Creativity Expo Enchants, Inspires Haddonfield Students

Patch Staff Report

The sky was not the limit for seven Haddonfield students who were greeted by Astronaut Buzz Aldrin at welcoming ceremonies for an international creativity competition this May.

Aldrin and four active astronauts were all-star guests of the 2015 Destination Imagination Global Finals held at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville on May 20-23.

Central Elementary students Matty Cavanna and Caroline Potts, Haddonfield Middle School students Danny Cavanna, Olivia Hilgen, Lianne Gormley-Devine and Kathryn Potts and Haddonfield Memorial High School student and Elizabeth Hilgen attended the event as ambassadors from Haddonfield.

The event was sponsored by Disney. Haddonfield resident Chuck Cadle is the CEO of the nonprofit organization Destination Imagination.

Called the world’s largest celebration of creativity, more than 17,000 people, including more than 8,000 students from across the U.S. and 17 countries, attended the finals this year. The event takes over the University of Tennessee campus, the convention centers and about 25 hotels in Knoxville.

The opening ceremony featured NASA astronauts, a parade of nations and states, a Broadway singer with an aerial acrobat team, a confetti drop, a laser show and a performance by pop group Exchange.

Haddonfield students took part in some of the more than 135 specialty courses held during the event.

Classes ran the gamut from a hands-on graffiti class taught by a street artist to robotics, 3D printing and Broadway dance and stage fighting. Workshops taught by Disney professionals were a favorite of Haddonfield students.

Exhibitors included NASA, National Geographic, Microsoft, 3M and Scholastic Inc. In an under-the-stars screening, National Geographic previewed its movie “Robots”.

Students also took part in Duct Tape Ball, in which thousands of participants wore costumes made of duct tape to an Exchange concert.

Haddonfield students had two buddy teams, one from Shanghai, China and another from Portland, Oregon.

The vision of DI is to be the global leader in teaching the creative process from imagination to innovation.

Destination Imagination’s mission is to develop opportunities that inspire the global community of learners to utilize diverse approaches in applying 21st century skills and creativity.

“The Destination Imagination Program allows students kindergarten through university students to learn and experience the creative process. Quantitative reasoning, problem solving, risk taking, collaboration, presentations and thinking on your feet are some of the important skills learned in the program,” Cadle said.

Cadle is an expert in science, technology, engineering, arts and math education (STEAM) as well as 21st Century learning skills.

“This event is about more than the competition aspect,” Cadle said. “It is about providing students with the opportunity to learn from other cultures, while exploring their passions – from animation to space exploration – and improving their creative problem solving skills.”

For more than 30 years, DI has helped more than 1.5 million kids tap into their creativity and learn the skills they need to build successful careers.