What is Odyssey of the Mind?

Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. Kids apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. They then bring their solutions to competition on the local, state, and World level. The Regional Competition is scheduled for March 3, 2007 in Concord .

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 the ideas of others. 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?

Canyon Middle School is sponsoring six teams of up to seven students. Each team chooses one of five competitive problems to solve. The problems appeal to a wide range of interests; some are technical in nature, while others are artistic or performance-oriented. Under the guidance of adult coaches, teams work on their solutions from November to March, meeting once or twice per week.

Check out the Odyssey of the Mind website

If CMS students are interested in joining a CMS team, please contact Pat Payne to register at 537-6101 or via email. The deadline to register is November 30.