How much does it cost?
The costs for participating in Destination Imagination in the Capital Region varies widely by school district, by team and by the challenge the team has chosen. Here are the costs that you might anticipate. The numbers in this chart were accurate August, 2011.
| Expense Item | Cost | Additional Comments |
|---|---|---|
Manager Training | $5 | Manager training is strongly recommended. You need to only attend one of the trainings in the fall. There will be no charge for attending additional manager trainings. |
Membership Fee (Purchased at www.ShopDI.org) | $55 - $135 per team | The cost varies depending on the type of membership that is being purchased. Individual memberships cost $135. A school can purchase a 5 pak for $390 or $78 per team. A school district can purchase a bulk buy for even less cost per team. Also Rising Star memberships are $55. Check with your campus coordinator before purchasing a membership. The campus coordinator usually arranges for this and it might be paid for by the school district, school or PTA. |
Tournament Registration Fee | $50 per team | This may be paid for by your school district, school or PTA. If you register late, you will have to pay an additional $50. Also, each team has to supply 2 volunteers who will be appraisers at the tournament; there is a judge penalty fee of $100 per appraiser if you do not supply the volunteers. |
Team Solution Supplies | $50 - $300 | This varies depending on the challenge. Most challenges have a cost limit. A reasonable rule of thumb is that a team might spend twice the cost limit for the challenge. However, a technical team may spend more than this as they construct and discard different possible solutions. It is also possible that a team may take a minimalist approach and solve the challenge with very few purchased materials. (Years ago there was a team that placed well at finals who basically had no costumes and whose only props were a ladder and a plastic flower). Note that the cost limit only applies to materials that are actually presented as part of the team’s solution. A team may build something that costs $30. IF they do not use it for their solution it does not count against the cost limit but you have still spent the $30. Other items are exempt items for the cost limit (such as batteries). You spend the money but it doesn't count against the cost limit of the challenge. The Improv Challenge (Challenge D) has no cost limit but rather has a specific list of materials that the team may bring with them to the tournament. The Rising Star challenge does not have a cost limit but in Texas we recommend that teams adhere to a $50 cost limit for their solution. Most of my past teams spent around $20 - $25 per team member. I encouraged them to find items around their houses and transform those objects instead of buying new items. The team splits this cost. |
| Instant Challenge Supplies | $50ish | This can vary greatly by team. Most ICs require items that are commonly around the house: paper, paperclips, paper plates, duct tape, straws, etc. You can also ask parents to donate specific supplies you need for Instant Challenge. |
Travel | ? | Other than your vehicle expenses for taking the team around, there are generally no travel expenses associated with the regional tournament. |
Tournament Day Costs | ? | These costs are generally the responsibility of individual families. This would include cost for meals at the tournament or costs for purchases from the tournament DIme store. |
| Optional Costs: | ||
| Team Workshops | $5 - $8 per team member | Capital Region offers Instant Challenge Workshops and a skills workshop called Super Saturday. These are optional but highly recommended. |
| Regional T-Shirts | $15, if ordered; $20 on the day of competition | Per shirt. These are optional. If the team advances to the state competition, they will be required to have one to wear at the state award ceremony. |
| Regional Pins | $2 - $3 | Per Pin. |
| Meeting Snacks | ? | Serving snacks at a meeting is optional. Many team managers of younger teams find that having a snack helps break up a meeting. You can ask a parent to bring a snack to each meeting to spread the cost between the team members. |
| Expenses if your team advances from the Regional Tournament to the State Tournament. | ||
| State Registration Fee | $100 | Check with your school to see if they will pay this fee. |
| Travel Expenses | ? | Given the size of Texas, there is a good possibility that the team will have to travel overnight to participate in the state tournament. This generally involves transportation and two nights at a hotel. Your school district may pick up part of this expense. |
| Tournament Day Expenses | ? | These costs are generally the responsibility of individual families. This would include cost for meals at the tournament or costs for purchases from the tournament DIme store. Teams are given the opportunity at the tournament to pose for and purchase team photos. |
| Optional Expenses: | ||
| State T-shirts | $15 | Per shirt. The team will be required to have state shirts if they advance to the Global Tournament. |
| State Pins | $3 - $5 | Per pin. Note that there are several different state pins that team members can purchase. |
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