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Help Send Us to Odyssey of the Mind Worlds!

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Help Send us to Odyssey of the Mind World Finals!




How We Earned Our Invitation to the 2024 Odyssey of Mind World Finals!! (The first OM team since 1998 from our school to advance to Worlds!)


Our team won 1st place at the Gulf Coast Regional and 2nd place Florida State Odyssey of the Mind (OM) competition this year. We are now advancing to the OM World Finals at Iowa State University in Ames, IA from May 21-24 where 800+ teams from 16 countries and the United States will compete. Now what?? We need your help to make it happen! Unfortunately, our team has only six short weeks to raise a substantial amount of money to help defray the cost of participation fees & travel expenses.


Our team members consist of five 8th graders and one 7th grader; together as a team, they have competed at the Regional and State levels for the past seven years and have a combined 33 years of OM competitions under their belt! Our team now has a shot at competing at Worlds. Since last fall, we have been working extremely hard to creatively solve the technical OM problem for this year's competition to present to a team of judges. The 100% student-developed solution is presented in an 8-minute theatrical performance (including the script, sets, props, costumes, and make-up) with a budget of only $155.






Through Odyssey of The Mind, our children have gained greater self-confidence and increased self-esteem through their dedication and hard work. Team members see that there is often more than one way to solve a problem and that sometimes the process is more important than the result. This year, our team wowed the judges by creating a life-sized Monopoly board and a backdrop that included a couch that they could sit upon! These kids have dedicated innumerable weekend hours to Odyssey of the Mind and their hard work has paid off.



How Can You Help?
The cost for each team member to attend the World Finals is about $1,200 for each child and each coach (entry fees, room/board and travel expenses). We have a long way to go to reach our goal of $11,000 to send the team members, their coaches, and their props to the World Finals in Iowa. The money raised by this campaign will go to cover the team's travel expenses to Ames, IA; room and board at Iowa State University for the team, and coaches during the 4-day competition; and other costs associated with participation in the World Finals. We are organizing fundraisers as a team in our local community too. We are receiving donations from members of our community, but we need your generous help to meet our goal. Please read on to find out more about the Odyssey of the Mind scholastic program and find it within your heart to donate any amount so we can send our students to this unique educational event!



What is Odyssey of the Mind?

Odyssey of the Mind (OM™) teaches students how to develop and use their natural creativity to become problem-solvers. Imagine being faced with a problem that requires an original solution. It can be frightening. Now imagine not being afraid to solve that problem – that is what OM members learn. This skill and self-confidence will carry over to all areas of their lives. OM brings academics to life as students apply what they’ve learned and combine it with their interests and passions to solve unique open-ended problems. OM also emphasizes teamwork, budgeting, time management, public speaking, and so much more. This international program is designed to help students at all learning levels grow as individual learners, grow as team members, and to reach their full potential. The competition consists of the performance of our original skit based on an exact set of required elements given (the "long-term problem") as well as the performance of the spontaneous problem, in which teams are asked to perform random tasks on the spot with no prior preparation, such as creating a bridge out of unique materials that can actually support weight. Teams then compete on the local, state and world levels. Thousands of teams throughout the U.S. & from 26 other countries participate in the program. OM is a learning experience that has helped our children develop skills that will last a lifetime. The team members have learned to cooperate and respect others' ideas, evaluate them, and make decisions independently.

The chance to go to the OM World Finals in Iowa is a truly unique opportunity for our children. It is a great honor to represent Florida and the Gulf Coast Region on the world stage. Staying on a college campus, surrounded by passionate and creative students from around the world, will be a life-changing and inspiring experience they will remember for the rest of their lives. Any financial support you can provide for our team would be greatly appreciated. Please consider donating to our team, even if it is just a small amount as it all adds up.




We sincerely appreciate any assistance you can provide to help our team get to Iowa State University for the World Finals competition. Your donation will go a long way towards providing these exceptional students with a unique opportunity to showcase their talents, meet students from across America and the world and proudly represent the Florida Gulf Coast at an international competition.

Thank you!!


Grace, Hannah, Ava, Lorenzo, Ainsley, Emma
OM Team #10167
Coaches-Lydia, Kim and Jessica
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Donations 

  • victoria cardullo
    • $20
    • 9 mos
  • Gian Framingheddu
    • $150
    • 9 mos
  • Rajesh Bhula
    • $50
    • 10 mos
  • Rajesh Bhula
    • $200
    • 10 mos
  • Debra Guyer
    • $20
    • 10 mos
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Organizer

Lydia Hedges
Organizer
New Port Richey, FL

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