Vermont Odyssey of the Mind
Odyssey of the Mind is a creative problem-solving program that is geared towards stimulating creative (out-of-the-box) thinking and developing team-work skills in young people. By challenging them with interesting, fun, and open-ended problems, they build solutions that meet the criteria, but break the mold of the “normal” everyday answer, while learning valuable life-long skills.
This is our 39th year of offering the Odyssey of the Mind program to Vermont students. Schools, community organizations, and home school groups are encouraged to check us out! We look forward to meeting you and your team at our events this year.
We say goodbye to some of our long-time volunteers and welcome some new ones. Megen Perkins, Board Member and Problem 3 Problem Captain, has begun the next chapter of her life in New York, where she has already contacted the NY Association to get involved. Taking on both roles of Board Member and PC is Heather Truax, a long time Odyssey volunteer. Our Primary Problem Captain and Board Member, Leslie Sem, is devoting her time to other volunteer opportunities and is replaced by Ashley Truax, who will also be our Awards Coordinator. And rounding out our new Board members are Bobby Wong, Head Judge for Problem 4, and Rachel Preston, who made it possible for us relocate our trainings to Essex Middle School this year. (Veteran teams take note: New location for the workshops, training, and scrimmages.)
Check out this year’s problems:
https://www.odysseyofthemind.com/p/2018-long-term-problem-synopsis/
You can register your school’s membership right now:
https://www.odysseyofthemind.com/p/join/
Once again we will be offering workshops to develop skills in spontaneous problem solving and polishing performances. New this year will be our Outreach Training for balsa structures. Contact the Problem Captain, Leslie Griffiths, for more details. Check out our Events Calendar for the date of these events and our other trainings for coaches and judges, as well as the Spontaneous Scrimmages for teams.
Our State Tournament will be held at Champlain Valley Union High School, March 17, 2018.
First place, second place, and Ranatra Fusca winners are eligible to compete at World Finals held at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, May 23 -26, 2018. We encourage all teams to mark their calendars and make plans now to meet us in Iowa!
Best Wishes for a wonderful, creative year of problem-solving!
Kathy Jacob, Association Director