Thinking Outside the Box: JFK Students Embrace Creativity and Teamwork through Destination Imagination
For the first time, our 4th and 5th graders are participating in Destination Imagination, a global educational program that fosters creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills in children. In their weekly class, students collaborate to brainstorm ideas, design solutions, and present their final projects. Destination Imagination helps them develop critical thinking, overcome obstacles, and find creative solutions. Ana Juárez, the teacher responsible for the class, explains the class dynamics: “Students take on instant challenges lasting from 4 to 8 minutes, which fall into two types: task-based or performance-based. Afterward, they reflect on three questions: What did your team accomplish? What was the most challenging part? What can you improve for the next challenge?” According to Ana, the most important lessons include not only the use of materials and critical thinking skills but also the development of social and self-management skills, such as effective communication, r