The six-member Piedmont team "The Blobs" and the five-member Piedmont-Oakland team "Different Rocks" -- coached by Piedmont volunteer Jennifer Hughes -- are participating in the May 26-29 competition.

"The Blobs" include Piedmont fifth-graders Joshua Barza, Willi Basset, Mason Heller, Cloe Holden, Hannah Pinkham and Larkin Smith. The "Different Rocks" team members are Piedmont High School freshmen Emily Birnbaum and Megan McLetchie, Piedmont eighth-graders Maya Viavant and Rebecca Smith and Oakland student Suraya Omar.

"Competition in Destination ImagiNation is a huge undertaking," said Piedmont coordinator and parent Virginia O'Rourke. "The teams have to take entire sets, their costumes and props to the tournaments -- not to mention the enormous effort they've already put forth in preparing for the competition."

Destination ImagiNation, referred to as "DI" among members, is a spin-off of the competitive educational program Odyssey of the Mind, in which students solve problems by building mechanical devices, interpreting literary classics and the like.

"Destination ImagiNation is different," said Hughes. "It's ... done by students in 47 states and 15 countries."

"At the regional tournament, we took four first-place finishes," said O'Rourke, estimating that nearly 20 teams competed at the regional level. "Those four teams moved on to the state tournament in Clovis on April 17."

The four teams were Piedmont Middle Schools' "The Happy Go-Lucky Cowpokes," coached by Piedmont parents Judy Rosloff; "The Bella Babes," coached by Piedmont volunteer Bonnie Clare; "The Blobs;" and "Different Rocks."

Teams choose a central challenge from among five offered each August. They work for six months on an imaginative and unique solution to the challenge by conducting research, learning new skills, building props, making costumes, and writing and perfecting a visually exciting skit.

"They're phenomenal," said Hughes. "'The Blobs' and 'Different Rocks' chose the same challenge, 'Cartoon Dimensions.'"

The students came up with the skit, costumes, dialogue, and other elements -- such as team-generated sound, visual and special effects, explained O'Rourke.

"They wrote the original cartoon," said Hughes. "They created the story and brought it to life."

Another part of the contest, the "Instant Challenge," takes less than 15 minutes," said O'Rourke. The teams "enter a room and are judged on their ability to build something or do a skit together, with no advance knowledge of the challenge. They are given points for clever responses," she said.

Reach Cindee de la Vara at cdelavara@cctimes.com or call (510) 748-1684.

Contra Costa Times
Knight Ridder
(925) 943-8270
www.contracostatimes.com