I Forgot Their Names is one of two Destination Imagination teams from Edison Jr./Sr. High School headed to the state tournament. Pictured are in front, Clairann Jolly, Adrianna Miller, Cadence Bendle, coach Alicia Krepps, Casher Dopp, Briar Bendle, Lakyn Howell and Kinsley Cline.

RICHMOND-Two Edison Jr./Sr. High Destination Imagination teams are bound for Cincinnati this weekend as they compete for a chance to head to the Global Finals.

The freshmen team Us and seventh-grade group I Forgot Their Names will attend the state D.I. competition on Saturday at East Lakota High School, where they will face about 100 teams from across Ohio and hope for a chance to attend the global event in Kansas City, Mo., on May 21-24. If all goes according to plan, they will join more than 1,000 teams from across the U.S. and other countries including China and Mexico at the Kansas City Convention Center to complete team and individual contests. D.I. is an educational program where teams work throughout the year to solve open-ended challenges and present solutions. The goal is to gain knowledge and experience in critical thinking to teamwork as well as build STEM and conflict resolution skills and contests include fine arts, technical and service learning.

The EJHS team, Us, previously placed 10th out of 50 teams in the middle level technical challenge during the Global Finals while the Baconators of John Gregg Elementary ranked 13th out of 40 teams in the fine arts challenge. Members of the elementary team are now part of the seventh-grade team, I Forgot Their Names.

Us, which is advised by Amanda Richardson and Eric Ferguson, includes members Olivia Ferguson, Lindsey Howell, Nate Myers, Daleanee Devore, Connor Richardson, Learynn Hanson and Beckett Dopp, who were ready to seek another spot in Kansas City.

Ferguson noted that Us has gone to globals at least a half-dozen times through the years and they were excited about the prospect of heading back to states. Their team’s project, “Above and Beyond,” is entered in the engineering category and requires some mobility within its construct.

“We have to make something that is able to move on both sides,” Dopp explained, saying the project took six months to complete.

I Forgot Their Names, which is advised by Alicia Krepps, includes junior high students Briar Bendle, Casher Dopp, Clairann Jolly, Adrianna Miller, Cadence Bendle, Lakyn Howell and Kinsley Cline. Cadence Bendle said she previously headed the globals with The Baconators team and it was her third time going to the Ohio contest.

“I went to globals before,” she added. “We’re excited about going to states.”

“The basic set is an abandoned asylum with a memory device. Someone wants to replace bad memories with good ones,” Cline commented.

Kelly Dopp, district D.I. coordinator, said the teams have been fundraising for the program through concession stands during John Gregg Elementary School’s recent art show and a soda sale planned for later this month at John Gregg. She was thrilled to see the teams advance with a chance to go even further.

“We are very proud of our teams for moving on to states. These two teams have a lot of students who have been doing DI for years, so they are well rounded in all the areas D.I. assesses. We think they will do really well when they compete on Saturday.”

She also was thankful for the support they have received from the school district, D.I. parents and the community.

“From cheering them on, to being happy for them when they advance to supporting our fundraisers, our Edison community has been great for the DI students! We appreciate your support and are excited to see how our teams do at states.”