Odyssey of the Mind   

What is Odyssey?

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1. *Please note: there will be a small fee ($15/student) to participate in Odyssey at Clermont this year, which will be collected at team formation time.   No students will be turned away for financial reasons.  Please contact the committee chairs at odysseyofthemind@clermontpta.org if you have any questions about fees.

Questions? Contact Clermont’s Odyssey of the Mind PTA committee chairs Kathy and Adam Black, at odysseyofthemind@clermontpta.org

Student Commitment: Students must be willing to create, collaborate, share, try new skills, think outside the box … and get a little silly!  Teams typically meet for 2-3 hours/week at a mutually agreed-upon day and time.  Teams will meet more frequently for longer periods as competition day gets closer.

How is Odyssey different with COVID closures? The competitions are virtual.  As part of Clermont sign-up, you select what type of team you'd like to participate in: in-person socially-distanced, online only, or a mix of online and in-person.  

Parent Commitment:  Teams cannot form without adult coaches (a team member parent or Clermont staff member). Training is provided, as well as support from the Clermont Odyssey community − no experience needed! Teams also need adult volunteers and judges for competition day in March.  (Your child does not need to participate in Odyssey for you to judge or volunteer – a great way to learn about the program!)  Sign-ups for coaching, volunteering, and judging will be posted to the PTA website.

Important Odyssey Dates:

Coaches Training: TBD, usually November

Judges Training: TBD, usually Feb or March

Region 12 Tournament: TBD, usually mid-March.  ONLINE ONLY this year

VA State Tournament: TBD, usually April.  ONLINE ONLY this year

Odyssey World Finals: TBD, usually May.  ONLINE OPTION this year

What is Odyssey?

What:  Odyssey of the Mind is an International Creativity Competition.  Teams use their skills to create solutions the challenge they’ve selected by writing and performing their own plays, creating their own scenery and props, and sometimes machines, as creatively as possible given a limited budget!   

The 2020/2021 problem synopses are available here:  https://www.novasouth.org/wp/?page_id=108 

Who:  Teams of 5-7 students (facilitated by teacher or parent coaches) decide upon a challenge problem to develop a long-term solution.  Some problems are theatrical, some are technical, and some are both! On competition day, teams present their solution and also solve a spontaneous challenge.   

When / Where:  Teams will meet at a time, day, and location that work for the coach and team members starting in late October / early November. Generally, teams meet weekly, or even twice weekly as the regional competition approaches.  Teams winning at regional competitions advance to the Virginia State tournament in April and possibly to the Odyssey World Finals tournament in May.