Ross Odyssey of the Minds teams advance

Odyssey of the Mind students will head to the state finals this month (Photo courtesy of Milford School District)

Odyssey of the Mind teams from both Lulu M. Ross Elementary School and Milford Central Academy advanced to the state finals recently. The finals will be held in April with Ross students competing in the AI Tech – No Art Division where they placed first in the qualifying rounds. They will also compete in Rocking World Detour Div.1B where they placed sixth in the qualifying rounds.

“Odyssey of the Mind is a creative problem-solving competition for students and community group members of all ages and learning levels,” Trish Gerken, Public Information Officer for Milford School District said. “Teams of students select a problem, create a solution, then present their solution in a competition against other teams in the same problem and division.”

Organized and facilitated by Delaware Creative Activities and Problem-Solving (DELCAPS), a non-profit organization dedicated to creative problem solving in Delaware, Odyssey of the Mind has students working in teams to select a problem, create a solution and then present the solution in a competition against other teams who are attempting to solve the same problem. Teams compete in specific divisions.

Benefits include developing creative thinking abilities and divergent problem-solving skills and an increased student ability to apply known principles and facts to “hands-on” situations. The competition also improves communication skills, helps students learn to plan, organize and set long-range goals along with many other skillsets that can benefit students in the future.

“We are very proud of our Odyssey of the Mind students,” Gerken said. “We know they will shine and demonstrate their Buc Pride at the state finals.”

Milford Central Academy’s Odyssey of the Mind team will also be heading to the state finals.