On May 23, the Newman Smith HS improv team, “The Caarbadarbons,” took home first place at the Destination Imagination (DI) Globals tournament in Kansas City, Mo. This is the group’s second world championship. Its first was in 2019 as seventh-graders at the middle school level.

The Caarbadarbon’s competed against 85 teams from 38 states and 14 countries at the tournament. Their first-place finish in the “Showdown Improvisational” challenge earned the highest score ever in a DI team challenge.

The performance consisted of a father telling his daughter a bedtime story. The story involved selected improv items of an uncertain super hero and primatologist, Jane Goodall, competing against Hans and Franz—formerly of Saturday Night Live fame—in a marching band competition.

The students on the team were:

• Scotty Brady

• Quentin Maese

• Kaitlyn McKinley

• Elliot Robinson

• Reid Sherman

Before the national tournament, the team competed in regional and state tournaments. On February 11, they earned first place at the Trinity Valley North Central Regional tournament at R. L. Turner High School. On March 26, they finished seventh overall at the DI Lone Star Finals State Tournament at the University of Texas at Arlington.

“We are so proud of the Newman Smith team and all their hard work,” said Abbie Sherman, CFBISD Destination Imagination Coordinator and PEIMS Specialist. “The students put in a lot of time and effort to be on top once again.”

In DI, students work together in teams to solve open-ended STEAM challenges designed to teach the creative process. 

“Destination Imagination contests are important because students get to be creative, think critically, problem-solve, speak publicly and work collaboratively,” said Sherman. 

Destination Imagination is a program open to all students sponsored by the CFBISD Advanced Academic Services Department. DI Info Nights are held in September to form teams for participation.  For interest or questions, please contact Abbie Sherman at shermana@cfbisd.edu or visit the CFBISD Destination Imagination website.