Below are the special awards presented at the California Creativity State Tournament held on April 8, 2006.

California Creativity Scholarships

Essay Scholarship

• Roxana S., Los Alamitos

The Justin Kissel Scholarship

• Rebecca C., San Jose

DaVincI Award

For Outstanding Creativity

The paths we follow on our journeys were once uncharted and unknown – until someone took a bold step in a new direction and paved a way for us to follow. To solve our Challenges, imagination, creativity, originality, and courage are required. We honor those individuals and teams who most clearly demonstrate that spirit of adventurous risk in their solutions - those who most creatively traveled to reach truly new and unique destinations. The DaVincI Award is named to honor one of humanity's greatest creative thinkers, Leonardo Da Vinci. Medals and certificates will include an inscription of Leonardo's personal motto "Sapere Vedere" (To Know How to See) - fusing classical thought and philosophy with art and science to propose new and creative outlooks of the world.

Criteria*:

• Unique approach to solution
• Risk taking
• Outstanding creativity (not skill or talent)

* Please note: solutions need not be successful to demonstrate the attributes of creativity and risk taking.

Recipients:

105-50959-1 North Fork School
Middle Level Team Award for Instant Challenge

This team displayed exceptional creativity when, as a team, they found themselves inhabiting an eyelash. They created a very humorous unified theme, surviving a dandruff storm and a flood of tears through nonstandard uses for the objects they possessed. To the relief of all, the escaped their predicament by using a solar-powered heater to burn off the eyelashes, returning them to reality.

105-50994-2 The Tim Wu Experience, Rowland High School
Secondary Level Team Award for Kidz Rulz

This solution was a pseudo-dubbed Japanese Martial Arts film complete with translators. The martial arts were simulated with prosthetic legs which were moved themselves by seemingly invisible team members. Some special effects included: an exploding Christmas tree, flying presents, a sound track, and an extreme wire fight scene. The Appraisers were captured into the world of the solution. A most original, extremely creative idea which required amazing teamwork!

105-76112-2 Belgium Steamers, Judkins Middle School
Middle Level Team Award for How’d tHat Happen?

This team showed exceptional creativity in the multitudinous ways they exhibited humor in their performance. In addition to a witty script, this team incorporated half a dozen Irish sayings using authentic Irish accents and ostentatious (but appropriate!) green costumes. Irish dancing as well as a variety of physical comedy sequences complemented the “lucky charms” the leprechauns carried. But most impressive of all was the remarkable inventiveness the team illustrated in the humorous but highly effective scene changes that were executed by the team’s HAT, which set the stage for a fork in the road, a potato obstacle, and a suspicious mushroom. Now we really know how – and why – that happened.

The Renaissance Award

For Outstanding Design, Engineering, Execution, Performance

On our journey we sometimes encounter exceptional travelers who entertain and enlighten us along the way. The Renaissance Award recognizes those among us who demonstrate extraordinary amounts of effort and preparation in their solutions or outstanding skill in engineering, design or performance. While the destination is creativity, these fellow travelers make the journey itself memorable.

Criteria:

• Outstanding skill in the areas of engineering, design, or performance

Recipients:

105-98863-1 Apple Aliens, Flora Vista Elementary School
Elementary Level Team Award for Kidz Rulz

This team showed outstanding design through their extremely creative way of breaking a rule of physics. They created a “rolling rock” from paper and canvas, heated PVC pipe, bike tires, and zip ties. Not only was the construction creative, it was also sturdy and big enough for a person to walk inside of it! Walking inside of it was how they made it move across the floor several times. Very impressive and imaginative!

105-68826-1 StranDId in a Trumpet, Fremont High School
Secondary Level Team Award for How’d tHat Happen?

The skillful presentation of a fast-paced, witty and tight performance left the audience nearly in tears. Quite cleverly scripted, the comedic timing, in depth research, design and execution of the transformation from head to toe to a stark raving warmonger hit the audience with a “womff.” From the phenomenal performances, to the intricate designs and attention to detail, like the clock tower, this team wowed the audience from start to finish.

105-41151-1 Felicidades Paco!, Bear Valley High School
Secondary Level Team Award for How’d tHat happen?

This team took an exceptional, spirited, and adventurous risk to present a solution that was controversial and dark in a unique venue. Their amazing teamwork, creativity, and artistry with recycled items reacquainted the audience with a social injustice. It’s rare that a team would spend time and energy on such a real world challenge as Columbian guerilla warfare. The thought-provoking script combined with the technical, beautifully designed props held the audience in awe. Passion for the cause was clear.

105-61675-1 Las Chicas Amigas, Agnes Baptist Elementary School
Middle Level Team Award for How’d tHat Happen?

This team took us straight to Spain via our taste buds. Using nothing but papier-mâché starch, newspaper, and paint, they created the consummate fruit stand. Midway through their performance, the Appraiser team found their mouths watering for bananas, oranges, and 13 million tons of tomatoes – and half of us hate tomatoes!! These delectable inedibles were beautifully displayed on a stained wood “cart” that made them visible to everyone in the audience. Very tastefully done (if you know what I mean).

105-54266-3 Duct Tape Brothers, Piedmont School
Middle Level Team Award for How’d tHat Happen?

This team put together some new tunes for our listening pleasure – or more specifically, they constructed their own music box. Several of us did not actually believe this at first, and we demanded proof – which we immediately received, as the team explained that they put a coffee can suspended inside a bucket. The can included a motor for turning and screws attached on its side that hit levers, which pushed electronic circuits that played a sequence of notes. (Just thinking about it gets us dizzy.) In order to accomplish this remarkable task, this team had to solder on a fuse, switch, and battery case in addition to the motor and must have spent weeks trying to get it to work. Our hats off to you!

105-84906-1 Schizophrenic Enigmas,
Secondary Level Team Award for Back At You!

This team did an all-around amazing performance! Just by looking at their tournament data form, the judges knew they were in for a treat, and boy were they! The team created a delivery device that used a five-horsepower vacuum and an air input-output device that launched almost two balls per second.

105-20569-2 Veni Vedi Vici, Pleasonton
Secondary Level Team Award for Back At You!

Once the team stepped through the prep-area, and the judges saw what was about to come, they knew they were in for a treat. The most outstandingly creative prop of the day was by far this team’s “Veteran Project.” To honor those who fought for our country, the team took 2,000 World War II pictures and memorabilia and designed a giant photo collage of famous media pictures form that era. Two team members have grandparents who fought in World War II, and along with their family pictures, they interviewed veterans from their city and collected pictures of their times in the war. After seeing this incredible photo mosaic, some judges got goosebumps. This creative element from the team was outstanding!

105-24138-2 Power Minds, Garfield Elementary School
Elementary Level Team Award for Inside DImension

This team came up with a very practical solution to finding relevant structures to model their creation after. They assigned one of the team members, a first grader, to go out and photograph bridges in the area, so that the team could look at the way they were structured. The team then, as a whole, reviewed the pictures, and designed their DI structure based on the best design seen in the photographs. When the team realized they needed more detail, in particular to determine if solid pieces should be used, vs. laminated pieces, they went on the Internet and learned that laminated pieces were stronger, and therefore designed their structure around laminated pieces.

105-56756-3 Quick! Get a Plunger!, Olympus Jr High School
Middle Level Team Award for Kidz Rulz

This team’s solution took place within the pages of a book, entitled “The Kingdom Under the Bed.” The book itself was a life-sized wooden frame with hand-painted cloth pages that were turned as the scenes progressed. When out of dreamland, this book also became a bed and upon waking became another book, implying a sequel. The appraising team as of yet has seen nothing like it.

105-36624-1 Imagimaniacs, Peak Learning Alliance for Youth
Secondary Level Team Award for On Safari

This team used limited materials (basically cardboard and string) to construct in a 30-minute time period a full-sized, telescoping crane that used a pulley system to transform a box intro a fully functional capture device that was an inversion of the original.

105-99255-1 DSI, Donner Alumni Association
Middle Level Team Award for How’d tHat Happen?

This magnificent performance featured one of the most creative technical designs we have ever seen. Attempting to recreate the environment of a rain forest in Madagascar, the team members constructed a rain machine(!) using PVC pipe, a broom handle as a pump, elbow plastic connectors, two one-way check valves – and Bernoulli’s Principle. What an effortless – but supremely effective – practical application of physics! We are impressed. Forget a rain dance – the next time we want a downpour, we’ll call DSI.

105-60757-3 DI divas and the DI Joe, University HS
Secondary Level Team Award for Instant Challenge

We would like to recognize the extreme use of creativity and imagination in incorporating Greek mythology, a magical sea lion, and the video game “Dance Dance Revolution” all in one two-minute performance. This challenge made the appraisers laugh harder than they had all day, and we would like to applaud them for their wonderful performance skills!

105-34986 Moulton/Pink Donut Boxes, Moulton Elementary School
Elementary Level Team Award for Back At You!

This team created a catapult device that excelled in accuracy and design. We were very impressed with their homemade leaf spring, built from laminated sheets of metal. A gate latch release mechanism assured consistent delivery of miniature children disguised as fuzzy tennis balls. They were able to adjust the distance and height of the launch by sliding tie wraps along the length of the spring. It was elegant, simple, and (slight emphasis here) very quiet.

Spirit of Discovery & Imagination Award
“Spirit of DI”

For exceptional Spirit, Teamwork, Volunteerism and Sportsmanship

From its very beginning, Destination ImagiNation® has been a community. The recipients of this award are the ones who go out of their way to help others, making sacrifices not for themselves, but to give something to someone else. We recognize and applaud these members of our community who demonstrate outstanding and extraordinary levels of sportsmanship, volunteerism and spirit, be they Team Managers, Team Members, Officials or other helpful DI friends and volunteers.

Criteria:

• This award is given in recognition of those who act as superior role models in the areas of spirit, sportsmanship, and volunteerism.

Recipient:

105-52553-1 Imaginators, St. Bernardine of Siena
Elementary Level Team Award for Inside DImension

The Imaginators exhibited extremely great teamwork. When asked questions, one team member would start the answer, with a second chiming in, without interrupting, adding relevant material, with a third and sometimes fourth member of the team, finishing their answer in as coherent a way as one might get from a seasoned college lecturer. As they presented their structure to the weigh-in appraisers, each team member felt comfortable responding to any question, but paused long enough, sometimes, to have another team member fill in details they could not. The Imaginators had obviously learned how to work as a team. We expect that these elementary students will be together as a team of friends into their work years, their senior years, and years of retirement.

Rising Stars Award

This award recognizes the courageous, curious and joyous first steps in the journey of life-long learning.

Criteria:

• All Primary Teams who demonstrate a solution at a tournament.

Recipients:

• Super Kids, Davis Sunrise Rotary Club
• Thunder and Lightening, Oakhills
• Power Ranger, Collins Elementary School
• The Big Germs, St. Isidore School