“Gummy Bear Apocalypse” team members react to their second-place win at the Destination Imagination regional tournament. Students are Harley Dauma (with yellow cap), from left, Kamryn Hailey, Rebecca Coffey, Savannah Gaertner and Ben Crouse (in back). This third-grade team competed in the grades 3-5 section. (Contributed/Alan Brazzell, DI Alabama)

MADISON – About 280 students in grades K-12 from 20-plus area schools entered the Destination Imagination (DI) North Alabama Regional Tournament.

Hosted by Discovery Middle School, the tournament on March 14 was among competitions simultaneously held in more than 40 states and 15 countries.

Destination Imagination Inc. creates annual challenges to test student talents in scientific understanding, theatrical performance, technical prowess, improvisation and structural engineering, Robin Dauma said. She coaches Bob Jones high and Discovery middle schools’ teams.

“All DI teams must choose one of six challenges and do 100 percent of the work, including technical elements, costumes, sets and scripts,” Dauma said. For example, the fine arts challenge, “Feary Tales,” required a team-created ‘feary’ fairy tale about a phobia.

Several Madison teams achieved first- through fourth-place rankings and qualified for the state tournament at the University of Alabama in Huntsville on April 18:

* Technical, “Creature Feature” — Secondary, James Clemens High School, first, and Bob Jones, second; Middle, Liberty Middle School, first, Discovery, second and Madison Elementary School, third; Elementary, Blue Ribbon Society, fourth.

* Scientific, “Making Waves” — Secondary, Bob Jones, first.

* Fine Arts, “Feary Tales” — Secondary, Bob Jones, second; Middle, Discovery, first, and Horizon Elementary School, fourth; Elementary, West Madison Elementary School, second.

* Improvisational, “The Improv Games” — Secondary, James Clemens, first, and Bob Jones, third; Middle, Barbaric Belles from Heritage Elementary School, first, Liberty, second and third, and Discovery, fourth.

Sponsors are Katie Weir, James Clemens; Beth Bero, Horizon; Wendy Tibbs, West Madison; Chelsea Williams, Madison; Laura Minor, Heritage; Tabitha Odom, Liberty; and Dauma. Parent and community volunteers include Heather Bailey and Rhonda Daniel.

“I’m extremely pleased with this year’s tournament results, both as a school sponsor, parent (all three of my kids’ teams will advance to state) and regional director,” Dauma said. “DI is the perfect venue to merge their knowledge with creative problem-solving, which employers and college officials say is the most important skill (for) 21st-century students to succeed.”

For more information, visit DestinationImagination.org.