# Odyssey of the Mind

Odyssey of the Mind, abbreviated OM or OotM, is a creative problem-solving program where team members present their solution at a competition to a predefined long-term problem that takes many months to complete and involves writing, design, construction, and theatrical performance. A spontaneous portion of the competition has the team also generate solutions to a problem they have not seen before.
The program is now international, with teams from Argentina, Australia, Belarus, Canada, China, Czech Republic, DODDS, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Mexico, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Korea, Switzerland, Togo, the United Kingdom, and Uzbekistan, regularly competing in addition to teams from the United States.
Odyssey of the Mind is a trademark of Creative Competitions. Competitions are administered by a mixture of regional non-profit associations and the for-profit Creative Competitions corporation.

## History
### 1970s: The Odyssey Begins

The Odyssey of the Mind program was co-founded by C. Samuel Micklus and Theodore Gourley in 1978 at Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) in Glassboro, New Jersey. The first competition, known as "Olympics of the Mind", involved teams from 28 New Jersey schools.

### 1980s: OM Goes International

The competition grew internationally, with Canada sending teams to the World Finals in 1982. OM quickly outgrew its home at Rowan University, relocating the World Finals to Central Michigan University in 1983. The creation of the Primary Division in 1985 provided a platform for younger students. Throughout the decade, OM gained sponsorship from major companies like IBM and Eastman Kodak.

### 1984: Rebranding into Odyssey of the Mind

The program was initially named "Olympics of the Mind". However, OM was forced to change its name to "Odyssey of the Mind" prior to the 1984-85 season after the U.S. Olympic Committee enforced its trademark rights under Public Law 95-606. OM's statement on the matter was released in the summer edition of the 1984 OM Association, Inc. newsletter.
   The U.S. Olympic Committee by virtue of Public Law 95-606 has the exclusive right to use the word "Olympic" and its derivatives. It may grant or withhold permission for its use to whomever it chooses. It brought suit against the March of Dimes for using "Reading Olympics." Our understanding is that it is now about to sue the Para-Olympics (wheelchair group). It has denied permission to OM to continue using the word in our program title, "Olympics of the Mind." It has, however, granted permission to the Joseph P. Kennedy Foundation for use of "Special Olympics." This permission, to the best of our knowledge, is the only one given by the U.S. Olympic Committee for use of the word in a competitive situation.
   We will be taking our fight for the name to the media and to congress. However, in the meantime, we must discontinue its use for 1984-85. The program which the OM Association sponsors will be known as the OM program rather than the Olympics of the Mind in the immediate future.

### 1988: The Birth of OMER

* OMER*, the raccoon mascot, was introduced to symbolize the creativity and resourcefulness central to the program. His affinity for using trash in creative ways became a symbol for the resourceful problem-solving skills fostered by OM participants.

### 1990s: World Finals Expands

OM grew with the introduction of various new traditions, such as the first World Finals graduation ceremony in 1990 and pin trading becoming a key activity. In 1993, the first Eurofest event was held, and in 1997, Dr. Sam Micklus retired, passing the leadership to his son, Sammy Micklus, who became the Executive Director.

### 1999: Split with Destination Imagination

In 1999, a legal settlement resulted in the split of Odyssey of the Mind into two separate organizations. The dispute, which centered around governance and control, ultimately became a power struggle over whether the competition should be run by a nonprofit or for-profit entity. Sammy W. Micklus, president of Creative Competitions, emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, “In the end, it came down to realizing the program would die.” The settlement led to the creation of Destination ImagiNation, a nonprofit that emerged from former Odyssey of the Mind volunteers, and the continuation of Odyssey of the Mind under Creative Competitions. The split created a competitive divide, with some educators and participants choosing sides based on the organizational structure—Destination ImagiNation’s nonprofit status versus Creative Competitions’ established track record. The division highlighted the tensions between maintaining the program’s original vision and navigating the politics of funding, control, and organizational leadership.

### 2000s: Partnerships and Sponsorships

In the early 2000s, NASA began a long-term sponsorship with Odyssey of the Mind (OM), reflecting a shared commitment to fostering creativity and problem-solving skills among students. This collaboration allowed NASA to reach nearly two million students, parents, teachers, and coaches worldwide, fostering interest in Earth system science among all age groups. In 2004, OM celebrated the 25th anniversary of its World Finals at the University of Maryland, commemorating a quarter-century of global creative problem-solving competitions. Demonstrating the program's broad appeal, a team of senior citizens from a community college joined OM in 2005 and advanced to the World Finals, where their performance themed "they're off their rockers!" was met with enthusiasm. Additionally, OM was selected by Microsoft® as a Partner in Learning, a grant that helped develop strategies to integrate Odyssey of the Mind into classrooms.

### 2010s: Record-Breaking Participation

The 2010s marked significant milestones for Odyssey of the Mind (OM), reflecting its global reach and enduring appeal. In 2019, Michigan State University hosted the 40th annual World Finals from May 22 to May 25. This event attracted nearly 900 teams from around the world, bringing approximately 18,000 guests to Michigan's Capital Region. The competition showcased the universal nature of creativity, with participants from countries including China, Poland, Germany, Indonesia, and Singapore, as well as various U.S. states.
The event’s unique blend of problem-solving, engineering, and theatrical performance has drawn widespread recognition. Smithsonian Magazine described Odyssey of the Mind as "a dizzying four-day think-a-thon that looks like some kind of kooky cross between a science fair, masquerade party, performing arts fest and the Olympics."

### 2020s: Virtual World Finals and New Partnerships

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Odyssey of the Mind held its first-ever Virtual World Finals in 2020. In addition to the typical problem-solving challenges, the "Family Problem" was introduced, which is a creative competition involving entire households. This problem invited family members, roommates, and friends to collaborate on a costume design project, with a focus on humor. This inclusive, family-oriented challenge allowed participants to bring creativity into their home environment, strengthening bonds through shared problem-solving.
The 2020s also saw new sponsorships, including ARM & HAMMER™, which became the sponsor for Problem 1, "Longshot Solution," reinforcing the connection between creative problem-solving and everyday products. The support of such companies allowed Odyssey of the Mind to continue its expansion while offering students real-world challenges.

## Organization

Odyssey of the Mind teams are divided into four divisions:
* Division I — Grades 3–5 (U.S.): Less than 12 years of age on May 1 of the competition year (Other International).
* Division II — Grades 6–8 (U.S.): Less than 15 years of age on May 1 of the competition year (Other International).
* Division III — Grades 9–12 (U.S.): Oldest team member does not qualify for Divisions I or II and is attending regular school—not a college or university or anything similar (Other International).
* Division IV — Collegiate for all teams. All team members must have a high school diploma or its equivalent and be enrolled in at least one course at a two- or four-year college or university.
The oldest team member determines the team's division.
There is also a non-competitive primary division for young children (grades K–2 U.S.), who are given a simplified problem and fewer constraints than the higher divisions. They present and are given feedback at the first level tournament and cannot advance, except for special occasions where officials invite a team to perform again at the state level.
Teams are limited to a maximum of seven team members.
In the United States, each participating state has its own Odyssey association. Most states are further broken down into regions. Teams compete at the regional level first. The highest-scoring teams progress to the state level. In the U.S. there is no national level. State-winning teams go directly to the World Finals, which have always been held in the U.S., usually at the end of May.

## Event structure
### Long-term problems

There are five categories of problems that participants can solve:
* Vehicle: building vehicles of different sizes to perform specified tasks.
* Technical: building “innovative contraptions”.
* Classics: incorporates knowledge of architecture, art, and literature; can be a documentary or behind-the-scenes feature.
* Structure: designing and building a structure using only balsa wood and glue to support the highest weight load
* Performance: acting, singing, and/or dancing based on a given theme
In addition to its main category, a problem may involve techniques from other categories. For example, acting is prevalent in solutions to all five problems, and a team can usually earn bonus points by throwing in knowledge of history into a non-Classics problem or technology in a non-Tech problem.
Specifications differ between problems, but there are some crucial rules. The Outside Assistance rule heavily stresses that every aspect of a solution must result from the work of the team; parents and coaches must restrict themselves to supervising safety and encouraging focus. Something as simple as a mother adjusting her child's hat prior to competition is considered outside assistance, with a score penalty. Thus all brainstorming, building, painting, sewing, and fixing are to be done by the team.
For each long-term problem, the team must present its solution in eight minutes or less, including set-up time, and the total cost of all materials used must either be under the specified Cost Limit of $125 or $145. The rules require participants to push their thinking capacities to make best use of their skills, time, and money.
A new problem for each category is presented every year on the official Odyssey of the Mind website. Most years, one problem is sponsored by Arm & Hammer.

#### Cost limit

There is a cost limit on the value of all materials used in the presentation of the long-term solution. This limit is typically US$125–145, where the classical, performance, and primary problems have a limit of $125, while the vehicle, technical, and structural problems have a limit of $145. As of the 2006–2007 rules update, some materials have a set assigned value. Some examples include computers and most audio-visual equipment (projectors, radios, televisions, music players, etc.). The suggested cost to write these items down as is anywhere between $5–$10. Still other materials are simply exempt from cost. This includes batteries and power cords, footwear, tables and chairs. All of these materials, even the exempt ones, must be listed on the cost form. The judges check this list to make sure that the team is within the cost limit and following the appropriate assigned values and exemptions.

#### Style

Style is a component of long-term problems where teams are scored on specific elements of their presentation. There are five elements scored in style. Often, two of these elements are specified in the problem, the other two are then "free choice of team" elements, and the fifth is a score of how well the other elements contribute to the performance overall. The pre-specified elements are related to the problem in some way; they are typically something to do with the appearance of a vehicle, costume, or prop. The free choice items may be anything the team wishes as long as they are not already scored as part of the long-term solution or pre-specified elements. Each element is scored from 1–10, accounting for 50 points of the overall score.

### Spontaneous

As the name suggests, teams do not know ahead of time the topic they are to compete in. At the tournament, individual teams enter the competition room and are presented with one of three problem types: verbal, hands-on, or verbal/hands-on.
In verbal problems, teams are usually given a minute to think and then two to three minutes to respond to a theme such as "make a rhyme using a name or species of an animal". Teams will then be graded based on the creativity of their individual responses. For instance, "there is a dog on a log" is a common answer which would earn the team one point, while "I can step on an ant, but an uncle I can't" involves word play, a creative response that is worth 3 or 5 points. Verbal problems encourage individuals to incorporate their knowledge of history, science, literature, and popular culture.
Hands-on problems focus on teamwork and the ability to listen to complicated directions. Teams will usually be instructed to build something based on the limited materials given, such as a freestanding tower using a few sheets of paper, some paper clips, a pair of scissors, and a piece of tape. The team with the tallest tower and the best teamwork earns the most points. In OM, if the rules do not say that something cannot be done, then it can; in other words, participants are encouraged to search for creative, outside-the-box solutions.
A hybrid, or verbal/hands-on, problem has aspects of both types, typically either a verbal problem that involves manipulation of physical objects or a two-part problem: build something in part 1, and provide verbal responses with it in part 2.

### Scoring

Each team is given a score out of 350 points: 200 from Long-term, 100 from Spontaneous, and 50 from Style. Style is scored from 1–10 in each of the five categories, and the Long-term and Spontaneous problems are scored according to each problem's individual rules. The scores awarded are then scaled within each problem and division based upon the highest score achieved by any team in each of the three scoring categories. For instance, the team scoring highest in Long-term in a particular problem and division receives 200 points, and the scores for the other teams in that problem and division are scaled proportionately. A team ranking first in its problem and division in all three elements of the competition would thus receive a "perfect" score of 350 points, regardless of the actual raw scores assigned by the judges.
The Ranatra Fusca Creativity Award is granted to teams who have demonstrated exceptional creativity, the essence of the Odyssey of the Mind program. Winning the award at the regional or state level will qualify a team to advance to the next level of competition, even if the team had not placed high enough to advance on their own.

## World Finals

All teams who advance from their state finals, or their national finals if they are from outside of the US, are invited to World Finals. World Finals is the culmination of the entire year of Odyssey of the Mind. The dates and locations of previous world finals are listed in the table below:
| Year | School | Location | Dates | # teams | # US States | # International countries |
| 2025 | Michigan State University | East Lansing, Michigan | May 21-25 | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 2024 | Iowa State University | Ames, Iowa | May 21-24 | 674 | 32 | 10 |
| 2023 | Michigan State University | East Lansing, Michigan | May 24-27 | | | |
| 2022 | Iowa State University | Ames, Iowa | May 25-28 | | | |
| 2021 | Orange County Convention Center | Orlando, Florida | June 11-13 | | | |
| 2020 | Held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic | 830+ | 27 | 14 |
| 2019 | Michigan State University | East Lansing, Michigan | May 22-25 | 894 | | 14 |
| 2018 | Iowa State University | Ames, Iowa | May 23-26 | 832 | | 13 |
| 2017 | Michigan State University | East Lansing, Michigan | May 24-27 | 833 | | 15 |
| 2016 | Iowa State University | Ames, Iowa | May 25-28 | 828 | | 13 |
| 2015 | Michigan State University | East Lansing, Michigan | May 20-23 | 847 | | 16 |
| 2014 | Iowa State University | Ames, Iowa | May 28-31 | 836 | | 15 |
| 2013 | Michigan State University | East Lansing, Michigan | May 22-25 | 826 | | 12 |
| 2012 | Iowa State University | Ames, Iowa | May 23-26 | 800+ | | 7+ |
| 2011 | University of Maryland, College Park | College Park, Maryland | May 27-30 | 856 | | 9+ |
| 2010 | Michigan State University | East Lansing, Michigan | May 26-29 | 750+ | | 6+ |
| 2009 | Iowa State University | Ames, Iowa | May 27-30 | 787 | 34 | 13 |
| 2008 | University of Maryland, College Park | College Park, Maryland | May 31-June 3 | | | |
| 2007 | Michigan State University | East Lansing, Michigan | May 23-26 | 810 | 31 | 12 |
| 2006 | Iowa State University | Ames, Iowa | May 24-27 | 787 | | 13 |
| 2005 | University of Colorado at Boulder | Boulder, Colorado | May 21-24 | 763 | 33 | 16 |
| 2004 | University of Maryland, College Park | College Park, Maryland | May 29-June 1 | 765 | 34 | 14 |
| 2003 | Iowa State University | Ames, Iowa | May 28-31 | 645 | 31 | 6 |
| 2002 | University of Colorado at Boulder | Boulder, Colorado | May 22-25 | 687 | 35 | 13 |
| 2001 | University of Maryland, College Park | College Park, Maryland | June 2-5 | 677 | 33 | 15 |
| 2000 | University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Tennessee | May 31-June 3 | 550+ | 42 | 11 |
| 1999 | University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Tennessee | May 26-29 | | | |
| 1998 | Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex | Lake Buena Vista, FL | May 27-30 | | | |
| 1997 | University of Maryland, College Park | College Park, Maryland | June 4-7 | 730 | | 17 |
| 1996 | Iowa State University | Ames, Iowa | May 1 - June 1 | 727 | | 15 |
| 1995 | University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Tennessee | May 24-27 | 724 | | 15 |
| 1994 | Iowa State University | Ames, Iowa | June 1-4 | 710 | | 14 |
| 1993 | University of Maryland, College Park | College Park, Maryland | June 2-5 | 706 | | 18 |
| 1992 | University of Colorado at Boulder | Boulder, Colorado | May 28-30 | | | 15 |
| 1991 | University of Tennessee | Knoxville, Tennessee | May 23-25 | 648 | | 10 |
| 1990 | Iowa State University | Ames, Iowa | May 31 - June 2 | | | |
| 1989 | University of Colorado at Boulder | Boulder, Colorado | May 25-27 | | | |
| 1988 | University of Maryland, College Park | College Park, Maryland | June 2-4 | 602 | | |
| 1987 | Central Michigan University | Mt Pleasant, Michigan | May 28-30 | 602 | 45 | 2 |
| 1986 | Northern Arizona University | Flagstaff, Arizona | May 28-30 | | | |
| 1985 | University of Maryland, College Park | College Park, Maryland | June 5-7 | | | |
| 1984 | University of Akron | Akron, Ohio | May 30 - June 1 | 416 | | |
| 1983 | Central Michigan University | Mt Pleasant, Michigan | May 26-27 | | | |
| 1982 | Glassboro State College | Glassboro, New Jersey | May 27-28 | | | 1 |
| 1981 | Glassboro State College | Glassboro, New Jersey | June 4-5 | | | 0 |
A variety of non-competitive activities are provided at World Finals; the representative one is pin trading, in which participants trade pins from their regions and states with participants from other states and countries. There is a creativity festival where each state/country runs a booth containing a fun activity related to their state. The highlights of World Finals are the opening and closing ceremonies. These ceremonies are held Olympics-style in a stadium on campus. Teams march in and sit with other competitors from their state. After the closing ceremonies, several parties are held for different age groups and a party is held for the coaches. These parties are a reward for all the hard work that teams have put in.
The float and banner parade is another fun event that happens on the Thursday night of the World Finals. It is a parade in which every state and country participating makes a float and/or a banner to represent their state.
The coaches' competition is another event that is put on during World Finals. The competition is only for coaches and is more along the lines of a spontaneous problem than a long-term problem. The coaches get the problem in advance and have time to prepare. They hand out awards to the first, second, and third place coaches.