Team Rosetta Rocks rehearses for Destination Imagination competition. L to R: Jacob Lightford, Nathanael Hur, Chris Randall and Audrey Cameron.

Two trophies on the first try!

On March 1, four teams from the Peace & Justice Academy (PAJA) participated in their first Destination Imagination (DI) Competition. The two high school teams, PAJApocalypse and Rosetta Rock, qualified for the state competition on March 29, in Riverside, CA. It was the first time the Academy has participated in the DI Competition.

Erin Conley, the school’s high school English teacher, explained that once a team decides to participate, they choose one long-term challenge from a standards-based list — Technical, Scientific, Fine Arts, Improvisational, Structural or Service Learning — and begin to work on solving it, using the creative process. The PAJA students started working on their solution in September. Part of the emphasis in developing the team is discovering and then using team member strengths. For example, Rosetta Rock’s team members include Chris Randall who creates origami, and Jacob Lightford and Nathanael Hur who both play guitar. So their team solution to the structural challenge involved origami and an original song. Team PAJApocalypse chose the scientific challenge.

In addition to presenting the solution to their long-term challenge at the competition, each team is given an instant challenge and five to eight minutes to come up with a solution. “All these challenges teach teamwork, encouraging students to work creatively, productively, and cooperatively,” says Conley.

Susan Cameron, who approached the school with the idea of forming teams, thought that the mission of Destination Imagination nicely complemented the mission of the Peace & Justice Academy. PAJA teaches skills that will enable students to work on solving the world’s problems. Destination Imagination has done much the same thing for 32 years. The idea behind both programs is to teach students how to think, not what to think.

Should the high school teams take first in the state competition, they will be headed to Knoxville, TN for the Global Finals. The two middle school teams were coached by parents Kathy Selders and Robert Bailey, and the two high school teams were coached by Cameron and Conley.

The Peace & Justice Academy is composed of a Middle School and the nation’s first Interfaith High School.

The Peace & Justice Academy, 2033 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena, (626) 345-0504 or visit www.thepeaceacademy.org.