Ford Motor Company to Sponsor Global Finals 2016 and Try Destination Imagination Event

"The commitment of the students to reach this event is impressive, and we hope to enhance their experience at Global Finals through engaging activities and impactful workshops," said Tracy Magee, manager, Ford experiential marketing. "Our ultimate goal is to inspire interest in technology and innovation, which is not only critical to Ford, but also to the world's future development."

"By supporting education in the STEAM areas, Ford is creating opportunities to connect the company and its employees directly with youth and the community."

A highlight of Global Finals 2016 will be the Try Destination Imagination event, taking place in the World's Fair Park Amphitheater, Saturday, May 28 from 10 a.m. to noon. Open to the public, the event is an opportunity to participate in a unique challenge – The Ford of the Future – reimagining, designing and building a prototype of an existing vehicle system for the future. In addition, design teams will develop a logo and create a 60-second pitch to present to a panel of Ford innovation experts.

Enhancing the power of creativity and hands-on learning, an exciting lineup of workshops, conducted by the Henry Ford Learning Institute, throughout the four-day event will address the typical challenges Ford engineers face on a daily basis. Challenges include how to make sure pets are comfortable in the car when transporting them to the vet, and how to carry fragile or other significant items for work, school, sports, play and more from one place to another. Workshops will be presented at different levels – elementary, middle, high school and adult levels – and participants will work in small teams. They will use one of Ford's key innovation strategies, design thinking, to develop new ideas and prototypes to test and share.  

Ford will showcase various interactive exhibits, including the Escape the Garage challenge. In this adventure game, participants will search for clues and solve puzzles to unlock a secret code in order to escape the garage.

"Ford will have the opportunity to engage with more than 17,000 students, teachers, STEAM industry experts, parents and the local Knoxville community through all these interactive activities," said Dr. Chuck Cadle, CEO, Destination Imagination. "Just like Destination Imagination, Ford recognizes the power of inspiring the next generation of thinkers, creators and collaborators. We are honored to have them as a sponsor this year."

For more information about Global Finals and the full agenda, visit http://globalfinals.org.

About Destination Imagination
Destination Imagination, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) volunteer-led non-profit organization whose purpose is to inspire and equip students to become the next generation of innovators and leaders. The most popular education offering is the Challenge Program, where student teams solve open-ended STEAM and service learning Challenges and present their solutions to trained Appraisers. Founded in 1982, Destination Imagination has impacted more than 1.5 million students. To learn more, please visit http://destinationimagination.org.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global automotive and mobility company based in Dearborn, Michigan. With about 201,000 employees and 67 plants worldwide, the company's core business includes designing, manufacturing, marketing, financing and servicing a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs and electrified vehicles, as well as Lincoln luxury vehicles. At the same time, Ford is aggressively pursuing emerging opportunities through Ford Smart Mobility, the company's plan to be a leader in connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, the customer experience, and data and analytics. For more information regarding Ford, its products worldwide or Ford Motor Credit Company, visit www.corporate.ford.com.

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SOURCE Destination Imagination