Critical Thinking Skills Learned With Destination ImagiNation North Carolina

After school program teaches creative problem solving process, critical thinking skills, giving kids advantage in future job market with STEM

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Destination ImagiNation

Oct 26, 2011, 03:19 ET

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Destination ImagiNation is now enrolling youth throughout North Carolina in the 2011-2012 team challenge year, where kids apply critical thinking skills and the creative problem solving process in an after school program that helps them learn to love science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

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Kids who are exposed early to the STEM subjects have an advantage in getting into college and getting good jobs later on, studies show. Parents, teachers, school administrators and youth leaders can log onto www.startateam.org to take the first steps to getting their youth involved in a creative problem solving and critical thinking skills program experienced each year by more than 100,000 kids all over the world.

By participating in the team-based competitive program, children can achieve lifelong benefits, improve self confidence, and learn the creative problem solving process and develop critical thinking skills.

Destination ImagiNation is an after school program that is easy and fun, and it teaches children the creative thinking process through its hands-on educational challenges. Teaching students these skills is now a strategy for schools to reduce bullying, intimidation and harassment.

In the program, children experience the thrill of applying creativity to solve problems. They also work with team members to gain knowledge and experience in a wide variety of subjects. Destination ImagiNation participants learn to be innovative, creative, self-confident and collaborative -- traits that employers say they are looking for in the workforce of the future.

Destination ImagiNation is the largest creative problem solving and critical thinking program for kids in the world, with more than 15,000 teams participating around the world last year. The program teaches 21st century skills, and it is the only extra-curricular program that ties back directly to the classroom.

Destination ImagiNation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.