Odyssey of the Mind, the international K-12 creative problem-solving program, welcomes libraries to sponsor teams!

For over 40 years, the Odyssey of the Mind program has encouraged divergent thinking while giving students a creative outlet wherein they develop artistic, budgeting, engineering, and teamwork skills. You can read more about the program at paodyssey.com/get-started.

For the first time, their  volunteer 501(c)(3) organization is offering grants for new teams. The average PA Odyssey of the Mind Jumpstart Grant is valued at over $400.

Odyssey of the Mind is the perfect fit to make use of a library’s makerspace and be a part of a library’s learning program.

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submitted by
Ryan Balton,
Public Relations Director
Pennsylvania Odyssey of the Mind

paodyssey.com | facebook.com/paodyssey

THINK BEYOND THE BOX
Through solving open-ended problems, students develop creative-thinking skills that can be applied to real-life situations. Each year, tens of thousands of students take part in Odyssey of the Mind, the original STEAM education program established in 1978.
Schools and organizations form teams of seven students in the fall. The students spend months developing a solution to their long-term problem, which varies from technical to theatrical. Each problem comes with specific guidelines including a cost limit, time limit, and scoring rubric. All
aspects of the solution including costumes, props, scenery, and technical devices must be original creations of the students. The students present their solutions at one of our six regional tournaments across Pennsylvania each March. Teams also receive a top-secret spontaneous problem the day of the competition, which emphasizes teamwork and quick-thinking.
The top teams compete at Pennsylvania State Finals in April. The teams crowned state champions advance to World Finals to meet up with hundreds of teams from across the US and around the world!
START A TEAM AT PAODYSSEY.COM PAODYSSEY @PAOOTM @PAODYSSEY
Odyssey of the Mind® and OMER® are federally registered trademarks of Creative Competitions, Inc.
THE ORIGINAL WORLDWIDE CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING STEAM PROGRAM
2,700 students on 424 teams solved their problems at K-12 schools, colleges, and community organizations across Pennsylvania in 2019. 5,800 students from 15 countries competed in the 2019 World Finals tournament at Michigan State University. IT TAKES A VILLAGE Our program is run entirely by volunteers! PA Odyssey of the Mind is administered by the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
Creativity Unlimited in PA. All of our tournaments are officiated by volunteer judges supplied by the competing teams.