National Geographic Photographer to Kick-Off 2013 Destination Imagination Global Finals

CHERRY HILL, N.J., May 20, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Destination Imagination has announced that Joel Sartore, National Geographic Photographer, will keynote the 2013 Global Finals, the world's largest creativity competition, at the opening ceremonies to be held on May 22, 7:30pm EDT at the University of Tennessee. More than 16,000 people are expected to attend this year's Global Finals competition, which will take place from May 22-May 25.

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Joel Sartore is an award winning photographer famous for images featured in Audubon, Life, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, Time, CBS This Morning, NPR, and PBS. Sartore will share how his work documenting endangered species and landscapes for National Geographic allowed him to experience firsthand the impact humans have on the environment and what we all can do to help preserve it.

"I love inspiring young people to learn about the environment and what role they can play in making the Earth a better place," said Joel Sartore, Photographer and Contributor for National Geographic. "Sharing good yet dramatic stories is important as not many people get to see the affects of our society on nature like I have —from animals and plants dying due to coastline development to dolphins being killed on the shores near Galveston from our garbage."

Sartore's keynote address will set the stage for this year's Global Finals theme of environmental sustainability and conservation.  Throughout the week, students will be able to take part in activities and learn from sponsors about creating a sustainable environment with:

• National Geographic is announcing "The Great Nature Project" and inviting everyone to share photos of plants, animals and other living things with the whole world using the hashtag #GreatNature. In September all the photos will be displayed on greatnatureproject.org. This project will try to set the Guinness World Record for the largest online photo album of animals.
• 3M's Explore the Uncharted allows teams to apply their Science and Engineering skills as they learn about the effects that plastic pollution has on the sustainability of our oceans.
• AVA Reset Council gives students the opportunity to see what it would be like to run an entire city. Students will have the opportunity to make decisions like creating a more sustainable community.

"Joel's incredible work is a perfect platform for Destination Imagination to educate students about the importance of environmental responsibility through first hand stories and experiences," said Chuck Cadle, Chief Executive Officer of Destination Imagination. "Last year, we committed to sustainable practices and during Global Finals we recycled 47.2 tons of paper, .75 tons of plastic, and 8.2 tons of wood. This year, we look to increase our green footprint while helping the students understand the impact of our efforts and actions."

DI-TV – Livestream Schedule
Destination Imagination will livestream the opening and closing ceremonies on DI-TV, sponsored by IBM.

About Destination Imagination
Destination Imagination, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that helps children discover their creative processes. The most popular education offering is the Challenge Program, where student teams solve open-ended Challenges and present their solutions at tournaments. Founded in 1982, Destination Imagination has impacted more than a million students. To learn more, please visit http://www.globalfinals.org or check out our Twitter handle, @IDODI.

About Joel Sartore
Joel Sartore is a photographer, speaker, author, teacher, and a regular contributor to National Geographic magazine. His assignments have taken him around the world from the Arctic to the Antarctic to document endangered species and landscapes in order to show a world worth saving.

In addition to the work he has done for National Geographic, Joel has contributed to Audubon Magazine, Time, Life, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated and numerous book projects. Joel and his work are the subjects of several national broadcasts including National Geographic's Explorer, the NBC Nightly News, NPR's Weekend Edition and an hour-long PBS documentary, At Close Range. He is also a regular contributor on the CBS Sunday Morning Show with Charles Osgood and has written several books including RARE: Portraits of America's Endangered Species, Photographing Your Family, and Nebraska: Under a Big Red Sky.

SOURCE Destination Imagination