Mission & History

To be the global leader in teaching the creative process from imagination to innovation.

To develop opportunities that inspire the global community of learners to utilize diverse approaches in applying 21st century skills and creativity.

The Destination Imagination program encourages teams of learners to have fun, take risks, focus and frame challenges while incorporating STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), the arts, and service learning. Our participants learn patience, flexibility, persistence, ethics, respect for others and their ideas, and the collaborative problem solving process. Teams may showcase their solutions at tournaments.

Destination Imagination, Inc. is a non-profit, volunteer-led, cause-driven organization. We are cause-driven to inspire and equip students to become the next generation of innovators and leaders.

Our organization was incorporated in 1982, when we took over the charter for OM Association, Inc. In 1999, our name was changed to Destination Imagination, Inc. Since then, our non-profit has impacted more than a million participants. Approximately 125,000 youth make friends and learn the creative process through our programs every year and 38,000 volunteers support us!

All of our programs are Challenge-based, and they teach the creative process from imagination to innovation. Our goal is to help student teams learn to be creative in every aspect of their lives.

Our Challenge program is our most popular offering. At the start of the season, teams choose one of seven Challenges. After weeks spent creating, developing and practicing their solutions, they go to a local tournament. Top-scoring teams advance to state or country tournaments. The top level of the tournament is our Global Finals—the world’s largest celebration of creativity.

Our programs are developed annually to ensure they are relevant and align to National Education Standards, STEM standards, ELA Common Core Standards and Mathematics Common Core Standards. Every year, with the help of parent volunteers, educators, and subject matter experts, we design new and exciting Challenges for student teams to solve.