ECC Gal Pals are taking on the WORLD Odyssey 2019
WE ALL SHINE IN DIFFERENT WAYS
These are the El Camino Creek (ECC) Gal Pals, a team of 5th grade girls at ECC Elementary who participated this year in the international Odyssey of the Mind program. After four months of preparation, they competed in their regional tournament and advanced to the Southern California State tournament. At the State competition on March 22nd, they placed 2nd place overall, and now have the chance to compete in the 2019 World Finals - the first team from ECC ever to do so!
The mission of OOTM, an international educational program, is to foster creativity and problem-solving skills in students from kindergarten through college all over the world. Through practicing out of the box thinking, writing original scripts, and creating costumes, props, and sets, teams of students work together to produce incredible solutions to creative problems.
For this year’s competition, team members Ella Harkins, Elizabeth Lacy, Lily Logan, Calista Lowery, Kaylin Pollard, and Cayman Ringdahl solved Problem #5, Opposites Distract, by creating a script, props, and set for an 8-minute performance that met over 30 individual criteria, including original song, dance, and poetry completely on their own! While two parent coaches were able to answer questions and teach general skills, the girls could have no outside assistance when developing their solution to the problem. The team also competed in a spontaneous problem designed to test effective teamwork and given to them the day of the competition, in which they had only minutes to think of a solution, and then build it.
Never expecting to advance to the State Competition, yet alone World Finals, they are unbelievably excited and humbled, and can’t wait to represent their school and the Coastal region in this year’s World Finals, held at Michigan State University, May 22nd through 26th. The moral of their performance,
WE ALL SHINE IN DIFFERENT WAYS, is sure to take on new meaning as they share the stage with OOTM teams around the world.
What will it take for them to attend?
$1200 per student and chaperone/parent for campus housing and meals
$200 to ship our scenery, props, and costumes
$1100 per student and chaperone for air travel
The ECC Gal Plas are unbelievably excited to represent their school and the entire Encinitas community at the 2019 World Finals at Michigan State University May 22-26, but need to raise some money to do so. Please consider donating to this worthwhile cause.
The ECC Gal Pal greatly appreciate any help and support that you can provide!
