Thousands of really smart students occupying College Park over the next several days will have to flex their mental muscle in what is billed as the largest international creative problem-solving competition-ever.
Students demonstrate their creativity during Odyssey of the Mind World Finals. Photo: newsdesk.umd.edu
For the seventh time, the University of Maryland is hosting the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals that concludes Wednesday. About 18,000 people are expected to attend the event, which includes 8,500 students from all 50 states and 19 countries.
The students are described as the world’s best problem solvers, able to tackle mind-bending challenges through the arts, performance, science, storytelling and engineering.
Contestants are separated by age and education levels and are challenged with various problem-solving scenarios. For instance, kindergartners will have to create and present a humorous performance that includes a character that awakens multiple times in a different time and place. In the course of the performance, the character will be assisted back to the original time and place of origin.
Older contests will be tasked with constructing and operating an original vehicle that will be driven in a road rally.
Among the 850 teams competing in the event, seven are from Maryland, three from Washington, and 32 from Virginia and range from elementary through college-age contestants who earned a spot to represent their hometown in the competition.
Contestants at Odyssey of the Mind Photo: theharrisfoundation.org
The students are described as the world’s best problem solvers, able to tackle mind-bending challenges through the arts, performance, science, storytelling and engineering.
A statement from the University of Maryland said Odyssey of the Mind has generated more than $12 million in additional revenue for the university and resulted in a regional economic impact of more than $40 million. Income generated from dining services and housing during the school’s 157 summer programs like Odyssey helps to reduce student fees.
World Finals activities are free and open to the public. Scheduled events include the opening ceremony, creativity and international festivals, float and banner parade, coaches’ competition, awards ceremony and NASA activities.
For a detailed schedule of events, visit www.odysseyofthemind.com.
--PGS Staff
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