The Feb. 15 Blue Crab Region Destination Imagination Tournament challenged Charles County students to use creativity, critical thinking skills and talent to solve one of six challenges in the academic contest. The tournament — held at North Point High School — featured technical, scientific, fine arts, improvisational, engineering and service-learning challenges. The technical challenge asked students to complete tasks using engineering, research, strategic planning and related skills. Students explore and apply engineering skills and tools to design and build solutions to specific applications in the engineering challenge. The scientific challenge meshes the curiosity of scientific research with the creative expression of performance art. The fine arts challenge called for students to develop acting and creative skills through artistic media, theater arts, scriptwriting and prop design. The improvisational challenge focuses on research, spontaneity and storytelling, while the service-learning challenge encouraged students to engage in public service to address community issues. Twelve prekindergarten through second grade teams took part in the Early Learning Challenge, a noncompetitive meet where students learn to work together, experience the creative process and make new friends. The regional tournament also featured an Instant Challenge requiring teams to engage in quick, creative and critical thinking. Jason Falkler, a sixth-grade student at Milton M. Somers Middle School, designed the Blue Crab Destination Imagination Regional T-shirt and program cover. Thomas Stone High School students in the ProStart: Food and Beverage Management program manned the CTE Express Food Bus to provide concessions at the event. The Maryland Destination Imagination Tournament is Saturday, March 15, at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). Charles County teams that advance to the state level are:

Breaking Point —Technical Challenge • Elementary: Billingsley Elementary School, Billingsley Believers, first place; Malcolm Elementary School, Malcolm Tech Monkeys, second place; and J.P. Ryon Elementary School, Ryon Amazing Cardinals, third place. Worlds Beyond — Scientific Challenge • Elementary: St. Mary’s Bryantown School, SMB Space Explorers, first place; Arthur Middleton Elementary School, Middleton Supreme Masters, second place; C. Paul 2 Barnhart Elementary School, Barnhart Science Solar Surprise, third place; and William A. Diggs Elementary School, Diggs Mighty Scientists, fourth place. • Middle: Piccowaxen Middle School, Picco Pioneers of the PBJ Planet, first place; Somers, Somers SuperStars, second place; Benjamin Stoddert Middle School, Stoddert Solarists, third place; and Archbishop Neale School, ANS Imagineers, fourth place. • High: North Point, NPHS Third Try’s the Charm, first place. Less is More — Fine Arts Challenge • Elementary: St. Mary’s Bryantown, SMB Dream Team, first place; Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy Elementary School, Mt. Hope Wild Ones, second place; Diggs, Diggs Black Panthers, third place; and Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School, Higdon Dino Nuggets, fourth place. • Middle: Henson, MHMS Huskies, first place. Are We There Yet? — Improvisational Challenge • Elementary: Billingsley, Billingsley Imaginators, first place; T.C. Martin Elementary School, T.C. Martin Chaos Makers, second place; Barnhart, Barnhart Ace of Hearts, third place; Martin, T.C. Martin Performing Ligers, fourth place (tie); and Mary B. Neal Elementary School, Neal Travelers, fourth place (tie). • Middle: St. Mary’s Bryantown, SMB Wildfires, first place. • High: Henry E. Lackey High School, Lackey Lollipops, first place. High-Wire Act — Engineering Challenge • Elementary: St. Mary’s Bryantown, SMB Rise of the Screams, first place; Dr. James Craik Elementary School, Craik Built Different, second place; Craik, Craik Fortune, third place; and Gale-Bailey Elementary School, Gale-Bailey Challengers, fourth place. • Middle: Theodore G. Davis Middle School, Davis Innovators, first place. This or That — Service Learning • Elementary: Craik, Craik Cracklers, first place; and Mt. Hope, Mt. Hope Ninja Beavers, second place. • Middle: Somers, Somers Curbside Chickens, first place. The competition also awards teams for standout accomplishments. The Picco Pioneers of the PBJ Planet of Piccowaxen was given the Renaissance Award. The accolade is bestowed for displaying outstanding skill in the areas of design, engineering, execution or performance. The Spirit of DI Award was given to the Mt. Hope Beavers for acting as superior role models in the areas of spirit, teamwork, sportsmanship or volunteerism.

Other teams placed at the district contest but did not advance to the state competition. Craik’s team, Craik Sunflowers, earned fifth place in the elementary-level Worlds Beyond Challenge while the Henson Huskies of Matthew Henson Middle School placed fifth in the Worlds Beyond Challenge in the middle school division. The Dr. Brown’s Ocean Water Clean Up team of Dr. Gustavus Brown Elementary School came in fifth place in the Less in More Challenge with the Neal team of Neal Stars took sixth. For the Are We There Yet? Challenge, the Middleton Owls placed fifth, Craik GOATS took sixth and the Gale-Bailey Stars were seventh in the elementary-level. The Diggs Lightning Kings placed fifth with Eva Turner 3 Elementary School’s Turner Tiger Engineers taking sixth in the High-Wire Act Challenge among elementary schools.