The Odyssey of the Mind helps to tap into students' creative problem-solving skills while developing team-building skills, encouraging "outside the box" thinking, and having fun at the same time. Students are provided opportunities to think divergently by addressing open-ended problems relative to a wide range of interests, such as building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. Teams are given a budget and must work within the confines of the budget to solve their problem. By tapping into creativity and through encouraging imaginative paths to problem-solving, students learn skills that will provide them with the ability to resolve issues, both big and small, for a lifetime.
Freeport students have again competed in the Odyssey of the Mind competitions. This year Atkinson sixth graders placed in third place. On the high school level, our two teams ranked in second and third places.