Submitted photo From left, front, Sophie Berger and Calleigh Frederickson; back, Carter and Hunter Dauer

NEW ULM — Four area youth — seventh-graders Calleigh Frederickson, Sophie Berger and Hunter Dauer, and second-grader Carter Dauer — advanced to Destination Imagination’s Global Finals after placing third in the Affiliate (state) Tournament in the Scientific Challenge at the middle school level. The group, called Lunchbox Productions, will compete virtually with middle school teams from across the globe June 7-22.

The kids of Lunchbox Productions created a video presentation of their story that fulfilled several specific objectives and solved a problem set out by Destination Imagination (DI). In the Scientific Challenge, they were directed to explore what would happen if a scientific law were broken. In addition, the team completed a shorter Instant Challenge, which this year meant a challenge that had to be solved and submitted by video in the span of three days. Scores from the Instant Challenge and Scientific Challenge were combined and set against other teams to decide who would place at State and advance to Global Finals.

DI is a science and arts-based organization (formerly called Odyssey of the Mind) that encourages students to gain skills with the aid of their adult helpers but to think independently, solve problems and create solutions together without direct help from adults. Leaders of the international organization hope to return to in-person competition next year.

Any person or business interested in sponsoring the team can contact them at nu.lunchboxproductions@gmail.com.