Odyssey of the Mind is an international organization that allows students to apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. They bring their solutions to a friendly competition that encourages kids to be their best. This year, that regional competition is on Saturday, March 6th at West Potomac High School in Alexandria.

What makes Odyssey different? It's all about creativity, an often overlooked element in the growth and development of many students. Kids are rewarded more for how they apply their knowledge, skills and talents, rather than just coming up with the right answer.

How do students benefit from participation? In Odyssey of the Mind, students learn skills that will last a lifetime. They work in teams so they learn cooperation and respect for others’ ideas. They evaluate ideas and make decisions on their own, gaining greater self-confidence and increased self-esteem along the way. They work within a budget, so they learn to manage their money. They see that there’s often more than one way to solve a problem, and that sometimes the process is more important than the end result.

How does it work? Each team of up to seven students solves one of the problems below (up to eight students on each team solve the problem for Grades K - 2). The full problem descriptions are provided in the Group Files below.

Problem for Grades K - 2:
Surprise Party
The team presents a humorous performance of a surprise party for a team-created character.  The surprise is an occasion that is not normally celebrated.  Partygoers give three gifts and present a party "noisemaker" that makes an unusual sound instead of a loud sound. 

Problems for Grades 3 – 5:
Nature Trail'R
Teams design, build, and drive a human-powered vehicle and camper that go to a campground and are disconnected.   Then, the vehicle travels on a nature trail, on which it overcomes an obstacle, cleans up the environment, encounters wildlife, and undergoes a repair.  A character explains the experience.  Sponsored by NASA. 

Discovered Treasures
The team portrays the discovery of two archaeological treasures.  One is a team-created discovery of an actual historical treasure; the other is the team's depiction of a modern sculpture or structure that exists today, but is discovered in the future.  The performance includes an artistic representation of the two discovered treasures and characters on the discovery teams.

Food Court
Teams present a humorous performance where a food item is accused of being unhealthy and must defend itself among its food peers.  All characters are food items and include: "the accused," "the accuser," additional characters, and a jury that reveals its decision to the audience.
 
For more information on the program, please see the websites listed under "Group Links" below on this webpage.

Belmont is fielding two teams of kindergarten through second graders and three other teams of third through fifth graders.  Once-a-week meetings of the individual teams started in November and will last until March, with some teams meeting twice or more a week as necessary.  Please see the calendar link in the bottom right for the schedule of team meetings.

Cost per child this year is $35, with financial assistance available.  We have secured enough business-partner sponsorships to make this the only payment due.  Many thanks to those sponsors:


Let's Have a Great Year of Odyssey!