Odyssey of the Mind – Worlds!
April 12, 2019Watch Out World, Here We Come!
With a recent performance touted as ‘flawless’ and ‘without a single lapse in perfection,’ a P.K. Yonge Odyssey of the Mind team is heading off to Worlds – an international competition in Michigan with about 900 teams from around the US and across the globe. The P.K. Yonge team, comprised of six juniors and one senior prepared a solution to what Odyssey of the Mind calls a ‘long-term problem’ titled “Opposites Distract” and wowed judges with close to an unparalleled performance. The team came in second at the state competition and received the Ranatra Fusca Creativity Award for demonstrating outstanding creativity, and embodying the Odyssey of the Mind program.
Odyssey of the Mind draws thousands of teams from around the US and throughout the world to engage in creative problem-solving activities that draw on STEM (science, technology, engineering, math), history, and the arts. Students of diverse interests and backgrounds come together in teams to bring solutions to problems published each year. OM challenges students to long-term problems (vehicle, technical, classics, structure, and primary), and short-term problems (verbal, hands-on, combination). Solutions draw on mechanical skills, performance abilities, the arts, public-speaking, and collaboration skills among others.
P.K. Yonge teams have been competing in Odyssey of the Mind since 2011, with a team reaching the world competition almost every each year. This year, four P.K. Yonge teams competed – two representing elementary and two representing high school. One high school team placed first in their division in the regional competition and fourth in the state, and the other placed first in their regional competition, second at state, and will compete at Worlds in May. Odyssey of the Mind seeds continue to be planted at P.K. Yonge and interest is growing in the lower grades.
With collaboration, communication, and creative problem-solving being in high demand in today’s world and STEM careers often in the news, Odyssey of the Mind is laying some important groundwork today’s youth as they engage with essential skills and knowledge in a super fun, creative, global context.
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| Dr. Weller and Mr. Weller’s Team Problem: Opposites Distract Regional: 1st State: 2nd Next Stop: Worlds Kacie Bailey Katie Bates Cierra Boutin Katie Rocha Zane Vesper Patryk Weller Samantha White |
Mr. Poole and Mr. Moody’s Team Problem: DaVinci’s Workshop Regional: 1st State: 4th Julia Bush Miranda Barnes Abby Freidin Douglas Poole Jaxson Christie |
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