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Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. Kids apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. They then bring their solutions to competition on the local, state, and World level. Thousands of teams from throughout the U.S. and from about 25 other countries participate in the program.
There are many nuances of the program that are explained in detail in the Program Guide, but here are some of the basics of participation:
- Kids work in teams of up to seven members under the guidance of an adult coach.
- Teams spend weeks or months creating solutions to the Long-Term Problems.
- Team members must solve the Problem themselves, from coming up with the ideas for their solution to constructing the props and required elements.
- Teams work within the cost limit stated in the Problem.
- Teams are scored for meeting the requirements of the Problem and for creativity in categories specific to each Problem.
- Teams have 8 minutes to present their Long-Term Problem Solution at the competition.
- Teams must also solve a Spontaneous Problem that they learn of at the competition.
- A team’s ranking in the competition is determined by the combination of their Long-Term score, Style score, and Spontaneous score.
- To solve a Problem, teams must follow the general rules in the Program Guide, requirements specified in the particular Problem, and Problem Clarifications issued throughout the year by the International Association.
Where Can I Find More Information?
The Program Guide provides helpful information about starting the program, creating a team, and coaching a team as well as the important full rules of the program. We recommend reading the entire Program Guide before you decide to join and rereading the Program Guide several times throughout the year.
Check out FLYP Media's article "Brain Teasers", a multi-media exploration of the Odyssey of the Mind program.
A great resource for information is the International Association's website: www.odysseyofthemind.com. There you can find additional information on the getting started in the program, such as:
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