• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

  • Home
  • Advertise
    • Advertise in One or All of our Magazines
    • Advertising Payment Form
  • Print Subscription
  • Digital Subscription
    • Subscribe
    • Subscriber Login
  • Contact Us

Imagination

Destination Imagination Team Places First at Regional Competition

April 18, 2018 by The Inside Press

Top row: Lisa Shaiken (coach), Zachary Harpaz, Sidney Magliari, Alex Brandoff, Tara Brandoff (coach)
Bottom Row: Riddhi Goenka, Alyssa Rose, Henry McEvoy, Jenna Shaiken

Chappaqua’s first Destination Imagination (DI) team comprised of seven Chappaqua 6th graders recently placed first in their category at a regional competition held in Ossining. In addition to winning first place the team called the Pirates received an honorary award–the DaVinci Award –for a creative solution that combined art and science.   

Of the seven main challenge category types, the Pirates competed in the Technical challenge–in which they had to design and build a maze traveler that, using any technical method, could complete one of eight possible mazes.  The maze was chosen two minutes before their performance, and while their traveler completed the maze, the team had to tell a story about the traveler’s voyage, have the traveler remove an object from the maze using a technical method, and transform a prop using a technical method. Additionally, the Pirates had to include two elements in their presentation that showed off a team member’s specific skill or interest.

To complete the challenge, the team’s maze traveler was a stripped down remote control car which they hacked its receiver, electronic speed control and steering servo. They attached an Arduino chip to the receiver and coded the chip to control the car instead of its normal controller. Then, they attached a Bluetooth controller so that we can send instructions through an iPhone. They developed a C++ driving program that lets them send a string of commands to the car based on the maze. The car was then able to fully navigate itself in an autopilot mode.

The Pirates won their tournament on April 7 in Binghamton and they’ll be representing New York State by competing at the global level in May.

Lisa Shaiken, one of the team’s coaches was first exposed to DI when her daughter, Jenna, was in 4th grade. She went to school in another district which offered this program as an after school activity.  “Jenna was super excited about trying it and begged me to be her team’s coach. It was a wonderful experience and our team won the regional, state and made it to the global competition,” noted Shaiken.

“I learned more about myself and discovered things about myself that I didn’t know. This has really given me more confidence and I’m more open to sharing my opinions and listening to others,” explained Jenna Shaiken, a sixth grader at Seven Bridges Middle School and team member. Another participant, Alyssa Rose said,“I’ve learned that teamwork is incredibly important if you want to accomplish something.”

Filed Under: Cover Stories Tagged With: Contest, destination, first place, Imagination, Science, tournament, Winner

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Over 350 Students From 31 Schools Attend 21st Annual Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center High School Institute at Iona University
  • Greeley Boys Swim & Dive Team Wins State Championship Title Second Year in a Row
  • Chabad Center Invitation to a Community Passover Seder: “Don’t Pass Over Passover!”
  • New Castle Fire District No. 1 Announces Bond Referendum to be Held April 25
  • Don’t Resist JUST DESSERTS at the Chappaqua Performing Arts Center April 28-30
  • When There’s A Dog in Your Life

Please Visit

Chappaqua School Foundation
White Plains Hospital
William Raveis – Armonk
William Raveis – Chappaqua
Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival
Houlihan Lawrence – Chappaqua
Houlihan Lawrence – Armonk
Houlihan Lawrence – Briarcliff
Westchester Table Tennis
Compass: Miller-Goldenberg Team
Armonk Tennis Club
Raveis: Stacey Sporn
Compass: Natalia Wixom
Temple Beth El
Mathenasium
Compass: Aurora Banaszek
Boys & Girls Club
JRL Land Surveying
King Street Creatives
Briarcliff Manor Dentist – Allan Miller
Houlihan Lawrence – Rusminka Rose Jakaj

Follow our Social Media

The Inside Press

Our Latest Issues

For a full reading of our current edition, or to obtain a copy or subscription, please contact us.

Inside Chappaqua Inside Armonk Inside Pleasantville

Join Our Mailing List


Search Inside Press

Links

  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Subscription
  • Print Subscription

Footer

Support The Inside Press

Advertising

Print Subscription

Digital Subscription

Categories

Archives

Subscribe

Did you know you can subscribe anytime to our print editions?

Voluntary subscriptions are most welcome, if you've moved outside the area, or a subscription is a great present idea for an elderly parent, for a neighbor who is moving or for your graduating high school student or any college student who may enjoy keeping up with hometown stories.

Subscribe Today

Copyright © 2023 The Inside Press, Inc. · Log in