Zavala Elementary heads to Destination Imagination state finals

Schools out at Zavala Elementary, but the empty hallways are filled with the sounds of students practicing. Five Zavala fourth and fifth graders are competing in this year’s Destination Imagination tournament, a global competition requiring team work critical thinking skills and creativity.

Theirs is a technical challenge where the students must present a story, complemented by hand-designed vehicles. It’s taken teacher Farid Razavi and his students five months to perfect a skit and a set, and their after-school dedication has paid off.

Zavala has never entered into Destination Imagination so it was surprising when they made it to the west Texas Regionals. And now they’re headed to the State Finals in Katy, Texas, a venture that requires a plane ride — something none of these students have ever experienced.

Razavi said this challenge is more than just a game, but an opportunity for his students to see more of the world, and work hard to win it over.

The students will head to state on April 12 and 13th where they’ll be joined by more than four hundred competitors all vying to make it to the global tournament.