Gifted Atlanta

About a year ago, when I was looking into starting an Odyssey of the Mind team at my child’s school, I tried to learn more by reading the organization’s web site.

I was left scratching my head after reading their description of what OotM is:

“Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college. Team members apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics.”

Huh? I mean, now that I’ve been coaching a team for a year, I understand that statement perfectly. But to the uninitiated, the above boiler plate does little to elucidate what exactly OotM is.

Luckily, when I called someone from the Georgia OotM organization, they suggested that the best way to understand it is to watch it in action. I attended a local competition, and in a just a couple of hours, I not only understood it but was awestruck by it.

Here were teams of kids who had worked on their own with minimal adult guidance to build machines, write plays, design costumes and create scenery. It was a true celebration of children’s creative ability.

I could go on and on about Odyssey of the Mind, but if you’ve thought about getting your child involved, or starting a team at your school, I have to give you the same advice I was given: Go see it.

The Lilburn regional tournament is being held tomorrow, Saturday, March 19, at Parkview High School. It starts at 9:00 a.m. and continues well into the afternoon. Check the competition schedule — out of the more than 100 teams participating, maybe there’s a school from your area you’d like to cheer on.

(Sorry for giving such late notice on this event, but I must admit, with coaching a team, I’m a little under water at the moment!)