KNOXVILLE — The University of Tennessee’s Department of Conferences invites Tennesseans to see some of the world’s brightest young creative thinkers and problem solvers in action during Destination ImagiNation’s annual Global Finals competition in Knoxville.
Destination ImagiNation is the world’s largest creative problem-solving program for young people from kindergarten through college.
UT will host a special Tennessee DI Day beginning at 10 a.m. Friday, May 26, at the downtown Knoxville Convention Center for parents, educators and others interested in learning more about creativity and analytical-thinking skills for youth. Free lunch and parking will be provided.
Educators, parents, professional trainers and researchers will share a brief overview of the DI program and how it can benefit young people. Participants will then be given lunch tickets, allowing them to join the DI teams for a festive outdoor lunch.
Following lunch, participants can spend as much time as they like observing the DI teams as they compete for the title of global champions.
The DI Global Finals is expected to attract more than 8,000 youth participants and 6,000 spectators from across the United States and a dozen foreign countries to the UT campus and the Knoxville Convention Center. The event dates are May 24-27.
UT has hosted DI’s Global Finals since 1991 and has a long-term commitment to host the event through 2012.
“Global Finals is the climactic conclusion of an eight- to 12-week program that encourages students to create solutions to problems that most adults would deem daunting, but their participation in the Destination ImagiNation program, in its entirety, helps each student develop self-awareness and a heightened sense of the world around them,” said Robert Gibbs, UT director of conferences.
Participation in Tennessee DI Day is free, but pre-registration is required by visiting www.DITennessee.utk.edu or calling (865) 974-0250. For security purposes, participants must provide a photo ID at check-in.
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Contacts:
Darrin M. Devault, Outreach & Continuing Education Marketing (865-974-0270) devaultd@outreach.utk.edu
Beth Gladden, UT Media Relations
(865-974-9008) beth.gladden@tennessee.edu
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