From left: Sophie Saloman, Vivian Lin, Alex Kingsley, Walker Smith, Chris Rabasa, Chet Hunter, Jack Hanchett, Landon Smith, Juliet Kingsley, Lucy Coulson, Jenna Reilly, Lauren O’Donnell, Bridgett Bucci, Audrey Geis, Emma Graham, Chloe Horner and Rachel Wang. Not pictured, Jeffrey Dodson.

After winning honors in regional and state tournaments, three Henley Middle School teams have earned the right to travel to Destination ImagiNation’s Global Finals—the largest creative thinking and problem solving competition in the world—to be held May 23-26 at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Destination ImagiNation, Inc. is a non-profit organization that provides educational programs for students to learn and experience creativity, teamwork, problem solving, and improvisation with more than 125,000 students participating in the United States and 30 countries around the world. The Henley teams are among more than 8,000 students representing 1,200 teams that will advance to Global Finals.

Henley team members include eighth graders Alex Kingsley, Walker Smith, Vivian Lin, Sophie Salomon, Chet Hunter and Chris Rabasa, coached by John Kingsley; sixth graders Landon Smith, Juliet Kingsley, Lucy Coulson, Jeffrey Dodson, Jenna Reilly and  Jack Hanchett, coached by Debbie Smith; and sixth graders Audrey Geis, Lauren O’Donnell, Bridgett Bucci, Rachel Wang, Emma Graham and Chloe Horner, coached by George Geis.

“DI is an extra-curricular activity where the students work after school and on weekends from October through March to solve the requirements of their Challenge,” explained team manager Smith. “Participants solve challenges through their unique hands-on experiences in one of seven difficult, open-ended challenges that require youth to apply science, technology, engineering and math as well as improvisation, theatre arts, writing, project management, communication, innovation, teamwork and community service challenges.”

The greatest challenge the Henley teams face is funding for their participation at Globals.  All costs to compete are the responsibility of the team members, with entry fees alone exceeding $13,000.  Fundraising events will be conducted throughout May and community support would be greatly appreciated. For private donations, please contact Teresa Goodin at tgoodin@k12albemarle.org, or Henley Middle School at 434-823-4393.

The Fasteroni Thinkers, another local Destiniation ImagiNation team, held a car wash on April 28 to raise money for their own trip to Globals. The team, which was founded at Brownsville, has been together three years. When some students transfered schools, the group chose to continue as an independent team. This is their second time making it to Globals. PIctured above from left to right are Isabelle Brown (Brownsville), Kella Meier (Village School), Everette McConville (Brownsville), Rowan Breen (Village School), Julia Douvas (Brownsville), and Annie Meenan (Brownsville). Not pictured: Thomas Cunningham (STAB)