to the competition. The team and parents raised funds to get the team to Globals where the DI program really shines with teams from all over the world competing.
A Small World, After All
While the contest focuses on how teams get to Global Finals, the DI program really is about meeting other people, learning about different cultures, and celebrating creativity.
| Destination Imagination (DI) is an educational program in which teams of up to 10 kids work together to solve challenges through creativity, science, technology, and the arts.
DI adds an “A” to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education to emphasize the need for the arts in the creative process, resulting in STEAM. Thirty-six teams from New Hampshire were among teams from 45 states and 19 countries that competed in the 2018 Global Finals in Knoxville. GVS’s robust DI program includes students from kindergarten through 6th grade. The school also supports “Legacy Teams” that include Grantham students at Lebanon Middle School and Lebanon High School. The Five received support from the following businesses and organizations: For a more in-depth look of Destination Imagination, go to www.destinationimagination.org. |
One device for encouraging kids to meet others is trading pins like athletes do in the Olympic Games. Each state or country designs a unique pin each year and each child who chooses to participate brings a supply of pins from home. This is a huge draw for the kids and some adults. Pins are displayed for other people to see and, if someone likes a pin, negotiations follow and, ideally, each person walks away from the transaction with a new pin in his or her collection. Sophia said that one of her favorite DI Global experiences was trading pins with kids from all over the world. “Even when I didn’t speak the same language as some of them, we figured out a way to communicate with each other, which was really cool.” Conner also enjoyed the pin trading and being able to connect with people with whom he shared a heritage. “It was a fun experience interacting with the Chinese improv team that performed after us at Globals. When we were pin trading later, they gave me a special pin and told me its Chinese meaning. We felt more connected after telling them about my Chinese heritage; they were very nice.”
Globals also feature a very exciting Opening Ceremony, dance parties nearly every night, workshops, classes, swimming, vendor areas, and a high tech Closing Ceremony. The Five jumped into the activities head-first and had a tremendous time all week.
The Five have had an extraordinary year in DI, discovering how to work together as a team while having fun at the same time. Reflecting about the whole experience, Sophia stated, “The entire experience was fun and I hope to be able to go again.” Nick also reflected on the year by sharing, “I remember starting out the season not knowing anything about improvisation, but with great coaches and teamwork, we learned so much that we made it to DI Globals. It was so surprising and exciting! And I now have the ability to think quickly on my feet, a skill that will help me throughout life.”
The Five, all of whom are now students at Lebanon Middle School, extend their gratitude to the community members, friends, family, businesses, and organizations that made the trip to Knoxville possible. Is The Five teaming up again this year? We don’t know. What is known is that these kids who came together to share a unique experience will not soon forget it.
Wendi Grant has lived in Eastman’s West Cove for 18 years. She is employed at DartmouthHitchcock’s Women’s Health Resource Center in Lebanon, NH.
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