Academic competitions tend to be stiff, proper affairs, but Odyssey of the Mind is anything but.
The competition pits teams of students in kindergarten through college against one another as they use smarts, creativity and collaboration to solve problems. Activities include interpreting literary classics, building devices and performing skits.
Students whirl in chatty, excited swarms, crafting props and structures on the spot. Presentations explode with creativity, to hearty cheers from opponents and onlookers alike.
The State Odyssey of the Mind Tournament goes from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Canyon del Oro High School, 25 W. Calle Concordia. More than 1,000 students from about 100 teams will compete.
CDO gifted services teacher Cymry DeBoucher is site coordinator of the event.
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“It’s really crazy. Pretty wild,” she said. “There are children walking around campus in all kinds of costumes they have made with duct tape. They’re really stretching their imaginations.”
Alex Cortez, a 10-year-old Rio Vista Elementary School fourth-grader who hopes to join the Army when he grows up, said Odyssey of the Mind is one of his favorite things about school.
“I like being active, and I like the building and working with the group,” he said.
Emily Stebner, a 10-year-old fourth-grader on Cortez’s team who wants to be a pediatrician, said participating has helped her make friends and excel at school.
“I like being very artistic and stuff,” she said. “Building something and getting to meet new friends is fun. I like working with people because there are more ideas and answers.”
Another teammate, 10-year-old fourth-grader Aubri Hamstra, said teamwork is what most interests her.
“Everyone just works really well together as a group,” she said. “It’s fun listening to other people’s ideas.”
Stephanie Quimby-Greene, a Rio Vista librarian who serves as Odyssey of the Mind coach, said the competition enriches the students’ education. Her team also includes fifth-graders Elijah Hanson, Daniella Ochoa and Kira Shaffer, as well as fourth-grader Aiyana Acuna.
“It empowers kids to be able to create and do things on their own, with no outside interference from adults. Kids work together to solve a problem,” she said. “Most of the kids are so motivated, they don’t even need me anymore.”
DeBoucher said students learn skills that will serve them well later in life when working together.
“It’s very active and very visual,” she said. “Kids are learning a lot of skills they are really going to need as they go into the workforce. They learn to communicate, work on a team, compromise and sell their idea. Sometimes the first idea they come up with breaks, the second idea they come up with breaks and the 15th idea they come up with breaks, but eventually they’ll come up with something that probably won’t break most of the time.”
