What is Odyssey of the Mind?
Well ... it's part drama, part engineering, along with some art, writing, maybe some music, a generous dose of teamwork, and a few other things thrown in just for fun. Overall, it's LOADS of creativity combined with lots of fun. The key to Odyssey of the Mind is that students run the show and that's one of the biggest reason why students love Odyssey of the Mind.
Why Odyssey?
Odyssey of the Mind is a high impact educational experience that teaches students outside-the-box thinking. Students develop soft-skills that they will need in order to be prepared for college and career such as creativity, teamwork, confidence, public speaking, improvisation, and initiative. Students wrestle with complex problems and together propose and implement multi-step solutions. These projects expose students to cross-curricular experiences that model real-world applications of knowledge in the work place. Students involved experience a boost in their sense of self-efficacy, and love the opportunity for self-expression, following their passion, and team bonding.
Who can participate?
Odyssey of the Mind is open to all students registered in Spencerport schools in grades K-12. One of the basic tenets of OotM is that creativity can be learned. Students need no prior experience or skills. As long as each team of 5-7 students has a coach, they are ready to go! Finding a coach is key and any willing adult qualifies: a parent, grandparent, neighbor, teacher, etc. The program is completely dependent on volunteer coaches and teams are formed as coaches volunteer.
What is the time commitment?
Most teams start meeting weekly in November for 1-2 hours. As teams get closer to the regional tournament in March, they may add a second meeting during the week. Meetings are arranged by the coach at a time that works for the majority of team members. Some older teams will also do a few longer meetings on weekends or during school breaks to finish preparing for the tournament. If the team advances to states and possibly worlds, there will likely be a few additional practices to fine tune the team's solution. See the Tournament tab for more information about those higher level trips.
How much does it cost?
Costs are very low--typically $25-35 per student to cover supplies plus the cost of a t-shirt for the tournament ($10-12). If teams advance to the state or world competition, the bulk of travel expenses will fall on families. See the Tournament tab for more information.
To learn more, check out these resources:
Affiliated Organizations:
Well ... it's part drama, part engineering, along with some art, writing, maybe some music, a generous dose of teamwork, and a few other things thrown in just for fun. Overall, it's LOADS of creativity combined with lots of fun. The key to Odyssey of the Mind is that students run the show and that's one of the biggest reason why students love Odyssey of the Mind.
Why Odyssey?
Odyssey of the Mind is a high impact educational experience that teaches students outside-the-box thinking. Students develop soft-skills that they will need in order to be prepared for college and career such as creativity, teamwork, confidence, public speaking, improvisation, and initiative. Students wrestle with complex problems and together propose and implement multi-step solutions. These projects expose students to cross-curricular experiences that model real-world applications of knowledge in the work place. Students involved experience a boost in their sense of self-efficacy, and love the opportunity for self-expression, following their passion, and team bonding.
Who can participate?
Odyssey of the Mind is open to all students registered in Spencerport schools in grades K-12. One of the basic tenets of OotM is that creativity can be learned. Students need no prior experience or skills. As long as each team of 5-7 students has a coach, they are ready to go! Finding a coach is key and any willing adult qualifies: a parent, grandparent, neighbor, teacher, etc. The program is completely dependent on volunteer coaches and teams are formed as coaches volunteer.
What is the time commitment?
Most teams start meeting weekly in November for 1-2 hours. As teams get closer to the regional tournament in March, they may add a second meeting during the week. Meetings are arranged by the coach at a time that works for the majority of team members. Some older teams will also do a few longer meetings on weekends or during school breaks to finish preparing for the tournament. If the team advances to states and possibly worlds, there will likely be a few additional practices to fine tune the team's solution. See the Tournament tab for more information about those higher level trips.
How much does it cost?
Costs are very low--typically $25-35 per student to cover supplies plus the cost of a t-shirt for the tournament ($10-12). If teams advance to the state or world competition, the bulk of travel expenses will fall on families. See the Tournament tab for more information.
To learn more, check out these resources:
- Odyssey of the Mind Organization Website
- Video made by Rochester area students explaining the program
Affiliated Organizations: