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In the Odyssey of the Mind . . .
- Students develop team-building skills by working in groups of as many as seven students per team.
- Students learn to examine problems and to identify the real challenge without limiting the possible solutions and their potential success.
- The creative-thinking process is nurtured and developed as a problem-solving tool.
- Students of all types will find something that will appeal to them.
- The fun of participation leads to an elevated interest in regular classroom curricula.
Teachers have a program to further provide students with a well-rounded education. >>>
Who Participates?
Millions of students from kindergarten through college have participated in the Odyssey of the Mind. Since the Odyssey of the Mind eliminates the fear of criticism, even shy students are afforded the opportunity to open up and express themselves. Students learn to work in teams. Each year, five new competitive problems are presented for the teams to solve. These long-term problems are solved over weeks and months. Some of the problems are more technical in nature, while others are artistic or performance based. Each long-term problem rewards "Style" in the solution. This helps teach students that they should not simply try to solve problems but take the next step of enhancing their solutions. The teams are invited to participate in competition and present their solution with other teams. At the competition, the teams are given an on-the-spot "spontaneous" problem to solve. The combination of long-term problem-solving, Style, and spontaneous problem-solving produces a confident, able student. >>>
Age Divisions
Teams are formed by division and compete against teams in the same division and problem. Grade level determines the division for teams in the U.S. and in countries with an educational structure that corresponds to the U.S. Except for Division IV, teams from countries with a different grade system ( "Other International" ) will have their division determined by the ages of the team members. In competition, each school membership may enter one team per problem for each division it covers. Community groups and home-schooled members may enter one team per problem.
The team must compete in the lowest division for which it qualifies. For example, if a team qualifies for Division II it cannot compete in Division III. The team member in the highest grade (U.S.) or the oldest (Other International) determines the team's division as follows:
- Division I -- Grades K-5 (U.S.): Less than 12 years of age on May 1, 2010 (Other International).
- Division II -- Grades 6-8 (U.S.): Less than 15 years of age on May 1, 2010 (Other International).
- Division III -- Grades 9-12 (U.S.): Oldest team member does not qualify for Divisions I or II and is attending regular school--not a college or university or anything similar (Other International).
- Division IV -- Collegiate for ALL TEAMS. All team members must have a high school diploma or its equivalent and be enrolled in at least one course at a two- or four-year college or university.
High school students taking accredited courses do not qualify for Division IV. There is a division finder at online to use to determine the division of "Other International" teams for Divisions I, II and III. No special exceptions will be granted to allow a team to change its division. >>>
An International Extravaganza
The Odyssey of the Mind is truly a worldwide competition. Participants include teams from Argentina, Australia, Belarus, Canada, China, Czech Republic, DoDDS Europe, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Mexico, Moldova, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Korea, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, and practically every state in the U.S. The annual Odyssey of the Mind World Finals is an event to behold. It embodies the international spirit of creativity! >>>
Membership Costs
A member may be a school, a recognized community group, or a college or university. A membership fee is $135 (U.S.). With each membership, you receive:
- Five long-term problems that are challenging, user-friendly, and cover a wide variety of subjects.
- One non-competitive primary problem, designed to introduce younger students to creative problem solving.
- An Odyssey of the Mind Program Guide, which provides coaching information, rules, sample spontaneous problems . . . AND MORE!
- The Odyssey of the Mind Newsletter, a quarterly publication loaded with valuable program information.
- The opportunity to enter official competitions.
- A chance to attend the annual World Finals.
- The opportunity to win educational scholarships.
- All mailings and program updates.
Support services from International Headquarters. >>>
 Membership Savings
Odyssey of the Mind Associations
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