Odyssey of the Mind is an international extra-curricular educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities and 21st century skills development for students from kindergarten through college. Working in small teams, students apply their creativity to solve carefully designed problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. They bring their solutions to competitions on the state and world level. Teams from all over the globe participate in the program.

 

South Carolina Odyssey administers the program for South Carolina students by promoting and organizing the program, supporting its goals and participants, and conducting workshops and tournaments - all to provide South Carolina students an enriching opportunity to practice and develop teamwork, creative problem-solving, and life skills. 

 

Odyssey Of The Mind Program Goals:

• Develop creative thinking abilities. Creativity can be taught.

• Learn there is more than one solution to a problem

• Improve communication skills

• Increase student ability to apply known principles and facts to “hands-on” situations. Kids do everything.

• Exercise and use the higher-order thinking and critical thinking skills, especially analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.

• Develop and utilize skills of all members.

• Learn how to use the creative problem-team solving process.

• Develop and use research skills

• Develop and use local resources.

• Making new friendships.

• Use team-building exercises.

• Learn to be risk takers in expressing and developing their ideas.

• Process is more important than winning.

• Have fun while learning all of these very important skills.

 

 

 

In the Odyssey of the Mind . . .

 

• Students develop team-building skills by working in groups of as many as seven students per team.

• Students learn to examine problems and to identify the real challenge without limiting the possible solutions and their potential success.

• The creative-thinking process is nurtured and developed as a problem-solving tool.

• Students of all types will find something that will appeal to them.

• The fun of participation leads to an elevated interest in regular classroom curricula.

• Teachers have a program to further provide students with a well-rounded education