Odyssey of the Mind
Odyssey of the Mind (often called OotM ) is a creative competition for children and students. Team members work together over a longer period of time to a given problem to solve ( the long-term problem). They present their solution in a competition during which also a spontaneous problem to be solved.
Objectives
Odyssey of the Mind creates opportunities to solve creative problems and encouraged to work independently and divergent thinking. The program fosters creativity by challenging teams to solve divergent problems, ie those with more than one solution. By working in teams, participants learn teamwork, appreciation and understanding of others, and that a group can produce more ideas than an individual. You develop a sense of self-respect and respect of others through preparatory exercises such as brainstorming and role playing games. When solving problems, students also develop their craft, artistic, linguistic, and technical skills.
Although the ultimate goal of most teams is the presentation of their problem-solving in an official competition, this is not a condition for participation. The purpose of the program is to give students an exciting learning experience that is both challenging and amusing.
Odyssey of the Mind is the only student program in Germany, which promotes such a wide range of skills and thereby complements the official curricula. It is supported in Germany by some countries education ministries.
Genesis
Odyssey of the Mind was founded in 1978 by Dr. Samuel C. Micklus in the USA. From a program, which initially involved a few teams of students from the state of New Jersey, was an international program in 25 years, which was attended by teams from schools and universities on all five continents. Offers this program of CCI, which is based in Glassboro / NJ (USA). CCI employs more than ten employees. The number of volunteer sponsors, organizers, coaches and judges in the U.S. and around the world is in the thousands. In a quarter of a century Odyssey of the Mind has reached millions of children and young people around the world. This makes it the largest non-governmental international education program.
Creative Competitions Inc.
Odyssey of the Mind is organized worldwide by Creative Competitions, Inc. ( CCI). This company is one of the founders of Odyssey of the Mind, the Micklus family. CCI develops the annual long-term problems as well as the spontaneous problems used in competitions, organizes the annual World Finals with more than 15,000 participants and guests and manages the rights to Odyssey of the Mind. The headquarters is located in Glassboro in the U.S. state of New Jersey. CCI employs approximately 10 employees. Those are the only by thousands of workers who are paid for their work at Odyssey of the Mind. This Odyssey of the Mind is one of the major projects around the world that are worn almost exclusively by volunteers.
Problem types
There are long-term and spontaneous problems. While the teams can prepare for several months up to the competition on the presentation of the solution to a long-term problems they experience spontaneous problem only on site and must solve it within a few minutes. But you can generally practice releasing of spontaneous problems, which often makes them much more fun. The third rating category, the style will be presented together with the solution of the long-term problem.
Spontaneously
There are three different types of spontaneous problems.
Long-term
Style
The style is the development of problem solving. Here aspects are evaluated, which are not required in the long-term problem, for example, a costume, a dance or a song. Creativity also set a few limits.
Competition levels
Competitions are held at regional, national and international level.
Odyssey of the Mind Germany e.V.
Odyssey of the Mind Germany eVist the organization that organizes the Odyssey -of-the -Mind program in Germany.
Odyssey of the Mind was brought by Dr. sc Karl -Ernst Plagemann to Germany, he 1991, the first team of students from the Potsdamer Humboldt and Helmholtz school together and led them in the same year at the World Championships in Knoxville (Tennessee). A year later, Germany International was established as a binational society German and American ( DoDDS ) schools in Germany. Dr. Plagemann was the first director and remained so until the year 2004. Thereafter, until the founding of Odyssey of the Mind eV Germany in 2012, he was an honorary director of Germany International. For organizational reasons, the DoDDS schools in Europe a standalone Odyssey -of-the -mind society, with the Germany International maintains close relationships formed in 2001. Germany International remained but due to many international member schools and cooperation with countries in which Odyssey of the Mind is established, internationally.
2012, the German activities of Odyssey of the Mind Germany were transferred to an independent association, which passed its test with the orientation of the German Final competitions in 2013 and in the same year with almost 1,100 participants hosted the largest ever organizing Europe hard with teams from four continents in Brandenburg. As always, this task was mastered with the only volunteer work of nearly 70 volunteers.
The biggest successes of German teams were winning a world title by a team of Weinberg -Gymnasium Kleinmachnow in 1996 and winning a " Ranatra Fusca Creativity Award " by a team of Ramstein High School in 1997. Achieved at the World Championships 2005 team of the Schiller Gymnasium Potsdam second place, in 2007 a team of Max Reinhardt Junior High took third place. Dr. Carola favors of Committee member and head of the group of interpreters at the World Championships, was there awarded the " Outstanding Omer " 1999. Previously, Dr. Carola the favors received an "Outstanding Omer " and " Ranatra Fusca Award" at the Festival of Europe in Troitsk (CIS ) in 1992.
For his contribution to the dissemination of the program in Europe Dr. sc Karl -Ernst Plagemann was honored at the World Championships in 2001 with the "Spirit of Odyssey of the Mind Award", the highest award for officials in the program.