All Waupaca student teams competing in the Destination Imagination regional tournament on March 22 in Oconto Falls came home with gold, silver or bronze medals.

Destination Imagination (DI) is an international, educational program that encourages innovation, teamwork and creative problem solving.

Each year, DI releases new challenges geared to specific disciplines, such as technology, science, fine arts, improv theater, structural design or service learning.

The Waupaca Middle School team, the Monarchs, placed first and will advance to the state competition.

The Monarchs’ fine arts challenge was Laugh Art Loud, which required teams to present dramatically a comic strip based on a work of art created by an artist from a different nation, create three live comic strip panels, create an “ARTifact” that was inspired by the work of art and design a “Caption Contraption.”

Also competing in this challenge was the Waupaca Learning Center team, Comedy Cats and Crew, who placed third.

The Waupaca Learning Center team, the Friendly Five, placed first, and will move on the state competition, for the Project Outreach, which is a service challenge. The Friendly Five identified a need at WLC, designed and implemented a project to meet that need with WLC staff members, developed a video to promote the project, and created a live presentation.

The 4Bs, a middle school team, placed first, and will advance to the state competition, for the scientific challenge, Going to Extremes.

This challenge required teams to create a presentation about characters who adapt to an extreme environment, with team-created gear demonstrating technical methods. The 4Bs also received the Renaissance Award for “exceeding the requirements of the challenge.”

Also competing in the Going to Extremes challenge, was the WLC team, Dino Times, who placed second, moving on to state.

Waupaca also sent three first- and second -grade non-competitive teams to the tournament: the Wicky Wacky Waupaca Wonders, the Peacocks and The Amazing Twinkie Circus.

These teams each created and presented a three-act circus involving balancing, shapes, and a third act of their choice.

The DI state competition is April 12 at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.