will participate every year, but
they also need more coaches
and judges. You don’t
have to be a technical
expert to supervise a
team. Having a teacher
who enthusiastically
supports Odyssey of the
Mind is also important.
“You just need to care
about the kids and mentor
them,” explains Rosati, who is from
Upper St. Clair.
Coaches have to be willing to let students
“The principles
of Odyssey can be used
effectively with any aspect
of the curriculum and in
any school setting,
including public,
private,
charter or
home school.”
figure things out on their own, even if that means watching them
fail. “When you figure out how to coach without assisting, you see
the real genius of the kids,” Nimick says.
Odyssey of the Mind also emphasizes teamwork rather than
individual achievement. “Someone might have a great idea and
someone else expands on it or adds to it,” Rosati explains.
Nimick agrees and says that no one on the team is more
important that anyone else.
The program also rewards risk taking, albeit within safety
limits. Sometimes, solutions fail on the day of the competition,
but winning isn’t the goal. “The thinking process is what’s
rewarded, not just the end result,” Rosati notes. “It’s not an
atmosphere of failure.”
Nimick agrees and remembers how one student was grinning
ear-to-ear even though his team’s engineering project collapsed
immediately at the start of the competition. “He was overjoyed
at total failure,” Nimick says.
Although it is a competition, the focus isn’t on beating the other
teams. Angela Melton, co-director
of the western region and from
Moon, recounts how a rival
team once helped a group
from Moon after they got
lost. “We didn’t know where
to go, but they took it upon
themselves to help us,” she says.
Odyssey of the Mind is
inclusive and encourages students
with different skills to participate.
“No matter your strength or talent, any
student can be involved,” Melton says.
Students who participate are encouraged to
pursue divergent thinking, not just creativity. Divergent thinking
is when you take a pencil and make it into something completely
different,” she explains.
Nimick has seen several examples where Odyssey of the Mind
helped students blossom. In one particular instance, a special
needs student made remarkable improvements while participating
in the program. “She went from being very withdrawn and shy to
being willing to take a risk,” he recounts.
The final competition also attracts international teams and it’s
an excellent opportunity for students to make new friends. Melton
remembers how a team from Russia stayed in Pittsburgh after
competing in the final event. They swam in the local swimming
pool and exchanged gifts with American students.
“It’s an experience none of those kids or families will ever
forget,” she says. “Russia is in the news a lot, but that never entered
into the picture. It was a great exchange of lifestyles
and information.”
For more information, visitwpaodyssey.org. ■
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