Every Destination Imagination season, kids step into a Challenge that feels bigger than anything they’ve tackled before. They come up with bold ideas, try them out, argue a little, laugh a lot, and sometimes fall flat on their first attempt. But they always get back up and try again.
What makes this process so transformative isn’t just the Challenge itself—it’s the rule that the work must be 100% theirs. That’s what we call DI’s Interference policy. It ensures that every solution, every mistake, and every success belongs to the kids, giving them the confidence and skills that only come from doing it themselves.
Why Stepping Back Matters
As a Team Manager, it can be hard to sit back and watch your team take a path you know might not work. But those “wrong turns” are often where the deepest learning happens. Struggling through an idea teaches kids how to think critically, adapt when things go sideways, and collaborate even when they don’t agree.
Your role isn’t to fix the problem—it’s to help them reflect, regroup, and try again. When kids realize that they can solve hard problems on their own, that confidence sticks with them far beyond the DI season.
Ways You Can Support Without Interfering
Interference doesn’t mean you’re hands-off. You have an important role to play as a guide and coach. Here are some ways you can help without crossing the line:
- Teach skills: Show them how to safely use a tool, sew a seam, or code a program.
- Guide the process: Help them brainstorm, make an ideas list, or set up a project timeline.
- Encourage independence: Remind them to reread their Challenge, check Rules of the Road, or submit a Team Clarification if they’re unsure.
- Ensure safety: Set clear boundaries for tools, materials, and safe practices.
- Ask open-ended questions: “What else could you try?” or “How might you solve that in a different way?”
Think of yourself as the support system—not the solution maker.
What the Team Must Do Alone
Some things are always off-limits for adults. Only the team can:
- Choose their Challenge
- Generate and decide on ideas
- Conduct research
- Build and design their solution
- Manage their time and budget
- Solve conflicts and make final decisions
If it’s part of their solution, it has to come from them.
The Interference Triangle
The Interference Triangle is a quick way to remember where the boundaries are.
- At the base are two supports: Skills and Challenge & Rules.
- Skills: Kids bring existing abilities and learn new ones along the way. Team Managers can teach skills—it’s not Interference—as long as the kids are the ones applying them to their solution.
- Challenge & Rules: Everyone shares the same resources—the Challenge, Rules of the Road, and Published Clarifications. Reading and understanding them together is encouraged.
- At the top is the team’s solution. This belongs entirely to the kids. Only they can decide how to use their skills and interpret the rules to create their final solution.
You’ll also find this graphic in Rules of the Road, so you can always reference it as you guide your team.
Keep this visual in mind throughout the season as a quick check-in: Am I teaching, guiding, or keeping them safe? Or am I stepping into their solution?
Hear from a Team Manager
Veteran DI Team Manager and teacher Lisa Mackey explains interference in her own words and shares practical tips for supporting students without crossing the line.
Keep Learning
Want more help navigating interference? Check out these resources:
- Rules of the Road (available in the DI Resource Area)
- The Understanding Interference course in DI’s Learning Portal
- Our Tips for DI Team Managers YouTube playlist
Remember: your team’s solution is theirs and theirs only. Your greatest gift as a Team Manager is creating a space where they can discover what they’re capable of.
