norcalodyssey.orgNorCal Odyssey of the Mind

Facebook Instagram Donate How to make donations to . Contact How to Contact our volunteer coordinators or ask questions. Store Shop our store Search About OMProgram Information Information for Educators Information for Educators Odyssey Angels STEM / STEAM Directory Get Started Memberships Building Teams Problems Description of each seasons problems. Resources CoachesTeams JudgesVolunteers FAQ VideosWebinars Blog Team Support – Directory Spontaneous Tips Events Qualifying Tournaments Calendar QT #1 Results QT #2 Results State Tournament State Results World Finals Creativity Full STEAM Ahead Creativity: full STEAM aheadCreative STEAM Challenges for Student of All Ages Get Started Take Learning to the Next Level Take Learning to the Next levelStart Your Adventure in Beyond the Box Thinking Get Started Make Innovation your New Challenge Make Innovation your New challengeDivergent Thinking and Problem Solving for Participants of All Ages Get Started Creativity. Teamwork. Ingenuity. Artistry. We empower students to use creativity, problem-solving skills and teamwork to travel uncharted paths and build a better future. Odyssey of the Mind (OM) encourages young people worldwide to embrace their creativity and develop divergent thinking skills. Students work as part of a team to create innovative solutions to open-ended problems, building confidence and learning valuable life lessons. The tools students use to solve OM problems help set them up for success and open doors for advanced studies and career opportunities. From robotics to acting, painting to engineering and coding to music, participants learn valuable new skills while having fun. Our alumni have careers spanning the gamut from Broadway performers to rocket scientists. Like you, we want our kids to do great things. Let’s get started! Learn About Program Memberships Talk to a director Odyssey of the Mind is where kids’ ideas are heard! – Odyssey Alum We help kids become motivated learners. Watch to see what makes Odyssey of the Mind so special. Learn About Our Unique, Team-Focused Problems Are you a builder? A writer? Performer? Pick a problem, find your passion! Primary Introduce young OMers to Odyssey with this comprehensive, fun and instructional problem. K-2 • Non-competitive Vehicle Use creative and functional engineering to build an original vehicle that can perform tasks. K-College • Competitive Technical Build a device using engineering, electronics or robotics — the methodology is up to you! K-College • Competitive Classics Create a performance that puts a modern twist on the classics. Learn history by rewriting it! K-College • Competitive Structure Build an original structure to withstand a test of strength as it holds weight until it breaks. K-College • Competitive Performance Use drama, humor, original characters and crazy settings to create an original performance. K-College • Competitive View 2023-2024 Problem Videos If I could suggest one thing students must try, it’s Odyssey of the Mind. Nothing has done more to teach me the creative problem-solving skills that I’m going to need in college. – Odyssey Alum Odyssey of the Mind is… Spontaneous! Celebrate your ability to think on your feet! During competition, every team will solve a spontaneous problem, and you won’t know what it is until you are asked to solve it. But you can still practice! Learn from past Spontaneous Problems here . Stylish! Do you love to show off your unique style? Then Odyssey is for you! All OM problems contain Style elements that let teams really showcase their unique creative flair. From sets to props to customs and more, Style makes your solution come to life. It’s where kids can be themselves!” Start your Odyssey Your adventure in STEAM learning begins with just a few easy steps. Generate Interest Get parents, kids and administrators excited to start solving. Any school, home school, or community group can participate. For more information contact our Membership Director, Cameran Haire . Get Your Memberships There are three steps to full team participation, and it all starts with the International Membership. Learn more about memberships. Or, and get started by purchasing your International Membership here . Form a Team Teams may contain up to seven members and must have a coach who is over 18. Need to recruit members? Download the member recruitment pdf . Pick Your Problem Odyssey of the mind has a challenge for everyone, from engineering and building to drama and performance. Choose the problem that best fits your team’s interests and skills. BrainstormCreate Team members work together without any outside assistance from their coach to create a solution they truly own. Compete! All teams are guaranteed a spot in one of our NorCal Qualifying Tournaments. Here’s where kids get to show off their ideas and appreciate others. Questions? Frequently asked questions about Odyssey of the Mind What is Odyssey of the Mind? Odyssey of the Mind is a team-based creativity and STEM/STEAM program in which groups of 3 to 7 students solve one of several problems put out each year by the OM organization. The problems are open-ended and designed so that there is no right” answer. This teaches participants the power of divergent thinking — in class, convergent thinking is used to arrive at the right answer; in Odyssey, divergent thinking is used to arrive at infinite solutions. While the goal of most teams is to present their solution in a tournament, competing is not a requirement of the program. OM can be used as an after-school STEAM program, teaching kids valuable skills while building confidence. Odyssey of the Mind is not just about competing and problem-solving. It is about friendship and family. Students are encouraged to meet new friends and to watch and learn from the ideas of others. Through our volunteer structure, families are able to be an integral part of the program and are able to help in their communities. How do I talk to my school about coaching OM? Find out whether your school already has an Odyssey of the Mind team, coordinator or membership by talking to people in the school’s administrative staff. If so, all you need to do is contact the school Odyssey coordinator and ask them to include you in any communications regarding Odyssey of the Mind. If not, any of the following may be required to start a program: sending flyers home , having a meeting for interested parents and students or enlisting a faculty sponsor. Coaches How do I become an Odyssey of the Mind coach? There are two ways a volunteer generally gets started as an Odyssey coach: to be assigned to a team or to be part of recruiting a team. Officials at your school may have already created a procedure for team selection, so a good place to start is by contacting administrators at your child’s school. There is no one way to structure memberships and teams, though there are specific rules for teams. The program guide is a great place to start. What support do you offer for coaches? Our NorCal Association is proud of the support structure we have developed for coaches and teams. Each coach has access to a Team Coordinator who is available to answer questions and offer guidance to coaches throughout the season. Team Coordinators can help get your team up and running if you are a first-time coach and help prepare you for what to expect at tournaments. To get in touch with your support team, contact our Teams Director . How do I talk to my school about coaching OM? Find out whether your school already has an Odyssey of the Mind team, coordinator or membership by talking to people in the school’s administrative staff. If so, all you need to do is contact the school Odyssey coordinator and ask them to include you in any communications regarding Odyssey of the Mind. If not, any of the following may be required to start a program: sending flyers home , having a meeting for interested parents...