Odyssey of the Mind at Olander Elementary School: To Worlds!

Odyssey of the Mind is an international, non-profit, volunteer-lead, educational organization running a competitive, creative, problem-solving program for students from kindergarten to college.

And Olander's teams swept Regional and State tournaments for 1st and 2nd places after a challenging year full of growth, communication, learning, problem solving, spray painting, and a little bit of fun along the way.

Odyssey of the Mind teams choose one long term problem to solve. In the process of solving their problem, children learn to think outside the box, work together to develop creative solutions to broadly defined problems, and present their solution in an eight-minute performance. Teams are rewarded for not just solving the problem, but for enhancing their solution with style. Teams compete in an on-the-spot spontaneous problem as part of the competition. Awesome, right?!

The journey to Worlds is extraordinary: students refine their work based on feedback from judges, practice spontaneous problems, and continue cultivating their team relationships. It's a massive investment in time and money, and (from current students to adults remembering their childhood OM experiences) well worth it.

And that is why we are fundraising. We'll be hosting fundraising events (parties, plant sales), and are now asking you support the team here in any way possible, from cheers to cents to dollars! Please add a comment, donate, and share widely!

Friends, families, and local business - thank you for being a part of the Olander Elementary Odyssey of the Mind!