In the words of a participant, "It is not the ribbons and trophies that mark the success of Odyssey of the Mind. It is a journey of creativity and teamwork, and growth of the individual." OM challenges kids to work together as they devise creative solutions to problems. Participants not only have a great time, they learn life-long skills. 

Through solving problems, students learn to work with others as a team, evaluate ideas, make decisions, and create solutions while they develop self-confidence from their experiences. OM teaches that great minds don’t necessarily think alike, and that creative solutions come from teamwork, cooperation and risk-taking. Being a champion is not required.

Teams from the Boulder Valley and St. Vrain Schools will "stretch their brains" on March 13, at each district’s Annual Odyssey of the Mind Tournament

OM is open to students from kindergarten through college age. The competitions are modeled on interscholastic sports and the tournaments and combine athletic competition with fun-filled mental gymnastics. Winners of the district level competition have the opportunity to compete on the state levels and many get the chance to compete on a worldwide level. 

For several months, teams work on one of five long-term problems that range from building mechanical devices such as spring-driven vehicles, to giving their own interpretation of literary classics. At the competitions, students present their solution to the long-term problem. 

The Platt Middle School 6^th grade team of Jin Talcott, Kate Fruth, Sophia Boedecker, Stephanie Menk, Stacy Rogers, Kaitlyn Ellison and Kristin Wall, is coached by Carol Fruth. The team chose "CustOMer Service" as their long-term problem. They will present a performance involving a sales transaction between co-workers and their customers. The team may choose the time period. The presentation must include a memorable customer, a demonstration of an original product that reflects some aspect of the culture and the resolution of a problem involving the business. The team must also create a prop that completes certain tasks or functions chosen from a given list, and must present a team-created technical element. All this must be accomplished through the teamwork, creativity and cooperation of the co-workers. 

Two other Platt teams chose "Over the Mountain" for which they were to design and build a vehicle to embark on a journey and visit three different countries. While in each country, the vehicle must initiate one cultural event, as well as collect souvenirs to bring back home. When returning home, these memorabilia will be presented in a showcase display. During the journey, the vehicle must change the mode of propulsion and cross different terrains, including a team-designed mountain.

Teams also compete in spontaneous problem solving, where students think creatively on the spot. These brainstorming skills can be used not only on competition day, but in many problem-solving situations that require divergent solutions.

A spontaneous problem might be verbal, such as the just-for-fun question: "What can you do with peas when you don’t want them on your plate?" Brainstormed answers by a Heatherwood 5^th grade team a few years ago were: "Throw them out the window. If you get caught, say that you were planting them so you could grow more delicious peas." "Feed them to your canary." "Wait till your sister turns her head and put them in her milk." "Ask somebody to pass the peas. When they do, take the serving spoon and put yours back." "Stuff them in your underwear. Then say you have terrible diarrhea and run to the bathroom. They will believe you." "If you have a little kid in your family, your problem is solved. Just toss them under his high chair and no one will know they came from you." 

Other spontaneous problems can be non-verbal and hands-on, such as building a structure with such unlikely materials as dry spaghetti, marshmallows, sticky labels, and string. Verbal-manipulative problems combine features of non-verbal and hands-on problems. Teams use and respond to various objects, such as creating a story using various objects. All problems demand teamwork and quick thinking. 

One participant said "Through OM I have learned to think for myself, rather than depend on others to provide me with the answers. I’ve learned the importance of trusting my own judgement. The true secret to problem solving may not be in simply trying harder, but in trying a new approach."

Former OM team member Eric Johnson said, "I believe that creativity is even more important than knowledge. A group of driven and dedicated minds can use their intelligence, problem solving skills, and cooperative energy to accomplish anything they want to. For every problem there is a multitude of solutions. For every conflict there is always a novel compromise that has not yet presented itself. To learn to approach problems from a new angle is the single greatest skill a person can learn." 

The OM pledge states: Let me be a seeker of knowledge. Let me travel uncharted paths, and let me use my creativity to make the word a better place.