Diablo View Middle School World Finals 2023

Please help us raise $3,000 for our Diablo View Middle School Odyssey of the Mind team to go to the World Finals!

We are incredibly proud of this dynamic group of girls who placed at the Northern California Odyssey of the Mind State tournament. The Diablo Valley Middle School team earned a spot to compete at the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals competition, held at Iowa State University at the end of May.

What is Odyssey of the Mind?

Odyssey of the Mind is a non-profit, after school enrichment program run by volunteers. This program focuses on an academic problem-solving competition comprised of students from kindergarten through college. Students compete in teams against other same-age teams in various competitions, from long-term problems to spontaneous problems. They learn to tackle problems that require an original creative solution. Odyssey of the Mind brings skills learned through STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) to life as kids apply what they learned.

These girls started in Odyssey of the Mind several years ago. Many of them met in elementary school. They have grown into a formidable force of girls, even naming their group, Team Smarties, after using a Candyland theme in their competition a few years ago.

The journey to World Finals

This year the journey to the World Finals started back in October 2023 as seven girls combined to form a team to represent Diablo View Middle School. The girls worked hard to complete their solution to the long-term problem as the months progressed. Weekly meetings taught the girls to work together, use engineering skills, be creative, and overcome adversity.

The first competition occurred at High School in early February. The team prevailed against six other teams to take first place in the Regional qualifying tournament. Team Smarties furthered their winning streak by placing third in the Northern California State tournament in March. Now Diablo View Middle School is headed to the World Finals to represent their school and community.

How can you help?

The Odyssey of the Mind World Finals takes place at Iowa State University May 21st - 24th. The team is excited to participate in person against teams from various states and countries throughout the world. Team Smarties is required to register, ship all props, travel to Iowa State University, lodge, and more. It will cost approximately $3,000 for team registration and the shipping of props to the World Finals. These kids worked through tears, sweat, and long hours to earn their place to compete at the highest level. Let's send these girls to the World Finals and empower them to excel and represent Northern California.

Go Team Smarties!