By NING SHAO, Contributor
Five students from Canyon Ridge Middle School’s award-winning Nine Tailed Destination Imagination Team—Nolan Shaw, Rush Bartlett, Anne Countway, Vincent Chen, and Sophie Qin—recently returned from an unforgettable two-week educational and cultural exchange in China, representing CRMS, Leander ISD, Texas Destination Imagination, and the U.S. delegation on the international stage.
The program was organized by Emily Duke, executive director of Texas Destination Imagination and chair of Global Destination Imagination. The U.S. delegation included eight Destination Imagination teams from across the country, including four teams representing Texas—including the Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio regions—alongside teams from Michigan, California, and the Boston area.
During the first week, the students participated in the internationally recognized World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai. As part of the conference, Destination Imagination teams from Singapore, Mexico, Hong Kong, Macau, Indonesia, Thailand, mainland China, and other participating regions came together to exchange ideas, showcase creativity, and collaborate through Destination Imagination activities. The conference provided a unique opportunity for students to experience firsthand how innovation, teamwork, and creative problem-solving transcend language and cultural boundaries.
The second week focused on cultural immersion and educational exchange as the delegation traveled through Suzhou, Tianjin, and Beijing. Students visited some of China’s most iconic landmarks, including the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and other historic sites, while also participating in friendly exchanges and activities with local students. These interactions allowed students to share ideas, learn from one another, and gain a deeper appreciation for both the common ground and the diversity found within the global Destination Imagination community.
The Nine Tailed team, coached by Ning Shao and Rush Bartlett Sr., recently earned Second Place in the Engineering Challenge at the 2026 Destination Imagination Global Finals, continuing the team’s tradition of excellence. The full Nine Tailed roster also includes Dravin Sanka and Vihan Kumar. While the China delegation was limited by the program’s age eligibility requirements, they remain valued members of the team.
For the CRMS students of the Nine Tailed team, the journey represented far more than international travel—it was an opportunity to serve as ambassadors for Canyon Ridge Middle School, Leander ISD, and the Four Points community while building friendships, exchanging ideas, and discovering firsthand how creativity connects young people across the world.
