Maine's teams will compete against teams from all 50 states and at least 20 nations. The teams taking part in Saturday's state championships have advanced to that level after winning competitions at one of six regional tournaments held in Maine during March. For months prior to the regional events, over 8,000 students across Maine participated on an OM team with the hope of making it to the state championships and a chance to compete at the world finals. Most of the problems require a combination of critical thinking skills, performance and visual arts, engineering and group collaboration. Each team is judged according to how creatively and effectively they address the set of problems presented to them.
Teams select one of five problem challenges they wish to tackle.
Maine OM, the organization which coordinates the competitions in state, is run by hundreds of volunteers, many of whom are teachers, parents, and even former participants who because of age are no longer eligible to compete. Financial support for the organization's programs comes from membership feels, with major underwriting provided by the Maine Science and Technology Foundation. Other major sponsors are the University of Maine, University Credit Union, Fort James Paper Co., WABI-TV, Geiger Bros., and Fairchild Semiconductor.