In May, more than 600 student teams from 13 countries gathered in Kansas City for an event unlike any other: Destination Imagination Global Finals. This international celebration of student creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving brought together some of the most innovative and imaginative young minds on the planet.
Global Finals is the culminating event of the Destination Imagination season, where top-scoring teams present their original solutions to STEAM-based Challenges they’ve spent months developing. From engineered structures to scientific inventions, theatrical performances to community service initiatives, every team brought something uniquely their own.
These students weren’t just solving problems—they were creating, laughing, learning, and cheering each other on. And the results were nothing thing short of extraordinary.
Each team brought their own spark—original stories, ingenious inventions, boundary-pushing designs, and showstopping performances—and we were honored to showcase and celebrate all they accomplished this season.
Check out some of the award-winning Presentations from Global Finals 2025 below—or watch the full playlist on Destination Imagination’s YouTube Channel.
SCIENTIFIC CHALLENGE – Worlds Beyond
Elementary Level
1st Place – Kepler-452b Rescue
Affiliate: Massachusetts
Team Members: Luke J., Mark Z., Victoria L., Selina C., Ethan J., Raymond J.
Team Manager: Dan Mu
A survivor on Kepler-452b joins forces with solar-powered aliens to bring liquid water back to the scorched planet. Their performance featured custom-built models, science drama, and chemical reactions that made planetary engineering engaging and hopeful.
Secondary Level
1st Place – The Mean Green Beans
Affiliate: Washington
Team Members: Aadyaa S., Jasmine B., Rilke D., Sadie K., Steffi K., Sid S.
Team Managers: Mei Ying, Susan Kim
Stranded on stormy Jupiter, an astronaut and an evil scientist attempt escape via a lightning-powered rocket. Robotics, betrayal, and a green blast of innovation make this sci-fi saga unforgettable.
3rd Place – Ride or D.I.
Affiliate: Maryland
Team Members: Addison L., Margaret B., Anneka D., Cecelia S., Anna O.
Team Managers: Katie B., Ben S.
After crash-landing on WASP-121b, two astronauts befriend alien life and learn to synthesize water—vital for returning home. Tensions rise over impatience and belonging, but in the end, trust and friendship prevail in this richly imagined, interplanetary scientific tale.
ENGINEERING CHALLENGE – High-Wire Act
Elementary Level
2nd Place – The Crazed Monkeys
Affiliate: Washington
Team Members: Mitchell D., Spencer M., Masa U., Alfred W., Bryan H., Rishab W., Irving S.
Team Managers: Nate Dudley, Zhonghuan Sun
A circus-style retelling of the Wright brothers’ quest to fly—with stilt walking, juggling, and unicycling. Their inventive transporter system added mechanical flair to this high-flying history lesson.
Middle Level
1st Place (Tie) – Dudette Mcgonigal’s
Affiliate: Washington
Team Members: Swarith P., Vibha N., Yash T., Muralidhar I., Shrikari
Team Manager: Srujana Aouk
A circus of betrayal, loyalty, and a mysterious poison unravels as one friend journeys to save another. A dynamic set and high-stakes story drove this first-place win.
2nd Place – Mechanical Cheetahs
Affiliate: Texas
Team Members: Raghav P., Ayaan D., Neil T., Dhev S., Tarun S., Shaheer A., Nikhil E.
Team Managers: Rashmi Pandurangi, Mariyah Dhedhi
A time-traveling pirate sets out to find buried treasure—but first, he must cross a ravine on a rope and survive an escape from a deadly sword box. This daring engineering performance combined story, spectacle, and serious technical skill.
Secondary Level
2nd Place – Chaotic Cardboard Caterpillars
Affiliate: California
Team Members: Marissa S., Sophia K., Himani S., Henry P.
Team Manager: Marianne Sloss
Pedro the Painter crosses lava on a cartwheel to battle a dragon in this circus-fueled rescue of stolen artwork. Their transporter system helped tie scenes together in a thrilling visual journey.
TECHNICAL CHALLENGE – Breaking Point
Elementary Level
3rd Place – Galatas Greyhounds Tech
Affiliate: Texas
Team Members: Selia C., Oleg P., Venus T.
Team Managers: Sara Carter, Eder Trejo, Sammie Evrard
A wireless-controlled electromagnet crane, hydraulic trigger, and stacked washers made this team’s build one of the most complex and high-scoring among elementary teams.
Middle Level
3rd Place – Industrialists
Affiliate: Texas
Team Members: Reese J., Aiden P., Nolan C., Cole F., Steve L.
Team Managers: Angela John, Jenny Fried, Alex Poczyniak
When Jim is told to build a stack to earn a cowbell, chaos unfolds. A leaf blower, linear actuators, and a buttery-fly named Debbie lead to destruction—and a lot of laughs.
Secondary Level
1st Place (Tie) – The Blood-Thirsty Banana Slugs
Affiliate: California
Team Members: Catelyn H., Eileen C., Audrey Z., Maya O., Karissa O., John Z., Emilio J.
Team Managers: Melissa Sondej & William Hodson
Set in a snack museum during an economic crisis, this witty and complex solution followed snack CEOs who team up to save the economy with the ultimate snack. Team Choice Elements included original art pieces mimicking iconic snacks and quirky characters like a crocheted robotic peanut. Their engineering wowed with a Raspberry Pi-powered assembly device that built rainbow arches and a cube, followed by a 4-part destruction sequence using robotics and conveyors. It was equal parts performance, parody, and precision.
1st Place (Tie) – Revengeful Mushrooms
Affiliate: Ohio
Team Members: Brooklyn A., Scarlett W., Shyla P., Dharmendra V., Justin P., Grant S., Christopher G.
Team Managers: Ken Proehl, Barb Proehl
In Renaissance Florence, TMNT-style heroes chase Bob Ross and Happy Little Tree through the sewers to recover stolen art. Magnets, cranes, and measuring tape powered this artistic heist.
2nd Place (Tie) – Tilted Towers
Affiliate: California
Team Members: Cayden A., Shravya M., Jeyanth N., Elliot F., Aria C., Nikhil S., Siri T.
Team Manager: Jessica Arlett
A slinky-inspired, bottom-up tower flipped itself into the 6″ scoring zone thanks to 3D-printed guides and precision design. Gravity and geometry, perfectly balanced.
3rd Place – Safe-ish
Affiliate: Quebec
Team Members: Caleb M., Evan G., Penelope A., Desmond D., Sarah U., Isra I.
Team Managers: Sherri Brown, Scott Goodchild
Vacuum engines and pinpoint flips helped this team deliver technical precision and maximum scoring strategy in the Split Decisions challenge.
FINE ARTS CHALLENGE – Less is More
Elementary Level
2nd Place – We Die For DI
Affiliate: Washington
Team Members: Samvedh P., Tejal C., Shreya T., Adith P., Anika
Team Manager: Srujana Aouk
Can Focus save the world from Distraction? With a minimalist TV set and a bold visual concept, this team tackled the fight for attention in a story that’s both timely and timeless.
Secondary Level
1st Place – Vybukh
Affiliate: Ukraine
Team Members: Dmytro V., Yelyzaveta H., Sofiia C., Yaroslav O.
Team Manager: Olha Morozova
In a powerful allegorical tale rooted in Ukrainian culture and history, this team told the story of a small Hero on a quest to save his city from destruction. Along the way, the Hero receives gifts of Devotion, Courage, and Integrity from the Tree of Life, the Wise Fish, and Magic Unicorns. These artifacts, echoing the lost mosaics of artist Alla Horska, become the heart of a free city—transformed into a bird, symbolizing freedom. Their performance was a moving blend of myth, art, and symbolism that honored resilience and national identity.
3rd Place – COURTNEY
Affiliate: Texas (Southeast 6 Region)
Team Members: Karishma P., Rishabh Y., Siya A., Sanvi B., Kaiden P., Benjamin Z., Ieva C.
Team Managers: Anita Bangale, Rebecca Mooney
Stella’s connection with her mother Celeste, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, becomes a moving metaphor told through stars, memory, and love. A tender, deeply emotional performance about holding on and letting go.
SERVICE LEARNING CHALLENGE – This or That
Elementary Level
3rd Place (and High IC) – DI MAXION
Affiliate: Texas
Team Members: Brock B., Luke B., Jackson E., Ella L., Zac V., Zoe V.
Team Managers: Kristen Behan, Laura Valverde
Chance faces a big decision—help foster kids locally or globally. With the help of a talking soccer ball, cleats, and a scoreboard machine, this team brought empathy and impact to life.
Middle Level
3rd Place (and High IC) – WYJECI z kontaktu (English: “Unplugged”)
Affiliate: Poland
Team Members: Bruno I., Jakub K., Jesin D., Kinga B., Jagoda B., Hanna R., Zofia M.
Team Managers: Agnieszka Kubies, Joanna Synowiec
To help third graders learn about the elements, this team hosted a hands-on science workshop—outside in a local park. Kids searched for signs of water, wind, and earth, while a binary device hidden in a model of the planet activated a waterfall and spinning leaves to bring the lesson to life.
Secondary Level
1st Place – Dairy Queen’s
Affiliate: Texas
Team Members: Anisha H., Madhav A., Neel H., Neha V., Sayee J., Shriyan R.
Team Managers: Jaya & Uma
Milk must choose: become natural cheese or processed cheese? This performance tackled health misinformation and philosophy—through dairy.
2nd Place – DIvine
Affiliate: Texas
Team Members: Madeline R., Sanya S., Sydney W., Aadhi R., Nick C., Tysei N., Francesco G.
Team Manager: Rebecca Mooney
Combining myth and service, this team addressed real-world disaster preparedness in vulnerable communities. They held a food drive, volunteered at a Mobile Market, and built a resource-rich website to help families in crisis. Their performance retold these efforts through a mythological narrative where forgotten gods threaten humanity, and demigods must intervene. Dramatic RC-powered props, like a tornado and collapsing house, symbolized the storm’s chaos. In the end, the power of compassion, community, and sacrifice prevailed—with Hermes ascending to godhood for his efforts.
IMPROVISATIONAL CHALLENGE – Are We There Yet?
Middle Level
1st Place – The Fournadoes
Affiliate: Illinois
Team Members: Josephine C., Niccolino D., Niamh F., Violet M.
Team Manager: Chris Fahey
From Las Vegas to Gotham City on a Pegasus, a unicorn searches for a hairbow as the sun sets early. This improv team soared with quick thinking and creativity.
Thank you to all of our students, Team Managers, parents, supporters, and volunteers for making this year’s Globals such an incredible experience, and congratulations to our award-winning teams!
See you next season!
– The Destination Imagination Team
