The Vermont Odyssey of the Mind is offered by Vermont Creativity Quest, Incorporated, a non-profit, all-volunteer affiliate of The Odyssey of the Mind. The Vermont Odyssey of the Mind is a member of the Odyssey New England network.

What is Odyssey of the Mind?

The Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program whose mission is to provide creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. Through solving challenging and fun open-ended problems, students develop creative-thinking skills that can be applied to real-life situations. Students throughout the U.S. and 20 other countries participate in the program.

How does it work?

Schools or community groups purchase a membership ($290) and form one or more teams comprised of five-seven students each.  Each team chooses one of five competitive problems to solve. The problems appeal to a wide range of interests; some are technical in nature, while others are artistic or performance-oriented. Under the guidance of an adult coach, teams work on their solutions throughout the school year and, if they choose, present them before an audience and judges in organized competitions in the spring. The “friendly” competitive aspect encourages students to be the best that they can be.

What are the competition levels?

In Vermont, the first level of competition is at the state level. Championship teams are then invited to participate in the annual Odyssey of the Mind World Finals, where they compete with teams from countries around the world, including Canada, China, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Malaysia, Poland, Singapore, and Uzbekistan.  New countries join the program each year.

How are teams judged in competition?

Thousands of volunteers from around the world judge the competitions and serve in various positions to help make the tournaments a success. Teams are scored for their Long-Term problem solution (see descriptions on reverse of this form), how well they solve a “spontaneous” problem on the spot, and “Style” — the elaboration of their long-term solution.  Teams compete within age divisions.

Who runs the Odyssey of the Mind?

Vermont Creativity Quest, Inc., an all-volunteer, IRS 501(c)3 non-profit organization, administers the Odyssey of the Mind program in Vermont.  Each organization is run by a local board and State Association Director. The organizations are licensed by Creative Competitions, Inc. (CCI), which provides all of the materials necessary to run training sessions and tournaments.

How did Odyssey of the Mind get its start?

Odyssey of the Mind was created by Dr. C. Samuel Micklus, Professor Emeritus at Rowan University in New Jersey. In 1978, 28 New Jersey schools participated in the very first creative problem-solving competition ever.

How do I get more information or start a team?

Contact the Vermont Odyssey of the Mind Program for information about how to get a program started and training opportunities.

Our mission statement:

To promote creativity, divergent thinking, team-work skills , and self-confidence in the youth of Vermont by providing them the opportunity to participate in creative-problem solving through the Odyssey of the Mind Program.

For more information about the Odyssey Of The Mind Program, please see the official site here