Odyssey of the Mind teaches students how to develop and use their natural creativity to become problem-solvers. Imagine being faced with a problem that requires an original solution. It can be frightening. Now imagine not being afraid to solve that problem – that is what OM members learn. This skill and self-confidence will carry over to all areas of their lives. OM brings the classroom to life as students apply what they learn and combine it with their interests and passions to solve our unique open-ended problems. OM also emphasizes teamwork, budgeting, time management, public speaking, and so much more. This international program is designed to help students at all learning levels grow as individual learners, grow as team members, and to reach their full potential. 

Throughout the year our team of 3rd-5th graders have been working on a problem presented by Odyssey of the Mind. They presented their solution to this problem with a skit. The special thing about Odyssey of the Mind is that they can have no outside assistance! That means they have worked cooperatively with each other to write a script, as well as, imagined, designed, and built sets, props, and costumes without adult assistance! This year they have learned wood working, 3-D printing, laser wood engraving, spray painting, and many other lifelong cooperative skills. Please come back to this site in June to see pictures and video of our long term performance! 

Odyssey of the Mind offers 5 problems to choose from each year; each with its own challenge. Our team chose Problem 4 - Structure. Along with the Odyssey skit, they had to create a balsa wood structure weighing no more than 18 grams (that's the same weight as ~18 paperclips). These 18 gram structures routinely bear hundreds of pounds! They incorporated the testing of their structures weight bearing ability into their skit at competition. Please come back to this site in June to see pictures of the incredible structures we used at competition!