Creativity, teamwork and a first-place finish bring global attention to Wylie ISD
There are school projects, and then there are Destination Imagination projects - the kind that take over garages, dinner tables, weekends and probably a few family conversations that begin with, “What exactly are we building now?”
For Wylie ISD students, all that imagination recently led somewhere extraordinary: the world stage.
Five Wylie Destination Imagination teams advanced to Global Finals after success at the regional and state levels, representing the district in a competition that brings together top-performing teams from around the world. At Global Finals, students present original, team-created solutions to open-ended STEAM challenges that blend science, technology, engineering, fine arts, creativity, communication and teamwork.
And Wylie did more than show up. Wylie shined.
The Screaming Beetle Tacos captured 1st Place in the Middle Level Technical Challenge, earning the title of best in the world in their category. Roaring Spaghetti Ooohhhhs placed 5th in Elementary Level Technical, Department of Facetious Affairs placed 8th in Secondary Level Fine Arts, Golden Girl Gang placed 16th in Elementary Level Fine Arts, and Hardly Prepared placed 18th in Middle Level Fine Arts while also receiving the prestigious Renaissance Award.
That award is one of DI’s highest honors, recognizing exceptional achievement in design, engineering, execution or performance. Hardly Prepared earned it for costumes and stage makeup that transformed students into vivid pond creatures, including a duck, turtle, dragonfly and fish. Appraisers praised the team’s creativity, craftsmanship and attention to detail, noting the individuality of each character was “impossible to miss.”
Local news outlets also took notice, with KTAB and KTXS featuring Wylie students and their accomplishments. In one interview, Screaming Beetle Tacos team member Bella Vangsness said the win was still sinking in, while teammate Elisha Oliver described the joy of hearing their team’s name called after so many hours of work.
But perhaps the best part of DI is what happens before the trophies. Students learn how to solve problems together. They build, write, create, perform, revise and try again. Adults guide, but the students do the work.
As District Coordinator Kim Cheek said, “These students demonstrated incredible innovation, collaboration, and dedication throughout the Destination Imagination season. We are extremely proud of their accomplishments and the way they represented our community on the global stage.”
From Wylie classrooms to Kansas City, and from big ideas to a world championship, these Bulldogs reminded us that imagination is not just something students have. It is something they can use to build, lead and shine.
And once again, on a global stage, they gave us one more reason to say: It’s great to be a Wylie Bulldog!
See the KTAB and KTXS stories below:
