John Rex Going to Odyssey Worlds!
Our Odyssey of the Mind Odd-a-Bot team was born in the fall of 2016, when seven 4th graders came together because of a love of robotics and a desire to expand their experiences through creativity and science. John Rex had never participated in Odyssey of the Mind, so the learning curve was enormous! Odyssey of the Mind began in 1978 and is the largest creative competition in the world. It is an international education program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. Team members apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. They then bring their solutions to competition on the local, state, and World level. Thousands of teams from throughout the U.S. and from about 25 other countries participate in the program. The entire project, from concept to production, is entirely student-lead. Adult coaches are present only to monitor and guide the students to ensure safety. Students lead the brainstorming, problem-solving, and conflict resolution.
This year, our team selected the Odd-A-Bot problem. This problem asks the students to create a humorous story about a family that receives an “Odd-A-Bot”. This Odd-A-Bot is unique in that it learns human characteristics and movement by watching others. The Odd-A-Bot will also adapt what it has learned in a humorous way. Team Odd-A-Bot’s first competition was February 25, 2017 and we are proud to say we won 2nd place at the regional level. The team took a moment to celebrate and then dove-in to making improvements for the next level of competition. The team added upgrades to the robot, additions to the set, and additional jokes in the play. Team Odd-A-Bot 2.0 was ready for State competition!
On March 25, 2017, the team competed at the state level and won 2nd place. The team has now been invited to the World competition hosted by Michigan State University. Not only will these dedicated 4th graders be able to compete on a world stage with other students from the U.S., Poland, Korea, Japan, China, and Canada, but they will learn from students from all over the world about the similarities and differences in our cultures. This experience has been life changing for each team member. The team is overjoyed for this opportunity and we need your help to make the trip to Odyssey of the Mind World Finals a reality. The cost for travel, transportation of props, registration, and room and board for 7 students is estimated at $10,000 and we have a short time-period to complete our fundraising project. We must send in final payments by April 28, 2017. Your support is key to helping the John Rex’s Team Odd-A-Bot reach their goals. Any donation amount can help.
We thank you in advance for your support, 
Team Odd-A-Bot
