GALS are going to the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals at Michigan State University, and we need your help!

Girls Athletic Leadership School (GALS for short!) is an all-girls middle school focusing on preparing girls academically and physically with a variety of academic and movement-based activities and events including sports teams, theatre, and for the past three years, Odyssey of the Mind (OM). This year, GALS team won the structural engineering problem April 5 at the Colorado State Championship in Fort Collins (for the second straight year) and will be heading to the National Championships May 21-24 at Michigan State University in Lansing, Michigan!

But the GALS "odyssey" can't happen without your support! We are working hard to raise money to help pay for our travel costs and room and board for the trip, and we hope you'll help. The World Finals are an invaluable experience for these young girls who will get to spend five days on campus at Michigan State University, socializing, learning, and competing against other students! From trading pins and memorabilia with teams from other states and countries and observing presentations from all around the globe, to staying in college dorms, eating at the university dining hall, this once-in-a-lifetime event is sure to have a lasting impression on the GALS and all the friends they meet along the way.

OM is a global creative problem-solving program in which students in teams of 3-7 tackle open-ended problems, often involving STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and performing arts. The goal is for students to independently (without adult help) develop solutions and present them in competitions, fostering creativity, teamwork, and dynamic problem-solving skills.

Our specific problem entails designing and building a balsa wood structure that weighs less than 17 grams (about the same as three nickels) while presenting an 8-minute skit, and a science experiment with baking soda within the performance! GALS worked hard for 12 weeks building and testing the structure, preparing and practicing the skit, and crafting our whole set, including all the props, costumes, and backdrop, primarily from recycled materials. GALS structures have consistently held more than 500 pounds (and even as much as 750 pounds) of Olympic weights before they catastrophically shatter with a bang!

So, help us go out with a bang and support our team as we head to WORLD FINALS! We appreciate your dedication and support!