Buy from DI before January 31, 2008

Register here at californiacreativity.org

Contact your Regional Director.

Buy from DI

Check out the 2007/08 Program Guide.  It's got the information about Destination ImagiNation program, and walks you through the entire program year. Purchase a program membership at www.shopdi.org.

Register here at californiacreativity.org

Register as a user at this site (also known as www.caldi.org, if you want to type fewer characters).  Click on the Team registration menu to register your team at California Creativity.  Have your other adult helpers register at the site and click on the Adult Roles menu to register themselves as Team Managers, Appraisers, or Volunteers.  Video instructions are available for all these steps.

Contact your Regional Director

It's good to contact your Regional Director early in the process.  They can help set up an informational meeting at your school or organization, tell you about training opportunities, etc.  Plus, it's good to let them know for planning purposes who is participating. To find information about your region, go to the map here, and click on your county to be directed to information about your region.

Each Region has it's own calendar and web space accessed by clicking on their icon above.  There, you can set up to receive emails whenever news is posted in your region.

Additional Membership Information

The Program Guide and ShopDI.org have all you need to get started. A membership purchaser will receive the appropriate number of Membership Numbers, the materials listed in the Program Guide, and e-mailed instructions on how to access the online system once DI has received payment.

California has an Affiliate fees that will be collected during membership purchase at ShopDI. Please be careful to select the California from the drop-down box during purchase so that the prices are adjusted to reflect those mentioned below as they are added to your shopping cart.  Regions in California vary in how they recoup operating expenses for training, special events, and the tournament.  Contact your Regional Director if it is not clear in the Region's web pages.

The remainder of this web article is cribbed from the Rules of the Road to flesh out the 2007/08 Program Guide with additional information to let you make a more informed purchase decision (especially if you're new to Destination ImagiNation). You will receive Rules of the Road with your program materials: it is the authoritative text.

Team Formation

Team Members

• Your team may recruit up to seven team members but no more. Only the original team members (up to seven) are allowed to work on the Team Challenge solution.
• Teams may compete with fewer than seven team members, but in order to be considered a team, there must be at least two members.
• Once your team has begun working on the Team Challenge solution, you may add team members up to a maximum of seven until you submit your registration roster to your first Tournament. After your team has registered for the first Tournament but before competing, you may add team members with the permission of the Tournament Director, but only if you had not previously reached seven team members.
• Your team may not replace team members after the total number of members has reached seven, even if a team member quits, moves away or is unable to attend the Tournament for any reason. If a team member moves away, that person is still considered part of your team and may still compete with the team if he/she is able.
• The level the team participates at is dependent on the age or grade of all the team members.  If that "or" yields different levels, the team chooses which to use.
• Your team may not add team members between Tournaments for any reason, even if your team does not have seven team members. Adding team members between Tournaments will result in disqualification as a competitive team. Your team may still perform but will not be scored.
• If too many team members leave your team, you may form a new team by adding new team members, but you may not use any part of your original solution and you must select a different Team Challenge.
• These rules to not apply to Rising Stars! teams.

Team Manager

• Your team must have at least one Team Manager of Record who is 18 years old or older. Your Team Manager may have one or more assistants, and Assistant Team Managers may be younger than 18.
• All Team Managers and Assistant Team Managers must understand the rules of Interference and may not offer ideas or help in the development of the Team Challenge solution.
• A Team Manager cannot be a member of the team he/she is managing.

Competition Levels

Your team may have team members of all ages, but the Level at which you must compete will be determined by the participant in the highest grade-level or by the participant who is oldest. Your team may not compete in a Level above the age or grade of the oldest participant on your team. Each team may independently determine whether its Competition Level is decided by age or grade.  There is no age limit per se, but participants must be full time students.  University level teams appear at California Creativity tournaments by arrangement -- only Rising Stars, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary levels are scheduled by default.

Team Membership

There are three ways to purchase memberships: 1-Team Pak, 5-Team Pak, and Rising Stars. Each method will include unique Team Number(s).

In order to participate in a sanctioned Tournament, your team must hold a valid 2006-07 membership number. Each team must be registered with Destination ImagiNation, Inc., and each team will be assigned a unique Team Number (e.g. 105-99999) when they purchase membership(s) from Destination ImagiNation, Inc. 105- is California Creativity; 99999 will be replaced with your unique team number.

Individual (1-Pak) Membership ($180)

5-Pak Team Membership ($355)

5-Paks may not be purchased on behalf of school districts, states, provinces, program Affiliates, Girl/Boy Scouts of America nor any larger parent organization. Memberships may be held by a local or community entity within the parent organization.

If your team is part of a 5-Team Pak, make sure that your team is the ONLY team competing under your assigned team number. Remember, each TEAM has a distinct membership number: the 5 numbers purchased with a 5-Pak have no relation to one another.

Guest Participants (5-Pak)

Schools or groups purchasing memberships may invite others from outside their school or group to participate on their teams. If the invited team member comes from a school or group that has NOT purchased a membership, the invited team member may participate as a Guest Participant (see guidelines below). If the invited team member comes from a school or group that HAS purchased a membership, whether a 1-Team Pak or 5-Team Pak, no Guest Pass is required. The Guest Pass is only required when the individual’s school or group does not already hold a membership.

1. All other rules of Team Formation must be followed.
2. DI permits your school or group two Guest Passes per 5-Team Pak membership if your school or group will allow Guest Participants. Before inviting a participant to join your team as a Guest, check with your Destination ImagiNation Coordinator to make sure your 5-Team Pak membership’s two Guest Passes have not been used, and that your school or group allows Guest Participants. Also be sure to find out if your Guest’s school or group has purchased a Team Pak. A Guest Pass is not necessary if the Guest’s school or group already has a membership.
3. Once a Guest Participant begins working on your team, that person is a permanent member of the team even if the Guest quits, moves, or is unable to participate. This team member’s Guest Pass may not be used by another Guest.
4. Teams with Guest Participants must compete under the name and membership number of the host school or group that purchased the 5-Team Pak. Entire teams made up of students from other schools or groups may not participate under your membership.
5. Some locations have laws regarding children who attend private schools and participate in public school activities. Where Destination ImagiNation rules are in conflict, you must follow the laws of your state, province, school district, or organization.
6. Community Organization and University Level memberships may invite participants freely as long as all other rules of membership and Team Formation are met.

Rising Stars Team Membership ($30 and up)

Teams wishing to present their Rising Stars! Team Challenge at a Destination ImagiNation® Tournament/Event in the upcoming program year will need to have an active/paid membership number. This number can be obtained in three ways:

1. as one team of a 5-pak Destination ImagiNation® membership (a 1-pak would not be cost effective),
2. via purchase of a Rising Stars! membership ($30), which provides access to the Rising Stars! Team Challenge, or
3. via purchase of a Rising Stars! Program Kit Volume I, II or III ("and up"), which includes a membership.

Upgrade & Refund Policies

Destination ImagiNation and Rising Stars! memberships are not eligible for refunds or cancellations. 1-Pak memberships can be upgraded to 5-paks using a paper upgrade procedure described in Rules of the Road. Rising Stars! memberships within 5-paks can be swapped for individual Rising Stars! memberships to make room in the 5-pak for competitive levels.