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    • Home
    • Action Items
    • The Process
    • Coaches
      • Getting Started
      • Starting to Coach
      • Actively Coaching
      • Coaches Bill of Rights
      • Sample Press Release
    • Teams
      • Pictures of Past Teams
      • Videos Related to Odyssey
      • Social Media for Teams
      • Resources to Get Started
      • Outside Assistance
      • Media Release
    • Parents
      • How to Start a Program
      • STEM
      • Roles for Parents
      • FAQs for Parents
      • Contact Us with Questions
    • Spontaneous
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      • Spontaneous Problems
      • Video Tips
      • Spontania-Mania
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      • Judging FAQ
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SF Bay Odyssey of the Mind

Experiencing Creativity 2022/2023 Season

Experiencing Creativity 2022/2023 Season Experiencing Creativity 2022/2023 Season

Unique opportunity to showcase a child's gifts in visual arts,engineering, problem solving, leadership, and critical thinking!

Changes in 2022/2023 Season

Greetings! 


As NorCal Odyssey Co-Association Directors, Bruce Mackinlay and Diedre Girod, we want to welcome you all to the 2022-2023 season. 


The new Odyssey of the Mind season is here and with a new season comes excitement about what is on the horizon! It’s time to get your membership, bring those teams together, read those problems, and find out what’s NEW. 


NorCal OM's continuing goal is to bring the best program possible to the students of northern California. We have some exciting new changes are happening in 2022-2023: 

  • NorCal OM will be working as one association, instead of six different regions, to ring the best talents of our volunteers to the training, and events to ALL our participants across northern California. 
  • Focused Local Support for teams. Regional Coordinators, and volunteers with incredible knowledge of the program, are excited to be available to assist you and your team this season.  Team Director, Jessica Fusco, will be heading up this team of volunteers.  If you have any questions or need assistance at this time, reach out to her at teamdirector@norcalodyssey.org. Once your team has your membership from Odyssey HQ, you will receive more detailed information about your team’s Regional Coordinator. The Regional Coordinators are here to help you every step of the way through the season. 
  • Tournament options. This season we are excited to announce that NorCal OM will be offering Qualifying Tournaments place of regional tournaments.  We plan to hold these on different dates throughout Northern California so teams can choose what date and location that works best for them.  Spaces may be limited for specific tournaments and available on a first-come, first-serve, basis. Teams from the Qualifying Tournaments will then advance to the State Tournament. When we have locked down the details we will announce the tournament locations and dates to registered Members and teams.  We are targeting the end of February and the first part of March.


With the new, we are also excited to share that much tradition and history will continue to keep this program filled with ingenuity and creativity. Many of our dedicated

Volunteers continue to be committed to the program and share their talents in new and innovative ways, so you will see many names and faces you know throughout the season.

If you would like more details: NorCal Organization 2022-2023


All of us at NorCal Odyssey of the Mind are looking forward to the extravaganza of what we call the 2022-2023 season and seeing all those one-of-a-kind solutions and delighted smiling faces. If you need further assistance, please reach out to Jessica Fusco, Team Director, or one of us. 


Here is to a fun-filled season of creativity, teamwork, and innovation. 


Bruce Mackinlay & Diedre Girod 

Co-Association Directors 

NorCal Odyssey of the Mind

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    About Us

    Overview

    How teams participate

    How teams participate


     

     

    Odyssey of the Mind, the original creative thinking program, teaches students to develop creative problem-solving skills while having fun in the process! By tapping into creativity, and through encouraging imaginative paths to problem-solving, students learn skills that will provide them with the ability to solve problems -- great and s


     

     

    Odyssey of the Mind, the original creative thinking program, teaches students to develop creative problem-solving skills while having fun in the process! By tapping into creativity, and through encouraging imaginative paths to problem-solving, students learn skills that will provide them with the ability to solve problems -- great and small -- for a lifetime. 

    Odyssey of the Mind provides open-ended problems that appeal to a wide range of interests. Some are technical problems; others are artistic or performance-based.  All require students to learn how to identify challenges and to think creatively to solve those problems.  

    In Odyssey of the Mind . . .

    • Students develop team-building skills by working in groups of up to seven students 
    • Students learn to examine problems and to identify the real challenge without limiting the possible solutions 
    • The creative-thinking process is nurtured and developed as a problem-solving tool
    • Students of all abilities and interests will find something that will appeal to them

    How teams participate

    How teams participate

    How teams participate


    Millions of students from kindergarten through college have participated in Odyssey of the Mind. Since Odyssey of the Mind eliminates the fear of criticism, even shy students are afforded the opportunity to open up and express themselves. Students learn to work in teams. 


    Each year, five new competitive problems are presented for the teams


    Millions of students from kindergarten through college have participated in Odyssey of the Mind. Since Odyssey of the Mind eliminates the fear of criticism, even shy students are afforded the opportunity to open up and express themselves. Students learn to work in teams. 


    Each year, five new competitive problems are presented for the teams to solve. These long-term problems are solved over weeks and months. Some of the problems are more technical in nature, while others are artistic or performance based. Each long-term problem rewards "Style" in the solution. This helps teach students that they should not simply try to solve problems but take the next step of enhancing their solutions. The teams are invited to participate in a competition and present their solution with other teams. At the competition, the teams are given an on-the-spot "spontaneous" problem to solve. The combination of long-term problem-solving, Style and spontaneous problem-solving produces a confident, able student. 


    Age Divisions

    How teams participate

    Age Divisions


     

    Teams are formed by division and compete against teams in the same division and problem. Grade level determines the division for teams.


    In competition, each school membership may enter one team per problem for each division it covers. Community groups and home-schooled members may enter one team per problem.  


    Teams are formed by division 


     

    Teams are formed by division and compete against teams in the same division and problem. Grade level determines the division for teams.


    In competition, each school membership may enter one team per problem for each division it covers. Community groups and home-schooled members may enter one team per problem.  


    Teams are formed by division and compete against teams in the same division and problem.

    Division I -- Grades 3-5 

    Division II -- Grades 6-8 

    Division III -- Grades 9-12 

    Division IV -- College


    Students in grades K-2 may participate in the primary division to become familiar with program.  They participate at the local regional level tournaments but do not advance to state or World competitions.


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    SF Bay Odyssey of the Mind

    3022 Verdala Drive, Livermore, California 94550, United States

    (925) 819-1226

    Creative Competition Inc.

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    Odyssey of the Mind

    3022 Verdala Drive, Livermore, California 94550, United States

    925-819-1226