Destination Imagination is the world's largest creative problem-solving program for students, reaching 150,000+ participants in 30+ countries every year.
Teams of up to 7 students choose a challenge, create a solution over several months, then present it at tournaments.
Up to 7 students, a Team Manager (adult coach)
Technical, Scientific, Engineering, Fine Arts, Improv, or Service
Design, build, script, rehearse over 4-5 months
Present at Regional, State, and Global Finals
Adults CANNOT help with the challenge solution. No adult can touch, build, design, or create any part of the team's project. This is 100% student work - coaches facilitate, not create.
Teams have a strict budget for materials (typically $150). This teaches resourcefulness, prioritization, and creative use of inexpensive materials to achieve ambitious goals.
Presentations are typically 8 minutes. Teams must fit their entire story, technical elements, and performance into this window. Every second counts!
There's no single "right answer." Teams are judged on creativity, technical innovation, teamwork, and how well they meet challenge requirements. Originality wins.
Each season, DI releases new challenges. Teams pick one to work on all season. We specialize in the Technical Challenge.
Blend engineering and theatrical arts. Build technical mechanisms that integrate into a live performance. Requires mechanical design, automation, and creative storytelling working together. This is what Trailblazers do best!
Apply scientific concepts to solve a challenge. Research, experiment, and present findings through a creative performance.
Design and build structures or devices that solve engineering problems while integrating them into a story.
Create original works of art, theater, music, or dance that tell a story and incorporate specific challenge requirements.
Think on your feet! Create and perform scenes spontaneously based on prompts given at the tournament. No preparation allowed.
Identify a community need, implement a real service project, then present the journey and impact through a creative performance.
Teams advance through up to three levels of competition.
February. Compete against local teams in your region. Top teams advance to State.
March. Texas Lone Star Finals. Best teams from all regions compete. Top qualifiers advance to Global Finals.
May. Teams from 30+ countries compete. The ultimate DI experience. Trailblazers competed here in 2026!
At every tournament, teams also face Instant Challenges - quick-fire team problems solved in minutes with no preparation.
Given a scenario, perform a skit or solve a problem through acting - all improvised on the spot.
Build something in minutes with limited materials that meets specific criteria (e.g., tallest tower, longest bridge).
Both build AND perform! Create a prop and use it in a creative performance - all under time pressure.
About $150 per student for the season (covers team registration and shared materials). Travel costs for State or Global Finals are additional if the team qualifies.
Weekly practices (~2 hours, usually Sundays) plus some independent project work at home. Intensity increases closer to tournaments. Most students find it very manageable alongside school and other activities.
DI has levels for all ages. Our team (Trailblazers) competes at the Secondary Level, which is open to middle and high school students. We're part of Fort Bend ISD.
Absolutely not! Teams need all kinds of skills - art, storytelling, building, organizing, performing. Many of our best members started with zero technical experience and learned everything on the team.
One adult serves as Team Manager (facilitator). They help with logistics, scheduling, and keeping the team on track - but they CANNOT help with the actual challenge solution. Parents help with transportation and support, but the work is all student-driven.
Yes, but in a healthy way! Teams compete at tournaments, but the real value is in the creative process, skills learned, and teamwork developed. Many teams focus on the journey, not just the placement.