Odyssey of the Mind (OotM) is an international program aimed at developing creative problem solving skills in children of all ages (kindergarten through college).  There are two general categories of problems: spontaneous and long-term.  For spontaneous problems, children work as a team to solve a problem in a few minutes. For long-term problems, children work as a team over the course of several months to solve a more involved problem.  The program encourages teamwork, critical analysis of ideas, learning how to listen to one another, effective conflict resolution, flexible creative thinking, and on-stage performance skills. For more info: http://odysseyofthemind.com, and the Maryland state program website at http://mdodyssey.org.

Middle School Teams (Graded 6-8) participate in Division 2.  

During the 2020-21 year, we anticipate that Odyssey of the Mind will be conducted in a pandemic-safe fashion.  Meetings will ve virtual or socially distanced, and the Odyssey of the Mind tournaments will likely be held virtually.  Program meetings for 2020-21 can therefore be scheduled in consultation with the coach of each team, but are traditionally on Friday afternoons from 3:00-4:30. The fall meetings would likely begin in mid-October.  Beginning in January, many teams will likely add a few weekend meetings (outdoors or at parents’ homes) to do additional work on the long-term problem for things like set and prop production.  The Maryland State Tournament will be held virtually (probably in March 2021).  For any teams that qualify and decide to attend World Finals, those will be held at Michigan State University, May 26-29, 2021 if conditions allow or virtually if not.

Success in the program depends on innovation, parent volunteerism, and hard work. Student members will learn creative thinking and must also expect to put a lot of effort into their long-term problem. The program is run entirely by parent volunteers. The OotM coaches (all of whom will be provided training) will provide spontaneous problems and offer teaching in skills relevant to the program. However, work on the long-term problem is entirely team-driven – no one but the team members can generate ideas for solving the problem.  Parents who do not serve as coaches can instead volunteer to help with many other necessary tasks throughout the year. Teams of 5-7 students will be formed based on grade level, interests, child preferences, and balance.

We anticipate a participation fee of $60, to be determined once we gauge the level of interest for this year. This covers the costs of Cabin John membership, individual team registration fees, t-shirt, materials for spontaneous problems, and other needs that arise.

+ Indicate your interest via this form (see following pages) no later than Friday, October 9.
+ Complete a separate registration (we will contact you) for each child you wish to enter into the program.
+ Contact coordinators immediately (CabinJohnOdyssey@gmail.com) if you are willing to be a coach.

Send any questions to CabinJohnOdyssey@gmail.com or call/text:
Gunay Dogan: 240-424-5466 or
Dominic Benford: 301-758-9305

At this stage, let us know that you're interested and we can help guide you through deciding to participate and registering.