These special awards were presented at the California Creativity State Tournament held in Elk Grove on March 31, 2007.

California Creativity Scholarships

Essay Scholarship

• Jennifer H., San Ramon

The Justin Kissel Scholarship

• Annie W., Arcadia

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 DaVinci.

Criteria:

This award is given for having a unique approach to a solution, for risk taking, and/or for outstanding creativity, not skill or talent.

Recipients:

Pangaaea
Nogales High School
Switching traDItions Secondary Level Team

Throughout the entire presentation creativity elicited itself in unique ways in every element. The team uniformly contributed to the performance and was hilarious as they played off each other. The random “situation” of a “hummingbird getting nectar out of your ear” with its obnoxiously long beak was woven and tormented throughout each tradition and country. Costumes were stupendous! The Jamaican dreads, Zeus, hat for the royal guard out of an oatmeal box, and the paper puppet Duncan all wrapped up in a cohesive story that contained exceptional elements of music, humor, emotion and a treat to watch, knowing the skit came together in only 30 minutes!

Smokey, Bold, and Surprisingly Lean Team
Bear River High School
Round About Courage Secondary Level Team

The team built an astonishing tree that rotated 360 degrees using a “marble” ball-bearing apparatus in the base of the tree. A wheel inside the hollow base of the tree powered the turning motion. The wheel was attached to a shaft, which was connected to a set of gears. To help achieve the correct distance to force ratio, the gears were also connected to a belt and pulley system. The tree morphed by using shrouds that fell away one by one to reveal representations of different Polynesian mythological underworld realms. The tree housed 3 team-member demons representing Rage, Grief, and Fear. The 3 demons were elaborately costumed with team created cultural symbolism. The riveting performance compelled the audience to confront the universal emotions of dealing with grief.

The Buzz
Head-Royce and Piedmont Middle Schools
CSI: DI Middle Level Team

Music was heard throughout the halls when a group of creatures brought a new twist to the concert. This singing team performed mostly in song, but that is not all. Using the knowledge of music theory and compositions, they were able to use an original harmonic structure and descending chromatic scale to introduce characters and plot throughout their entire performance. Their knowledge of music theory goes far beyond the ordinary. This team exemplifies the Spirit of the DaVinci Award.

Las Chicas Amigas, Act 2
Prescott Sr. Elementary
Round About Courage Middle Level Team

This team chose a serious theme reflecting the courage it took for a shy, withdrawn, seriously burned 12 year old girl to 10 years later, rescue another person from a burning building. The team told her story through a very creative courtroom scene where she was accused of man slaughter. They explored the concept that courageous acts are reflected in every day people and what it take to overcome ones’ fears. The team used exceptional theater-in-the-round techniques – drawing the audience into the girl’s story and the motivation behind her act of courage. You could have heard a pin drop! You were “right there” with an everyday person doing an extraordinary deed.

DILightful DILinquents
Tesoro High School
Switching traditions Secondary Level Team

We would like to give this Improv team a DaVincI Award for their outstanding design and creative storyline. They modified their props by blending components into a new device for every tradition. They used the same prop to become a cannon, dragon, camera, and round table. In the tradition of DaVincI Award recipients, they stayed focused as a team and did not stray from their concepts. Very witty, creative, and entertaining to the end!

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:

This award is given for outstanding skill in the areas of engineering, design, or performance.

Recipients:

CSI: Mime-ami
Clovis High School
CSI: DI Secondary Level Team

This team gave us a fast paced “punny” performance with great timing and exceptional humor. The performance included many verbal and visual puns, including “the word on the street,” which was literally a word written on the street, pinning a letter “I” on a character (“I” am going to keep my “eye” on you) and “cracking the case” (smashing a briefcase). Other humorous elements including a bubble pipe detective, hand painted ties, and the villainous mime trapping the detectives in an invisible “mime box.”

Scarlet Reflection
Rowland High School
CSI: DI Secondary Level Team

This team presented a dark story with a Victorian murder revealed through the victim’s diary which was their main set element. The set depicted multiple pages from the diary with dark, dramatic, and moody images of Victorian England in grays and black, highlighted with gold and foil to create lighting effects. The diary was well integrated into the Performance and almost became a character itself. Characters stepped out of the pages of the diary with the words of the diary flowing into the character dialogue as they emerged.

Charlie’s Angels
North Fork CADIs
Switching traditions Middle Level Team

This team’s Traditionator, which incorporated a tube within a tube, transformed from a covered end, generic appearing pole into a flaming torch, then into a functional broom and later into a pastry roller. It accomplished the first transformation in a dramatic fashion which captivated the audience. It is rare for an Improv team to impress Appraisers with a technical device, since the whole presentation must be planned and implemented in only 30 minutes.

LIGERS
Chawanakee Academy
Card-DI-ology Middle Level Team

When this structure arrived for Check-in, we immediately knew there was something different about it, but we couldn’t explain just what it was. The workmanship was incredible. Vertical pillars were made from 3 tightly rolled cards stacked on top of each other. Where these cards intersected were 2 more cards. At each junction was a flat card with a hole in it. This pattern was repeated countless times throughout the structure creating an amazing array of workmanship and creativity. When we asked the team if glue was used, we expected the answer to be yes. However, there was no glue used! We were amazed to say the least. This team thought of a means of achieving a structural balance in the absence of glue, which we think is exceptional!

Break Time
Pleasanton
Card-DI-ology Middle Level Team

The team created two devices to provide light to use in and enhance their performance. The first was a kaleidoscope made from an overhead projector. They made a color wheel using various materials shining into a column of mirrors to represent their color fairy character locked in a tower. They also made a homemade projector using Fresnel lens and liquid crystal displays to broadcast onto a screen. They made three sided panels, one side with colors and depiction of scenery for the world as it should with the color fairly in it. Another side was grays and blacks to represent while she is locked in the tower. The third side was white to use as the projector screen. By turning the panes, the world changed into the background. The color fairy’s dress was made entirely of playing cards. This team blended the science of light and projection and the creativity of writing a story about good and evil and did so such that they are worthy of this award.

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.

Recipients:

Curtis McKenzie   Curtis is always ready to help everyone! He exemplifies the spirit of good sportsmanship, respect, and kindness – the true Spirit of DI! He has helped find and train Appraisers to represent teams that he did not know yet. He has supported Global bound teams and Team Managers. He is always available to answer questions and offer his support to all teams and Team Managers. He is an awesome Team Manager and a true inspiration for all who have the pleasure of knowing him.

The Currents of NaSkViRa
Walnut Grove
CSI: DI Elementary Level Team

This team overcame a “site specific” irregularity where power was lost. A large portion of their scored Elements and Challenge solution were dependent on shadows created by their lights, so this posed an additional Challenge for the team during their 8 minute Performance time. The team came up with an alternative solution and gave an outstanding Performance, despite the technical difficulties. They persevered in the face of adversity and finished with smiling faces. Truly amazing to see!