Photos by Scott McCloskey The “A Team” from Steubenville West Elementary participates in a fine arts challenge during the Destination Imagination Region 17 Tournament at Union Local Middle School on Saturday.

MORRISTOWN — Union Local middle and high schools hummed with activity Saturday as hundreds of students weaved their way between the classrooms and auditorium while participating in the Destination Imagination Region 17 Tournament.

The creative educational program provided 71 regional teams a chance to present timed solutions to open-ended challenges. Teams of two to seven students in kindergarten through 12th grade represented eight area counties. Each hoped to win their respective divisions to advance to the state-level “affiliate tournament” on April 4 in Centerville, Ohio, near Dayton.

Each team participated in a variety of different challenges under categories such as engineering, scientific, improvisational, service learning, fine arts, technical, rising stars and the instant challenge. The presentations were judged and scored by several “appraisers” at each challenge site.

The mission of Destination Imagination, which is an international program, is to engage participants in project-based challenges that are designed to build confidence and develop extraordinary creativity, critical thinking, project management, communication, and teamwork skills. The winners of the Centerville tournament will be invited to compete in the Global Finals in Kansas City, Missouri, in May.

Organizers and volunteers of the annual regional event said students are very excited about participating. They said DI inspires students to achieve anything they can imagine in life. More than 150 volunteers took part Saturday.

Organizer Cinda Weisgerber said it is amazing to see how unique each presentation is.

“They all have a focus, and they all have requirements,” Weisgerber said while speaking about some of the rules of the competition. “The children are to solve the challenge and make their props. … If they want to make a costume, you can teach them to sew, but you can’t make their costume.”

Indian Valley Local Schools representative Melanie Glazer, who was serving as a “challenge master” in at the fine arts competition in the school auditorium said the students “love” participating in Destination Imagination.

“It’s a way for them to showcase their talents and their creativity in a performance setting,” she said.

Morristown resident Heidi Denham was waiting in the high school cafeteria for her 9-year-old daughter Micah to complete an afternoon “improv challenge.” She said her daughter had a lot of fun participating in the morning challenge with several of her Union Local Elementary third grade classmates.

Diane Montgomery, who was serving as a “team manager” for a group of students from McKinley STEM Academy in Steubenville, said the tournament is a big, exciting event for the students.

“This is the first time we have ever done this. I think it is phenomenal that they can bring this many people in to do such an incredible event and get the kids to really think on their toes,” Montgomery said. “They work so hard. They have been working on this since before Christmas.”

Final results of Saturday’s competition were not yet available at press time.