Three Wakefield Siblings Take Home Top Prize at Destination ImagiNation Global Finals

A team of three Wakefield siblings took home the top prize at the Destination ImagiNation global finals in Knoxville, Tenn., besting more than 100,000 other competitors from 30 countries who take part annually.

Jean-Luc (11 years old), Natasha (9) and Kathleen Lupien (7), who call themselves ‘The 3 Little Wolves,’ were recognized by the Wakefield School Committee on Wednesday night for the win. 

Destination ImagiNation is a non-profit organization that provides educational programs for students to learn and experience creativity, teamwork and problem solving. The core program is an after-school activity where students work together to solve “mind-bending challenges” and then present their solutions at tournaments.

“I think it’s a really great program and more people should do it,” said Jean-Luc. “We’re actually the first team in Wakefield so we’d like to encourage other people to start a new team in Wakefield.”

The siblings, who are home schooled, first advanced through a regional stage in Beverly and a state stage before reaching the global finals in Knoxville. On Wednesday night, they explained to the committee what their experience at the global finals was like, and what kind of challenges they had to complete in order to win.

The Challenges
Three challenges comprised the global finals. The first was to build a structure out of specific materials that could hold the most weight, the second was to build and set up a mini-portable theater and then perform a skit, and the last was an instant challenge - not known in advance - which was designed to test the competitors’ ability to spontaneously solve the presented task.

The team’s most impressive results came in the first challenge. The challenge featured heavy engineering constraints; the structure could weigh no more than 25 grams, and had to be built out of aluminum foil, wood and glue. The final score favored the lightest structure that held the most amount of weight.

The 3 Little Wolves built a structure that only weighed 16 grams and supported a preposterous 990 pounds.

To put that into perspective, a dollar bill only weighs one gram, so their structure, weighing the equivalent of 16 one-dollar bills, would have been able to support the weight of three men the size of NBA All-Star and former Boston Celtic Shaquille O’Neal before collapsing.

Adding to the team’s accomplishment is the fact that they went into the competition with a severe numbers disadvantage. The competition allowed for teams of up to seven members, so the three siblings were often competing against teams with more than double their manpower.

Regardless, the siblings found the global finals to be a great experience, highlighting the chance to meet other kids from all over the world, including places like China, Poland and Brazil, among many others.

Congrats to the Winners
The team was congratulated by the School Committee, who presented each of the siblings with a certificate of achievement. Members of the committee also remarked on the size of the trophy that the students brought along with them.

“I hope the camera gets a picture of that big trophy you’ve got there,” said chairman Lisa Butler.

“I think you’ll have to use a very wide screen,” said a smiling Jean-Luc without missing a beat.