Odyssey of the Mind World Finals
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WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!!
Woodlands Elementary School's Odyssey of the Mind team placed first at the Florida State Competition in Division 1, problem 2 and has been given the honor and opportunity to compete at the World Finals held at Iowa State University May 23-26. This is the first year that these students have had the opportunity to participate in Odyssey of the Mind on a competitive level and they have done an incredible job! The team consists of 7 team members in 2nd and 3rd grade and volunteer 2 coaches/moms. To travel and compete in such an event will cost around $15,000 for airfare, hotel, transportation and food. We are hoping that we can rely on the generosity of local businesses as well as friends and family to help sponsor these amazing kids and get them to the World Final Competition.
Odyssey of the Mind is an international creative problem solving competition. Students in Odyssey of the Mind are expected to solve one of 5 different "Long-Term" problems throughout the school year and present it at competition. Solutions to the problems often include a skit with team made costumes and props to presented within a specific amount of time and they must work within a budget assigned to them. Some problems include team made vehicles, where as others include balsa structures built to hold immense amounts of weight, while others include classic literature or even technical gadgets or robots expected to perform specific functions. No two teams solutions are the same. Teams are scored on specific requirements assigned to their chosen problem as well as on their overall "Style," often referred to as the artistic, or creative aspect of the competition, and a "Spontaneous" problem they are given on the day of competition and told to solve within a time limit in front of judges. Odyssey of the Mind is intended to teach and enhance students ability to work as a team as well as independently, leadership, creativity, problem solving, public speaking, engineering, budgeting, and crafting/artistic skills as well as, and perhaps most importantly, teaching the children to think outside the box for solutions. Coaches are in place merely to guide students on their problem solving path but can not, along with anyone else, provide or even suggest possible solutions to the problem. Odyssey of the Mind requires that teams, and only teams, do 100% of the work on every aspect of their solution with no outside assistance. Additional information, as well as pictures and information regarding the World Final Competition is available at www.odysseyofthemind.com.
Our team chose the problem entitled "Emoji, Speak For Yourself." The students were expected to create a solution in which they told a story of a "once famous but now forgotten" Emoji. The Emoji could be anything they wanted and the story could unfold in anyway they chose. They were to include 3 three-dimensional story-teller emojis that are capable of completing 3 different tasks including growing in size, transforming into another emoji and transforming into a team member. The team was also required to provide a technical representation of texting. The biggest challenge was that they were required to perform the skit/solution in an 8 minute time frame, and were not permitted to use ANY spoken language to do so. To complete their solution students learned a variety of new skills including, but not limited to, using a variety of tools (like a hammer, hand drill, table saw, hack saw, sander, hot glue gun and more), painting, sewing, crafting, dancing, graphic design, engineering, recording and mixing songs into a continuous soundtrack (and also adding audible queues and sound effects) paper-mache, puppeteer, and so much more. Their team created solution includes a nearly life-size marionette, a larger than life cell phone, a choreographed dance, sound effects, and much much more.
If you can and are willing to help contribute to helping send this spectacular team to the World Final competition we would be extremely grateful. ANY amount helps.
Woodlands Elementary School's Odyssey of the Mind team placed first at the Florida State Competition in Division 1, problem 2 and has been given the honor and opportunity to compete at the World Finals held at Iowa State University May 23-26. This is the first year that these students have had the opportunity to participate in Odyssey of the Mind on a competitive level and they have done an incredible job! The team consists of 7 team members in 2nd and 3rd grade and volunteer 2 coaches/moms. To travel and compete in such an event will cost around $15,000 for airfare, hotel, transportation and food. We are hoping that we can rely on the generosity of local businesses as well as friends and family to help sponsor these amazing kids and get them to the World Final Competition.
Odyssey of the Mind is an international creative problem solving competition. Students in Odyssey of the Mind are expected to solve one of 5 different "Long-Term" problems throughout the school year and present it at competition. Solutions to the problems often include a skit with team made costumes and props to presented within a specific amount of time and they must work within a budget assigned to them. Some problems include team made vehicles, where as others include balsa structures built to hold immense amounts of weight, while others include classic literature or even technical gadgets or robots expected to perform specific functions. No two teams solutions are the same. Teams are scored on specific requirements assigned to their chosen problem as well as on their overall "Style," often referred to as the artistic, or creative aspect of the competition, and a "Spontaneous" problem they are given on the day of competition and told to solve within a time limit in front of judges. Odyssey of the Mind is intended to teach and enhance students ability to work as a team as well as independently, leadership, creativity, problem solving, public speaking, engineering, budgeting, and crafting/artistic skills as well as, and perhaps most importantly, teaching the children to think outside the box for solutions. Coaches are in place merely to guide students on their problem solving path but can not, along with anyone else, provide or even suggest possible solutions to the problem. Odyssey of the Mind requires that teams, and only teams, do 100% of the work on every aspect of their solution with no outside assistance. Additional information, as well as pictures and information regarding the World Final Competition is available at www.odysseyofthemind.com.
Our team chose the problem entitled "Emoji, Speak For Yourself." The students were expected to create a solution in which they told a story of a "once famous but now forgotten" Emoji. The Emoji could be anything they wanted and the story could unfold in anyway they chose. They were to include 3 three-dimensional story-teller emojis that are capable of completing 3 different tasks including growing in size, transforming into another emoji and transforming into a team member. The team was also required to provide a technical representation of texting. The biggest challenge was that they were required to perform the skit/solution in an 8 minute time frame, and were not permitted to use ANY spoken language to do so. To complete their solution students learned a variety of new skills including, but not limited to, using a variety of tools (like a hammer, hand drill, table saw, hack saw, sander, hot glue gun and more), painting, sewing, crafting, dancing, graphic design, engineering, recording and mixing songs into a continuous soundtrack (and also adding audible queues and sound effects) paper-mache, puppeteer, and so much more. Their team created solution includes a nearly life-size marionette, a larger than life cell phone, a choreographed dance, sound effects, and much much more.
If you can and are willing to help contribute to helping send this spectacular team to the World Final competition we would be extremely grateful. ANY amount helps.
Organizer
Jessica Heilpern Lawrence
Organizer
Longwood, FL
