Helping children explore their
creativity,
develop their teamwork skills,
and seek solutions.
Odyssey of the Mind is an International creative problem-solving program specifically dedicated to helping children explore their creativity, seek solutions and develop their teamwork skills. Odyssey of the Mind is a hands-on, engaging, and a social experience. From robotics to acting, painting to engineering, coding to music, participants learn valuable new skills while having fun.
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Learning the skills that lead them to work effectively as active members of a team Learning to take many individual ideas and thoughts to form superior solutions Being comfortable speaking in public Learning that it is worth taking risks Knowing there are methods to increase the likelihood of the success in risk-taking.
Students use a hands-on approach to solving a complex, open-ended problem, a problem that has specific design specifications and monetary limitations. The problems incorporate science, technology, engineering, math, art, speaking and acting into the process, with greater emphasis on some elements than on others depending on the Problem chosen by the team.
While a conventional education is important, learning to solve problems creatively and confidently gives the students an important edge in their education and career goals. There is creativity inside each of us and OotM teaches how to tap into it, so it can be applied to real-world problems.
As a coach, I love witnessing students solve
problems that do not have easy answers as the
students practice the skills of being creative and
innovative thinkers. It is tremendously rewarding
watching the students have fun as they try to figure
out the "how to" while they learn to ask of
themselves open-ended questions that further their
thinking.
Teams work with constraints when solving Odyssey of
the Mind problems, and those constraints anchor
creativity. “Magic” happens as teams embrace the
ideas of their teammates and are inspired by those
ideas. As a coach, I remain in awe at the creative
solutions teams devise in their problem-solving. I
learn so much from the teams and in the process I
learn to be more creative, myself; and yes, the
latter is fun!
Marcia Banks
Swiss Association Director of OotM, Coach
The experience was truly eye-opening, and I'm glad I participate in it, I will remember this for the rest of my life.
I think Odyssey is very good because it opens opportunities for you to be more independent.
I think that Odyssey of the Mind has helped me learn and grow to become a more creative, independent and overall interesting person.
Odyssey of the Mind has helped me grow both as a thinker, a team member, and as a person.
Odyssey is a very fun activity as you can meet new friends and meet new coaches.
Odyssey helps to create new memories and have wonderful experiences with friends and other people.
