One of the most colorful and exciting events of the school year will unfold this weekend at the Denver Destination ImagiNation Competition Friday evening, April 12, and Saturday, April 13 at George Washington High School. The school is located at 655 S. Monaco.

Imagine this: 140 teams, comprised of students in elementary, middle, and high school, scheduled to participate in this annual creative problem solving competition.

Destination ImagiNation is an international organization that encourages student participants to stretch their minds and think outside the box to develop creative solutions to five different challenges. Students spend months researching, writing scripts, building props, designing and making costumes, learning to think on their feet, and practicing their solutions to prepare for this competition.

The top three teams in each challenge and division will be invited to participate in the Colorado Destination ImagiNation Competition at the University of Denver on April 27.

There, teams will vie for the right to represent the state at the Global Finals Competition at the University of Tennessee in late May.

Observers are welcome in the Team Challenge portion of the competition and will be treated to solutions and creativity beyond their wildest dreams. The Team Challenges the students have been preparing for are:

It's Your Move, asks teams to create a theme and playing pieces for a game in which a vehicle serving as a "Game Piece" moves an "Object Delivery Device" to four locations on a giant game board. From each of those locations, the "Object Delivery Device" must deliver three objects to a "Receiver." The path the vehicle must travel is different each time the game is played.

For On Holiday, teams create comic escapades in a humorous presentation about vacation adventures in a nation other than their own. Humor, drama, and enhancement may collide when travelers express wildly different interpretations as they explore the heart and heritage of a new "DestiNation."

In Dual DI-lemma, teams design, build and test two structures using contrasting materials and contrasting construction methods. One of the structures is built prior to the tournament and is constructed out of balsa wood, paper, and glue. The other structure is built in the Construction Zone at the tournament and is constructed out of balsa wood and duct tape. The team will also present a performance illustrating two contrasting segments.

In the competition called StranDId!, teams present a performance in which the characters must work together to resolve their dilemma. Isolated in a stranded situation and unable to use electric power of any kind, the characters must use a team-invented mechanical device to cope with their situation. By skillfully adapting everyday items to use in new ways, and with the help of a humorous character, the team will bring its predicament to a happy conclusion.

For Art of Improv, teams create an improvisational performance the day of the tournament. Team members have researched famous artwork, explorations, and improvisational techniques. Just prior to their 30-minute Studio time, they will randomly select on artwork, exploration, and improvisational technique as well as a surprise situation. During their Studio time, they will combine those four ingredients with ten prop items listed in the Challenge description to create their performance.

In addition to these Team Challenges, students have been practicing to prepare themselves for the second part of the competition, the Instant Challenge. Teams will be given a surprise problem for which they will have a short amount of time to prepare and present a solution. Observers are not allowed in this portion of the competition.

Tournament officials will be headquartered during the competition in the Community Room on the first floor at George Washington.

Contact Becky Muggli, DPS Gifted and Talented Department, 303-405-8274 for more information.