IDYLLWILD, CA, FEB 15, 2008—The Monterey Company, one of the nation’s leading suppliers of lapel pins and military challenge coins, has been awarded the Destination ImagiNation (DI) license this year. The Destination ImagiNation Flagship Program is the world’s largest creative problem solving program for young people from kindergarten through college. For the past 25 years, it has fostered creativity, problem-solving skills and teamwork. Under this license, The Monterey Company will custom design and supply trading pins to many of the 1,200 students participating in the Global Finals which begin in May.

There are five competitive team challenges, each with its own educational focus, including technical/mechanical, theater arts/science, fine arts, and improvisation, structural & architectural design. Last year, The Monterey Company designed a set of trading pins for a Michigan DI team whose pins made honorable mention at the Global Finals. (See photo inset). The set depicts imaginative fictional creatures which played a central role in the team’s skit at the tournament. The pins feature beautiful colors and glitter colors—a big hit with the DI customers.

Destination Imagination Lapel Pins

“It was pretty exciting for us,” said Paul Stark, president of The Monterey Company, based in the Alpine village of Idyllwild, CA. “Our Destination ImagiNation customers always have the most creative ideas for their pins. It is really fun to work with them!” “We are also impressed with the effectiveness of this program to motivate and inspire young people. We are excited to be part of that experience, at least peripherally.The pins serve as a nice memento,” he added. Stark and his staff have been in direct contact with Destination ImagiNation’s regional affiliate directors and expect to create even more spectacular pins this year. On Monterey’s design staff is Mr. Watson, a local illustrator who once worked for DreamWorks.

“It’s only natural for Mr. Watson to create fantasy-based pins because that’s what he did every day while working in the film industry,” Stark said.