What We Are All About
Find your Talents
Uncover abilities you never knew you had.
Learn by Creating
Make cool things! Have fun! Discover new possibilities!
Compete for Fun
Show off what you’ve created and see what other teams have done!
Are you a DIer? Get the latest information for your Region.
What the Kids Do
Our Program
Teams of 2-7 kids join together to discover their creativity and solve one of our amazing Challenges! Then, they can show off their extraordinary solutions at our Tournaments.
What People Are Saying
- I owe much of who I am today to the DI program and cannot thank enough the people who made the program possible while I was a participant.
Kelsey ADI Alabama Alum - Both of my sons participated in DI many years ago and both thoroughly enjoyed it! It was such an enriching opportunity for them – creative, energetic, and empowering.
Nicole SParent - The best thing that I have taken away from all of my experiences with DI is the endless memories I have made, especially the ones that include my DI team, the Ninja Chickens.
Shannon KAppraiser and DI Alum - As a Team Manager, watching the process the kids go through to reach their final “destination” is truly an eye opening, mind-boggling experience. I have never ceased to be amazed at what can be created when they are left to their own devices and imagination.
Debbie HTeam Manager - DI introduced me to a wacky world without limits – the challenges pushed me to re-imagine the ordinary and to discover new possibilities/direction for my own future.
Lierin MDI Alabama Alum - There’s always more than one solution!
Jimmie NDI Alabama Alum/Appraiser
Our Exciting Challenges for 2016-17
Teams complete tasks by using engineering, research, strategic planning and related skills.
Show and Tech
Technical
Combines the research and curiosity of science with the thrill and creativity of the theater arts.
Top Secret
Scientific
Teams flex their creative muscles to
create stories, design props, and perform on stage.
Vanished
Fine Arts
It’s all about spontaneity and storytelling! Teams receive topics and produce skits right on the spot.
3-Peat
Improvisation
Teams design, build and test load-bearing structures out of specific materials.
In It Together
Structural
Teams engage in public service to address real-life community issues.
Ready, Willing, and Fable
Service Learning
Younger kids (PreK-2nd Grade) work together, make new friends, and discover the Creative Process.
Save the Day
Early Learning
Think fast and use creative and critical thinking. You have to think on your feet to solve a challenge in just five to eight minutes.
Instant Challenge
Short-Term Problem Solving
Important Events
Instant Challenge Festival
January 2110:00am-2:30pm
Helena Middle School
Helena, AL
Northern Region Tournament
February 258:00am-4:00pm
TBA
Madison, AL
Central Region Tournament
March 48:00am-3:30pm
Helena Middle School
Helena, AL
State Tournament
April 158:00am-5:00pm
University of Alabama in Huntsville
Huntsville, AL
Training & Workshops
Team Manager/Coordinator Training – North Region: October 15 | Bob Jones High School | 8:30am
Team Manager/Coordinator Training – Central Region: October 29 | Oak Mountain High School | 8:30am
Appraiser Training – North Region: February 24th | TBA | 6-9pm
Appraiser Training – Central Region: March 3rd | Helena Middle School | 6-9pm
Join in the Creativity
Volunteer Opportunities
Are you ready to jump in to support our creative movement? We have many ways for you to join in the fun!
Answer our call and start your adventure!
News & Updates
Technical Challenge
Show and Tech
The Technical Challenge prompts students to complete tasks by using engineering, research, strategic planning and related skills.
Points of Interest
- Present a show that includes an opening act and a headlining act.
- Design and build a stage on which the acts will take place and that will move a team member from one location to another.
- Enhance each act with a technical effect to amaze the audience.
- Create and present two Team Choice Elements that show off the team’s interest, skills, areas of strength, and talents.
Scientific Challenge
Top Secret
Our Scientific Challenge blends the research and curiosity of science with the thrill and creativity of the theater arts.
Points of Interest
- Create and present a story about a secret mission.
- Research and apply methods from cryptography and steganography to reveal secret messages.
- Design and create a gadget that appears to be an everyday item.
- Create and integrate a disguised character into the story.
- Create and present two Team Choice Elements that show off the team’s interests, skills, areas of strength, and talents.
Fine Arts Challenge
Vanished
Our Fine Arts Challenge has students flex their acting and creative muscles as they experiment with different types of artistic media and theater arts, write scripts and design props.
Points of Interest
- Research the meanings, roles and uses of colors.
- Present a story about how the disappearance of a color changes the world.
- Create a colorful character that is involved with the color’s disappearance.
- Use technical theater methods to create a vanishing act.
- Create and present two Team Choice Elements that show off the team’s interests, skills, areas of strength, and talents.
Improvisational Challenge
3-Peat
Our Improvisational Challenge is all about spontaneity and storytelling. Teams receive topics and produce skits right on the spot.
Points of Interest
- Create three improvisational skits from the same story prompt.
- Present each skit in a different performance genre.
- Portray a different stock character in each skit.
- Enhance each skit with props.
Engineering Challenge
In It Together
Our Engineering Challenge asks teams to design, build and test load-bearing structures out of specific materials.
Points of Interest
- Design, build and test multiple free-standing structures that work together.
- Develop a strategy for placing structures to support as much weight as possible.
- Develop and present a collaborative solution to a global issue.
- Create and present two Team Choice Elements that highlight the team’s interests, skills, areas of strength, and talents.
Service Learning / Project Outreach® Challenge
Ready, Willing, and Fable
Our Service Learning Challenge is designed to engage students in public service to address real-life community issues.
Points of Interest
- Identify, design, plan and carry out a project that addresses a real community need.
- Create a live presentation of a team-created fable that integrates information about the project.
- Include an impact prop and a character that changes appearance.
- Create and present two Team Choice Elements that show off the team’s interests, skills, areas of strength, and talents.
Early Learning / Rising Stars® Challenge
Save the Day
Our Rising Stars! for Early Learners Challenge offers simple experiences with the creative process, and it gives young kids (preschool through 2nd grade) a place to work together and make new friends.
Points of Interest
- Learn about simple and complex machines.
- Use simple machines to create and build a new invention.
- Create a play that tells a story about how the new invention helps to save the day.
- Create props, scenery and costumes to help tell the story.
Instant Challenge
Instant Challenge
Think fast and use creative and critical thinking. You have to think on your feet to solve a challenge in just five to eight minutes.
Points of Interest
- Instant Challenges require teams to engage in quick, creative and critical thinking. At a tournament, a team will receive an Instant Challenge and the materials with which to solve it. The team members must think on their feet by applying appropriate skills to produce a solution in a period of just five to eight minutes.
- In a world with growing cultural connections, increased levels and types of communication, and a new need for real-time teamwork and problem solving, the ability to solve problems quickly is becoming increasingly critical.
- Instant Challenges are performance-based, task-based, or a combination of the two. Although each Instant Challenge has different requirements, all Instant Challenges reward teams for their teamwork and the creativity of their solutions. Instant Challenges are kept confidential through the day of the Tournament.