What are the benefits of participating in Odyssey of the Mind?

Educational benefits of Odyssey of the Mind

Teaches creative problem-solving for long-term projects.Students learn life-long skills to compete in the world environment of the future.Students integrate their knowledge and skills to create a cohesive solution, similar to the innovation process of many companies.

Techniques in applied learning

Students learn by doingStudents who participate in Odyssey of the Mind know how to get things done; they understand deadlines

Indirect Benefits to Corporations (how OotM can influence the future workforce)

Employee Resource – Odyssey of the Mind provides a pool of future employees who are creative, critical thinkers who are used to solving problems and know how to get the job done.Teamwork and Communication– Odyssey of the Mind team members learn teamwork cooperation, and communication skills, which is valuable training to work on a corporate team.Marketing – Marketing skills are essential in producing an Odyssey of the Mind solution. Teams must market their presentations and present their problem solutions with style similar to marketing company services in the business world.Planning – Another vital aspect of Odyssey of the Mind is planning. For students, the 3-6 months they spend on their solutions are long and strategic in nature. This forces teams to look at problem-solving with a long-term perspective. Students also learn budgeting skills, answering such problems as “How much money can I spend on this aspect of the project or how can I solve this problem using less money?”Presentation skills– How many adults get nervous when speaking in front of a group of people? Odyssey of the Mind students know how to perform and actually want to share their ideas. They have no fear of getting up in front of a group. This is a critical sales skill and one that they will serve them throughout their lives.Organizational & Management Skills– Students who participate in Odyssey of the Mind learn about rules, penalties, organizational skills, and are detail oriented. They learn how each team member can best contribute to the problem solution. Leadership qualities develop as certain students rise up to be leaders, while others learn how to follow. Students learn the importance of each making a contribution to the project in tough situations, such as dealing with a fellow team member who’s not doing his job, the learn mediation, compromise, and communications techniques. These are valuable skills in a future people-management position.