Odyssey of the Mind team members from Aspen Elementary pose on the campus of Iowa State University where the World Competition was held: (left to right) Coach Matt Allen, Idris Ortega (4th grade), Cate Dallman (4th grade), Maverick Hoffer (6th grade), Keiland Kolar (5th grade), Mei Downing Olsen (5th grade), Audrey Thornton (5th grade), Alexander Marshall (4th grade), Kaya Wilson (6th grade), Alma Trujillo (6th grade), Jocelyne Dolejsi (5th grade), Amalia Valdez (5th grade), Noah Walker (5th grade), and Coach Vickie Daley. Photo Courtesy LAPS
Opening ceremonies at the Odyssey of Mind World Competition. Representatives from teams from each state and country paraded through the gym. Photo Courtesy LAPS
LAPS NEWS RELEASE
They are the “The Little Teams that Could”. TheOdyssey of the Mind Division 1 and 2 teams from Aspen Elementary School competed at the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals Competition held May 21 – May 24 at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. Division 1 placed 21st out of 55 teams in their division, while Division 2 placed 25th out of 64 teams in their division. More than 700 teams from the United States and other countries, including China, Japan, Poland, Germany, and South Korea, participated in the competition.
Division 1 competes at the elementary level, and Division 2 competes at the middle school level. The Division 1 team includes Amalia Valdez, 5th grade; Jocelyne Dolejsi, 5th grade; Audrey Thornton, 5th grade; Noah Walker, 5th grade; Cate Dallman, 5th grade; Idris Ortega, 4th grade; and Alexander Marshall, 4th grade.
Members of the Division 2 team include Alma Trujillo, 6th grade; Kaya Wilson, 6th grade; Maverick Hoffer, 6th grade; Keiland Kolar, 5th grade; and Mei Downing Olsen, 5th grade.
“We had an amazing time,” said coach Matthew Allen. “This is amazing for our little teams from New Mexico. We are so incredibly proud of them.”
In addition to competing at an international level, the teams had loads of fun being on a college campus, staying in college dorms, eating college food, and participating in all the events that Worlds has to offer.
“One of the coolest things about the competition is the chance for the students to be around
kids their own age from other countries,” explained coach Victoria Daley. “Both of our teams had South Korea buddy teams. A buddy team just means we partner with a team from
country, hang out with them at competition, exchange some gifts, and generally just be welcoming faces to kids who are probably coming to the United States for the first time. It was a great experience.”
Odyssey of the Mind is a creative problem-solving competition for students and community group members of all ages. As noted on its website, Odyssey of the Mind has been the world’s greatest creative problem-solving program since its beginning, in 1978.
What started as a project for students in a single industrial design class has grown into a world- wide program that has reached multiple generations, allowing students to learn, develop, and employ skills related to teamwork, resource management, designing and making, divergent thinking, and so much more. Odyssey of the Mind provides students with a place to learn today’s creative problem-solving skills while having fun.