named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Destination Imagination Challenge Program
Team-based creative problem-solving program where students develop solutions to STEAM-focused challenges and present them at tournaments.
Instant Challenge
On-the-spot creativity and teamwork exercise administered at tournaments to assess spontaneous problem-solving skills.
Regional and Affiliate Tournaments
Competitive events organized across Western and Eastern New York to evaluate student teams and select qualifiers for Global Finals.
activities · 3 groups
What they do
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STEM Competition and Robotics Programs 2 activities
- Hosts regional and statewide tournaments for student teamsOrganizes and runs two annual Regional Tournaments in March and an annual statewide Affiliate Tournament in April for top-scoring student teams across New York. These tournaments include evaluation by volunteer appraisers and feature Instant Challenges as part of the competition.
- Supports student teams in creative and scientific challengesFacilitates the formation and ongoing development of student teams (2–7 members) who participate in Destination Imagination challenges through weekly after-school meetings. The program operates in 45 counties across New York State and focuses on building creativity, teamwork, and critical thinking skills.
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Charity Event Organization 1 activity
- Provides fundraising support for participant engagementOffers fundraising resources and promotes personal fundraising pages at spring events across New York for team runners, including incentives such as guaranteed entry to the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon and reimbursement of registration fees for those raising $4,500 or more.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Conducts research on student engagement and creative developmentCommissioned and supported a 2014 study by Dr. Mark A. Runco to assess student engagement and creative attitudes among participants in the Destination Imagination program.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$71K
Contributions & grants$39K55%
Program service revenue$24K34%
Investment income$2K3%
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$65K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$6K
Grants paid out—
balance sheet
Total assets$80K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$80K
4 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +16.0%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 4
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jon Brennan | Co-chair - Board of Trustees and Western Regional Director | 10 | $4K |
| Linda Swift | Trustee and Director of Operations | 3 | $500 |
| Noel Allen | Trustee | 5 | $500 |
| Kate Quesada | Trustee | 5 | $250 |
board members · 12
- Beth Brothman — Trustee
- Dawn DiCicco — Co-chair - Board of Trustees
- Donna Halperin — Director of Marketing
- Jonathan Fabian — Trustee and Secretary
- Joshua Diamond — Affiliate Director
- Karen Macaluso — Trustee
- Martha Rosen — Trustee and Eastern Regional Director
- Michael Jablansky — Trustee and Treasurer
- Patrice Davidson — Trustee
- Rick Rand — Trustee
- Shane Sawicki — Trustee
- Tracy Taylor — Trustee
relationships · 20
Who they work with
- Bank Street College Partner — Martha Rosen earned a master's degree in Early Childhood Education from Bank Street College.
- Canisius College Partner — Jon Brennan received his MBA from Canisius College.
- Destination Imagination Network — State affiliate of the global Destination Imagination organization.
- Destination Imagination, Inc. Government — Manages team registration, Team Kit distribution, and background checks for New York DI teams.
- Destination Imagination, Inc. Network — Destination Imagination of New York Inc is a chartered association of Destination Imagination, Inc.
- Destination Imagination, Inc. Network — NYDI is a state affiliate of Destination Imagination, Inc., which manages team registration and the Global Finals event.
- Destination Imagination, Inc. Network — State affiliate of the global Destination Imagination network, implementing its challenge-based learning programs in New York.
- Google Inc. Partner — Josh Diamond works at Google Inc. as a Technical Program Manager.
- IBM Research Partner — Rick Rand is retired from IBM Research where he held the position of Senior Engineer.
- McGill University Partner — Patrice Davidson earned a BA in Art History from McGill University.
- Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management Partner — Mike Jablansky has an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
- Pace University Partner — Donna Halperin holds an MBA from Pace University.
- Regional Director Partner — Local coordinators who support team involvement and regional operations.
- Southern Connecticut State University Partner — Donna Halperin holds a BS in Education from Southern Connecticut State University.
- The Cooper Union Partner — Rick Rand received formal engineering education at The Cooper Union.
- University of Georgia Partner — Collaborated with Dr. Mark A. Runco from the Torrance Creativity Center at the University of Georgia on a study of student engagement and creativity.
- University of Michigan Partner — Martha Rosen earned an undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Michigan.
- University of Pennsylvania Partner — Rick Rand received engineering education at the University of Pennsylvania.
- University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School Partner — Mike Jablansky has a BS degree in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
- University of Rochester Partner — Josh Diamond earned a B.A. in Math and Computer Science from the University of Rochester.
strategies · 2
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Challenge-Based Learning for Creative Problem-Solvingmethodology: challenge-based_learningBy engaging students in open-ended, challenge-based learning experiences, we develop creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration skills because the process of imagining, developing, and presenting original solutions fosters deep, self-directed learning and innovation.
- Creative Confidence Through Divergent Thinkingmethodology: creative-divergent thinkingBy promoting a creative environment where all ideas are valid and can be iteratively improved, we build student confidence and innovation capacity because embracing diverse, open-ended solutions fosters psychological safety and risk-taking essential to creative problem-solving.