Teams, which consist of seven members ranging from elementary through college-age students, all earned a spot to represent their hometowns in the competition. These students, who represent the world's best problem solvers, tackle mind-bending challenges through the arts, performance, science, storytelling and engineering - to name a few.
During the competition, participants, their families and coaches will occupy more than 7,000 beds in 32 university residence halls and enjoy more than 600 events conducted in an Olympic Village atmosphere utilizing more than 100 campus venues. Approximately 200 University of Maryland students will be employed to assist with this event.
Odyssey of the Mind generates more than $3 million in auxiliary revenue for the university. Income generated from dining services and housing during Maryland's 130 summer programs, such as Odyssey of the Mind, helps reduce student fees.
World Finals activities are free and open to the public (opening and closing ceremonies are ticketed). Scheduled events include the opening ceremony, creativity and international festivals, float and banner parade, coaches competition, awards ceremony and NASA activities. The opening ceremony will be held on Friday, May 27 at 7:30 p.m. and competitions and events will be held Saturday through Monday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. The World Finals will culminate with an awards ceremony on Monday, May 30 at 7:30 p.m. For a detailed schedule of events, visit Odyssey of the Mind or Maryland's Conferences & Visitor Services.
Odyssey of the Mind is an international, education-based program for young people, which combines creative thinking, teamwork and risk-taking with a fun-filled competition. The competition is divided into four age groups. Teams are judged on an array of technical requirements used in solving problems and are encouraged to demonstrate their creativity in their solutions. Odyssey of the Mind began in 1978 and has grown to include more than a million students from every state and more than 20 countries.
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