• An exciting learning experience that promises to be challenging and fun.

• Learn teamwork, the appreciation and understanding of others, and that a group is a more powerful thinking force than an individual.

• Develop a sense of self-respect and respect for others through preparatory activities such as brainstorming and roleplaying.

• While the ultimate goal for most teams is to present their problem solutions in official competitions, this is not a requirement of participation.

Odyssey looks different for every team! While the problems are open-ended, there are limitations that encourage creative problem-solving. It’s not about coming up with the one “right” solution; it’s finding one of many possible creative solutions that meet specific requirements. OM doesn’t teach kids what to think, it teaches how to think. You can see the solutions past Orenda teams have come up with here

Teams of 1-7 students will meet on a regular basis leading up to the tournament to develop a solution to the long term problem together and practice solving spontaneous problems.

LONG TERM PROBLEM

• Teams spend weeks or months, at their own pace, creating solutions to long-term problems.

• Team members come up with all the ideas for their solution and do all the work themselves.

• Coaches may help teach skills and educate the team on ways of approaching the problem and

• of evaluating their solution.

• Teams have 8 minutes to present their long-term problem solution in competition.

• Teams are scored for meeting the requirements of the problem and for creativity in categories specific to each problem.

SPONTANEOUS PROBLEM

• Verbal spontaneous problems require verbal responses. They may incorporate improvisation or dramatization. Teams are scored for common and creative responses.

• Hands-on spontaneous problems require teams to physically create a tangible solution. Each hands-on problem has its own specific scoring categories.

• Verbal/hands-on combination spontaneous problems require teams to create a tangible solution and include some type of verbal component, for example, creating a story about the solution. Teams are scored for both the tangible solution and the verbal presentation.

• Creativity gives you a better score!

If this is something your student might be interested in, click here for more information!

A coach in an integral component of an Odyssey team at the Primary or Divison 1 level, but the role of a coach is HANDS OFF! A coach's responsibilities are to:

• Facilitate meetings, schedules & volunteers

• Guide and encourage

• Teach skills

• Ask questions

• Help with paperwork (Primary & Division I only)

• Help resolve problems & differences

If you think coaching might be for you, click here for more information!

Each team has a roster of team members. Only those students may contribute to the problem solution. If a team wants to do something but does not know how, such as sewing a costume, it may ask for someone to teach them how to sew. It is Outside Assistance if someone else sews the costume, or suggests to the team that something be sewn, or to give a lesson on sewing while the team is trying to join materials together. Also, if the team has more than seven members contribute to the solution, that additional person’s work counts as Outside Assistance.

Providing “outside assistance” to the Long Term problem results in a SIGNIFICANT scoring penalty (and the judges always find out). There is no “outside assistance” to the Spontaneous, so feel free to help your student practice!

A PARENT DOES:

• Help the team buy/find supplies

• Transport props

• Teach skills IF requested

• Ask questions to team members

• Provide encouragement

• Assist coach at meetings & provide snack

A PARENT DOES NOT:

• Suggest what supplies to buy/find

• Repair broken props

• Suggest what skills the team needs

• Give team members ideas

• Criticize a solution or performance

Parent DO make excellent volunteers! If you think you might be interested in volunteering, click here for more information