Seven Fifth Graders Win First Place DI Award

A group of fifth graders took home top honors in an international competition.
The team with their managers in front of one of their hand-painted sets. They researched Chinese art and culture for inspiration.

The Permanent Markers are making a name for themselves. The fifth graders that make up Oakwood Elementary School’s Destination Imagination (DI) team caught a taste for winning when they received fourth place at the 2011 DI International Competition. But this year, they catapulted to first place this past May in Knoxville, Tenn.

The seven students from Plymouth had the challenge of creating and performing live a four-minute movie trailer that showcased characters interacting from two different cultures. They had to include a visual theatrical effect, a custom soundtrack and two additional elements of their choice.

“They set out with expectations that they were going to take their ideas and push them to make them more unique,” says Tricia Davidson, one of the team’s co-managers and a parent of a team member. “They pushed themselves to bring those ideas to life.”

DI allows students to compete in a creative problem solving environment. The Permanent Markers have been together for two years and are undecided if they will come back next year.