www.coloradoodyssey.org
www.coloradoodyssey.org

International Creative
Problem-Solving Program

Creativity is a skill that can
be taught and further
developed with practice

Focus is to develop broad,
independent-thinking
abilities through a
challenging, and FUN,
learning process
www.coloradoodyssey.org
Team-effort, based
loosely upon a
sports model
 Teams demonstrate
their solutions at a
tournament in a 8
minute performance
 Odyssey develops
real-life
communication and
brainstorming skills
 Rewards creativity
and “calculated”
risk-taking in the
solution of complex
problems

Every team presenting a
solution is a WINNER!
www.coloradoodyssey.org
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Long-Term
Style
50 Points
Spontaneous
• Elaboration of Long-Term
• Pizzaz, Sparkle, Polish
• Team Chosen Elements
100 Points
200 Points
• Specific Rules
• Open-Ended
• All Solutions Presented
in Skit Form (8-min)
• On the Spot
• Anything Goes
• 3 Types
- Verbal
- Hands on
- Hybrid
Long-Term + Style + Spontaneous=Total Score
www.coloradoodyssey.org
Problem 1 – Vehicle
“Driver’s Test”
Problem 2 – Technical
“The Not So Haunted
House”
Problem 3 – Classics
“It’s How We Rule”
Problem 4 – Structure
“The Stackable
Structure”
www.coloradoodyssey.org
Problem 5 – Theatrical
“Seeing Is Believing”
The Team MUST conceive, design,
construct, and perform their own ideas.
Help external to the team is termed
Outside Assistance (OA).
OUTSIDE
ASSISTANCE
The solution is the Team’s design, their work, their
performance, and their score. The Team is responsible for
what they do, NOT the coach.
Odyssey is a Hands-On Program for Kids
www.coloradoodyssey.org
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Verbal
problems require verbal
responses that may
incorporate improvisation or
dramatization
Hands On
problems require teams to
create a tangible solution
Verbal/Hands On
problems require teams to
create a tangible solution
and include some type of
verbal component
Name different uses
for a sidewalk
Using 10 pieces of
pasta, 1” cube of
clay, 4 mailing labels,
build a structure as tall
as possible
Using a straw and a
plastic cup,
improvise
www.coloradoodyssey.org
Problem 5: Food Court (2010)
The problem is to create and present a
humorous performance where a food item
is accused of being unhealthy and must
defend itself among its food peers. All
characters are food items and will include
“the accused,” “the accuser,” a jury that is
not portrayed by team members, and
additional team-created characters. The
jury will reveal its decision to the audience.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RO1A
YH2P4I&feature=related


www.coloradoodyssey.org
Problem 1 – Vehicle
“Driver’s Test”
For this problem, teams will
design, build, and drive a
vehicle that will travel a course
at least two times where a
student driver attempts to
complete tasks in order to pass
a driver’s test. The vehicle will
travel using one propulsion
system and then travel in
reverse using a different
propulsion system that uses
stored human energy. The
vehicle will encounter a
directional signal and have a
Global Positioning System (GPS)
that talks to the driver. The
team will create a theme for
the presentation that
incorporates the vehicle, a
driver’s test, a student, and the
talking GPS.
www.coloradoodyssey.org
Problem 2 – Technical – “The Not So Haunted House”
The team’s problem is to create and present an original
performance that includes a “pop-up-style” not-so-haunted
“house” where four special effects take place. The intent of
the special effects will be to scare others but, they will
produce a different result instead. The performance will
include at least one character that experiences the special
effects and a narrator who relays the experiences to the
audience. It will also include a surprise ending. The special
www.coloradoodyssey.org
effects will be scored
for originality and engineering.
Problem 3
Classics
“It’s How We Rule”
In this Classics problem, teams will re-create a King’s Court from history
and make their own Royal Court set in an original kingdom at a different
time and place. The Historic Court will issue a decree that fits in with its
history, while the team-created Royal Court will issue a decree that
changes an everyday behavior for the people in the kingdom. The
Historic court will be composed as the team wishes, but the original
Royal Court will be made up of a leader, a minstrel that performs a song
while playing a team-created instrument, and a jester that makes fun of
the leader. The performance will include puppets and a Peoplet (a
person portrayed as a puppet), and will be scored for humor.
www.coloradoodyssey.org
Problem 4 – Structure
“Stackable Structure”
Teams will design and build a
structure made up of separate
components stacked on top of
one another. The structure
components will be made of
only balsa wood and glue,
and will be tested by
balancing and supporting
weights after they are stacked.
Teams will be scored for the
number of components they
use in their final structure.
Before they are stacked, the
separate components will be
integrated into an artistic
representation of Earth. The
team will include the stacking
of the components,
placement of the weights, and
Earth into the theme of its
performance.
www.coloradoodyssey.org
Problem 5 – Theatrical
“Seeing Is Believing”
In this problem teams are to
create and present an original
performance about a community
that feels threatened by
something in a location it has
never visited. The community
townspeople will use a creative
method to select one or more
Travelers to visit and explore the
location. While at the location, a
Traveler will use a means of
communication to send a
message home to convince the
community that there is nothing
to fear. The performance will also
include a narrator character, two
rhymes about the travels, and a
moving set piece.
www.coloradoodyssey.org
www.coloradoodyssey.org

Verbal
› Animal Rhymes
› Your problem is to make a rhyme using a
name or species of an animal. For example,
you might say, "I think mice are nice" or
"There's a cat in the hat.“

Verbal Hands On
› Foil Creations
› Your problem is to use the materials to make
a chain by linking the cups together .
www.coloradoodyssey.org

Hands On
› Cup Collection
› Your problem is to use the materials to make
a chain by linking the cups together.
www.coloradoodyssey.org
 October
& November – Recruitment
 December
 February
 March
 April
& January – Registration
- Practice
- Present
- Advance
 May
www.coloradoodyssey.org
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CAN DO
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Volunteer as a judge or tournament volunteer
Help provide snacks
Transport the team to buy things
Teach the team members a skill
Open attics, closets, basements, recycle bins, for
garage sale value materials
Bring Spontaneous problems and supplies
Provide a place to meet and/or store props
Help carry props into the building and into the staging
area for the tournament
Get everyone and everything to the tournament
 Applaud A LOT and help get props offstage after
the performance
www.coloradoodyssey.org
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CANNOT DO
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Suggest what to buy
Modify or repair props if they break for whatever reason
Sew anything, paint anything, cut anything, or do
anything to contribute to the team’s problem solution.
Put emphasis on score/win rather than fun.
Suggest to the team which skills would result in a better
looking or better functioning solution
Suggest what materials to use from the attic, closet,
basement or recycle bins
Analyze why something failed or did not work
Suggest to the team which skills to use to solve a
problem
www.coloradoodyssey.org

Coaches Trainings
› 3 offered in the fall

Coaches Mentor Program
› Mary Francavilla
› 15+ years experience with Odyssey of the
Mind
› Blog on Colorado Odyssey website
› Respond to or forward coaching questions
› Spontaneous problems for teams to practice

Contact Information
› coaches@coloradoodyssey.org
www.coloradoodyssey.org
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Team/Tournament Requirements
› Tournament Fee
› Provide 1 volunteer and 1 judge

Regional Tournaments
› Teams placing 1st -3rd and Ranatra Fusca
Award winners advance to the State
Tournament

State Tournament
› 1st, 2nd, and Ranatra Fusca Award winners
advance to World Finals in late May

World Finals
www.coloradoodyssey.org
www.coloradoodyssey.org

80+ volunteers are needed (2-3 hours each)
› 15 roles x 4 shifts
› 7 problems x 3 shifts



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Volunteers can select a preference for their
volunteer role when registering
Volunteers are not required to attend training
Volunteers will be able to see their child’s
performance
Volunteers will receive the state pin as a thank
you
 $50 fee assessed per tournament for a team
not supplying a volunteer
www.coloradoodyssey.org

80+ judges are needed
› 10 for each long term problem x 6
› 20 for spontaneous
› <5 for score room
Judges can select a preference for their
role when registering
 Judges training – half day
 Judges will not be able to see their child’s
performance
 $100 fee assessed per tournament for
not supplying a judge

www.coloradoodyssey.org

Each membership is allowed to send one
team per Division in their school per LongTerm competitive problem they are
eligible for AND 2 Primary
› K-5 School – usually up to 5 teams + 2 Primary
›
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Teams
6-8 School – usually up to 5 teams
9-12 Schools – usually up to 5 teams
K-8 School – usually up to 10 teams + 2
Primary Teams
K-12 School – usually up to 15 teams + 2
Primary Teams
www.coloradoodyssey.org

Teams of 5-7 students participate in their choice of
the current-year Long-Term Problems
• All Team Members may participate in the Long Term
problem presentation
• 5 Team Members only may participate in
Spontaneous (team choice). Others team members
may observe.
• A maximum of 7 “Minds” can work on the problem

Teams participate within Age Divisions. In the U.S.,
these are based upon age of oldest team member
and the grade level.
•
•
•
•
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Primary: K-2
Div I:5th grade or younger
Div II:6th-8th grade
Div III: 9-12 grade
Div IV: College
www.coloradoodyssey.org
www.coloradoodyssey.org

Coaches Training Saturdays, AM or PM Session
› Oct. 26th Mt Evans Training
› Nov. 16th Longs Peak Training
› Dec. 7th Poudre River Training

Problem Specific Training
› Wednesday, Dec. 11th, Longmont Area

Registrations Due – January 13th
› Tournament Registration
› Spontaneous Workshop Registration

Judge & Volunteers – January 27th
› Judge Registration
› Volunteer Registration
› Tournament Fee Due
www.coloradoodyssey.org

Spontaneous Workshop
› Saturday, January 25th, TBD

Judges Training – Saturdays AM or PM Session
› February 22nd Mt Evans Area
› March 1st Poudre River Area

Tournaments
› Longs Peak Region – March 15th
› Mt. Evans Region – March 22nd
› Poudre River Region – March 29th
› State – April 12th Longs Peak Area
› World Finals – May 28th – June 1st Iowa State University
www.coloradoodyssey.org

Colorado Odyssey
›
›
›
›

www.coloradoodyssey.org
State Information
Spontaneous Workshop Registration
Coaches Corner
National Site
› www.odysseyofthemind.com
› National Information
› Tournament, Judge & Volunteer Registration
www.coloradoodyssey.org
www.coloradoodyssey.org
www.coloradoodyssey.org