By Sarah Gray, Teacher at CECA

Six exceptional Yucaipa High School students are heading to China this summer for an exclusive 12-day Destination Imagination (DI) Summer Challenge and Camp. As alumni of Competitive Edge Charter Academy (CECA)—a TK-8 International Baccalaureate school—these students are taking their passion for inquiry-based learning and global mindedness to the world stage.

CECA has fostered creative problem-solving through its DI afterschool club for over a decade, currently being led by Julie Lattuca and Sarah Gray. Missing the thrill of competition after promoting to high school, these alumni reunited this year to compete at the high school level. Their stellar performance at the state tournament earned them a coveted invitation to this international event, joining teams from across China and just 18 select U.S. teams.

Operating in both Chinese and English, the camp promotes innovation, cultural exchange, and lasting friendships through an Extreme Challenge, Instant Challenges, and creativity workshops.

True to DI tradition, the team adopted a pun-filled name: Dear DI-ary. For their showcase centerpiece, they are designing and building a fully usable chair made entirely from cardboard. The project highlights how materials that are flimsy on their own can create immense strength when engineered together—a perfect metaphor for the team itself.

"This project reflects how they come together to show strength as a team," Sarah Gray shared. Through hands-on collaboration and cross-cultural dialogue, Dear DI-ary is ready to showcase their talents, represent YCJUSD, and broaden their global perspectives.

The students participating are: (Class of ‘27) Alex Carrazco, Olivia Gray, Lola Murphy (Class of ‘28) Kimberly Carrazco, (Class of ‘29) Charlotte Gray, and joining the team is (Class of ‘30) Frankie Murphy. The team manager for this team is Sarah Gray (CECA MYP teacher) and team mom, Heather Murphy.