Several Greenville ISD Destination Imagination teams are heading to the international stage this week after earning advancement to the 2026 Destination Imagination Global Finals in Kansas City, Missouri.
The teams qualified following standout performances at the Destination Imagination Lone Star Finals competition held at the University of Texas at Arlington, where more than 450 teams from across Texas competed in what is recognized as the world’s largest one-day creative problem-solving competition.
Destination Imagination challenges students to work collaboratively to develop creative solutions to complex academic and performance-based challenges. Over the course of several months, students design, build, write, test, and rehearse their solutions before presenting them during timed performances in front of appraisers and spectators.
Greenville ISD teams competed in several challenge categories this season, including Engineering, Technical, Improvisation, Fine Arts, and Texas eXtreme.
The following Greenville ISD teams qualified for Global Finals:
Error 404 Team Name Not Found competed in the Engineering Challenge and includes Adam Long, Wyatt Taylor, Mikaela Rowland, and Marshall Stretch. The team is managed by Theresa Long and Devin Long.
House of Cards competed in the Technical Challenge and includes Zechariah Padilla, Silas Hill, Mackenzie Villa, Adam Long, and William Mwema. The team is managed by Sonja Hill and Theresa Long.
Starlight Divas competed in the Improvisation Challenge and includes Ximena Muniz and Abigail Bashum. The team is managed by Shawnna Kelsey.
Each team’s performance presentation included original storytelling, costumes, props, set pieces, and creative problem-solving elements, all delivered within an eight-minute time limit.
The Greenville ISD teams will depart for Kansas City on May 20 and compete during the four-day Global Finals event taking place May 21-24. According to Destination Imagination organizers, approximately 10,000 participants representing 28 U.S. states and 11 countries are expected to attend, with nearly 600 teams competing throughout the event.
Destination Imagination Coordinator John Hill said Global Finals represents one of the most rewarding experiences students can be part of through the program.
“Global Finals is the moment each year with the greatest collection of people from our planet who are focused on empowering students to dream up creative solutions for challenges from simple to gloriously complex and then develop them into presentable performances which entertain, educate, and shine the light on our powerfully capable kids,” Hill said. “Everything belongs to the kiddos from their difficult failures through all the learning steps to their blazing successes.”
The advancement to Global Finals reflects months of creativity, collaboration, perseverance, and hard work from Greenville ISD students as they prepare to represent their schools and community on an international stage.