Spring Hill Elementary School team is going to WORLD FINALS!
Donation protected
A hard-working and creative team of 4th and 5th graders from Spring Hill Elementary School has achieved a remarkable feat of winning both the regional and state competitions of the Odyssey of the Mind. As a result, they will represent the Commonwealth of Virginia at the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals. The competition will take place on May 21-24, 2024, at Iowa State University with over 800 participating teams from throughout the United States and over 20 other countries: https://omworldfinals.com/
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for this Spring Hill Elementary School team competing on problem 4 (deep space structure) to demonstrate their creative problem-solving skills at the world stage. They have worked very hard to get here:
- The team has worked over 300 hours over the past 6 months to perfect a solution to their long-term problem. The solution includes an 8-min script, with music written and performed by the students.
- The team has also built and tested numerous innovative 8-inch, 18-gram balsa wood structures, designed to withstand more than 500 pounds of pressure.
- Using recycled cardboard and trash, the team has built beautiful props and sets that represent space-related landscapes and objects.
- The team has embraced STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), researching and integrating many engineering and science laws into their performance.
- The team has learned how to think on their feet to solve spontaneous problems, while displaying teamwork and creativity.
While competing in the regionals and state tournaments required a cumulative budget of less than $1,000, going to the World Finals is an expensive undertaking. The competition is a week-long event, and the registration fee alone is $3,750. The total costs would exceed $20,000 and we are looking for support to help the kids participate in this event. Donations will help pay for travel, lodging, transportation of the large props to Iowa and registration fee for our 7 team members and coaches.
The kids have started a fundraising campaign of their own - lemonade stands, and sales of baked good, used books and bracelets; however, the event is coming up soon. Every little amount can help; if you can't donate, please spread the word!
We thank you in advance for any support you can give. We hope our wins will inspire other kids - in the region and all over the world - to participate in future Odyssey of the Mind competitions!
More about Odyssey:
Odyssey of the Mind is an international, scholastic competition, which teaches students how to develop and use their natural creativity to become problem solvers. The Odyssey competition consists of two parts: a long-term problem (out of 5 choices) with a skit that kids write and perform for tournament judges, and a spontaneous problem, which is formulated to test teams' creativity and problem-solving skills on the spot: https://www.odysseyofthemind.com/
Organizer
Rodica Donaldson
Organizer
McLean, VA