In the News

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NorthCentralPA.com: Three area teams move on to Odyssey of the Mind World Finals April 7, 2022

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Williamsport Area School District Educational Foundation (WASDEF)January, 2022 

At just 12 years old, it could be said that Cooper Gutberlet is an Odyssey of the Mind veteran.

The Curtin Intermediate School student cut his teeth on Odyssey of the Mind by watching his older brother, Max, compete in the international program that blends intellectualism, creativity and teamwork.

“Tve been competing since kindergarten,” Gutberlet said. “I believe it’s really important for kids to have these open and creative minds, and that is what OM creates.”

Gutberlet has helped propel Williamsport Area School district teams to coveted spots at the World Finals for the last seven consecutive years. Last spring, two of the Curtin teams placed in the top 10. 

Since 2015, WASDEF has collectively granted $37,073 to the program from a combination of gifts received from the community, area businesses and its Annual Fund. 

The program has impressed upon Gutberlet leadership and lifelong skills that he believes he will use the rest of his life.

“Odyssey of the Mind has taught me when and how to be a leader.” Gutberlet said. “The World Finals experience specifically has also improved my ability to be a leader. This is where the big dogs come to play, and everyone feels the most pressure that they have felt all year.”

“I know many people that use the critical thinking and creativity from the classroom and from OM to work effectively in their daily lives,” he added. “I will always use all the different sides I display in OM in my lifetime.”


Mt. Lebanon students finish second in Odyssey of the Mind World FinalsJuly 11, 2021

“Over the years, I have discovered teamwork has a much deeper meaning for me,” Nikki said. “To work as a successful team, you need to have self-awareness, respect, and courage, resulting in award-winning creative compromise.”

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Local districts among winners of regional Odyssey of the Mind challenge – March 9, 2020

“Odyssey of the Mind allows the students to develop their creative problem-solving skills while having fun,” said Karyl Otruba, the regional director for North Central PA Odyssey of the Mind. “Students have the power to apply their knowledge and make their problem solutions come to life in amazing ways.”

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St. Patrick’s Elementary School To Host Open House – Jan. 22, 2020

The students at St. Patrick’s Elementary School have a lot of options when it comes to extra curricular activities – one of those groups is Odyssey of the Mind, a creative, problem solving competition that allows students to work together and build life long skills. The students demonstrated an example of one of the competitions, and talked about what they love about the organization. 

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Cornwall-Lebanon students get creative at world problem-solving finals – June 4, 2019

Bearing opera fudge, an over-sized Lebanon bologna and a hulking shoofly pie, two groups of Cornwall-Lebanon School District students made their mark at a creative problem-solving world competition in Michigan in late May.

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Talk About Brain Power! Area Students Prep for Odyssey of the Mind World FinalsMay 14, 2019 PA Odyssey of the Mind took over the morning news on WNEP, the ABC affiliate in Scranton, ahead of their trip to World Finals! Check out the clips below and click here to read more!


Pennwood Odyssey Squad Heads To World Finals – May 22, 2019

Some seventh graders from Pennwood Middle School are in Michigan this week, representing their school in the Odyssey of the Mind world finals. Pennsbury School District Superintendent William Gretzula met with the team Tuesday before they headed to Michigan State University.

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Central Pa. students qualify for world Odyssey competition, but need your help to go – May 9, 2019

The Mechanicsburg Odyssey of the Mind Team placed second in the Pennsylvania State Tournament back in April, qualifying them to go on to the Odyssey world finals in East Lansing, Michigan, on May 22-25. More than 850 teams from across the United States and other countries are expected to compete in this final round.

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North Penn Now: Three teams from North Penn advance to Odyssey of the Mind World Finals – April 10, 2019

Ten student teams from the North Penn School District (NPSD) recently competed in the Pennsylvania Odyssey of the Mind State Competition, and three of those teams will advance to the World Finals Competition at Michigan State University.

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Tribune-Review: Penn Hills High School students earn awards at state competition – April 10, 2019

Penn Hills High School’s Odyssey of the Mind team recently earned awards at a statewide competition.

They competed against other schools in the Pennsylvania State Odyssey of the Mind Association’s state finals tournament earlier this month at Pocono Mountain East High School in Monroe County. At least 180 teams from across the state participated.

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Blue Ridge Communications TV13 News: Odyssey of the Mind State Competition – April 7, 2019


WNEP: Students Put Their Minds to the Test for Annual Competition – March 9, 2019

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South Hills Almanac: Spider, girl, pig help propel Mt. Lebanon students to Odyssey finals July 10, 2018

Melody and four of her classmates at Mellon Middle School in Mt. Lebanon, plus one who is ready to start sixth grade there, teamed up to create the slanted scenario for their project in the Odyssey of the Mind creative problem-solving program. Their efforts, which started even before last school year began, earned them a trip to the program’s World Finals, where they finished 12th among 60 teams overall in their age division and second for style points.
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Upper St. Clair Patch: Upper St. Clair Students Fare Well In International Competition June 1, 2018

Mexico, Poland, Singapore, China and – Upper St. Clair? Yes, two Upper St. Clair teams finished in the top 10 in a recent international competition, the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals at Iowa State University.
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LancasterOnline: Shattering expectations: Fritz Elementary places in the top 10 at Odyssey of the Mind world finals May 30, 2018

As they practiced their performance on Saturday morning, fourth- and fifth-grade students from Fritz Elementary School competing in the Odyssey of the Mind world finals noticed something was off.

The energy and passion that propelled them to this point wasn’t there.

So they formed a circle and encouraged one another, pointing out the strengths of each of the seven team members. As teacher and coach Jason Zimmerman said, “it wasn’t about self-motivation, it was about team motivation.”
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LNP / LancasterOnline.com: Fritz Elementary students thirst for a good showing at this week’s Odyssey of the Mind world finals May 21, 2018

Imagine this: King Tutankhamun — better known as King Tut — is keeping all of Egypt’s water to himself. The townspeople are desperate for hydration. So a pair of twin brothers, with no more than the raggedy clothes on their backs and a few cheap, salvaged materials, challenge the pharaoh to a triathlon to take back their water.

And they win.

It takes quite the imagination to envision such a story, but that’s exactly what seven Fritz Elementary School students have done. They’ve made it to the world finals of the international problem-solving competition Odyssey of the Mind — for the second consecutive year — by doing so.
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Main Line Media News: Tredyffrin-Easttown Odyssey of the Mind team earns spot in World Finals May 9, 2018

In its second year of competing in the Odyssey of the Mind (OOTM) competition, the team of seven fourth-graders from New Eagle Elementary (NEES) won first place at the PA State Finals for Division 1, Problem 5.

It is one of two Pennsylvania teams in its division and category to advance to the international World Finals competition at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. Nearly 800 teams composed of more than 5,000 first- to 12th-grade students from 20 countries will compete at this event.
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Montgomeryville Patch: North Penn’s Odyssey Of The Mind Team Advances To World Finals April 20, 2018

Student teams from North Penn performed admirably at the Pennsylvania State Odyssey of the Mind (OotM) earlier this month, with one advancing to the world finals next month at Iowa State University.
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WFMZ-TV: Lehigh Valley teams going to World Finals in scholastic competition April 19, 2018

Two groups representing one local school district are getting ready to compete on the world stage in a unique event, the Odyssey of the Mind 2018 World Finals.
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The Abington Journal: Abington Heights Middle School team makes Odyssey of the Mind World Finals April 16, 2018

A group of fifth-graders from Abington Heights Middle School advanced to the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals, the largest creative problem-solving competition in the world.
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NorthcentralPA.com: Two WASD Odyssey of the Mind Teams Advance to 2018 World Finals – April 16, 2018

Two Williamsport Area School District Odyssey of the Mind teams will head to the 2018 World Finals after securing first-place wins at the state round on Saturday, April 7, 2018 at Pocono Mountain East Campus.
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Yadley Voice: Pennsbury Teams Demonstrate Creative Problem Solving During Odyssey Of The Mind CompetitionMarch 27, 2018

More than 130 students from Pennsbury School District competed in the Southeast Pennsylvania Odyssey of the Mind Regional Competition held at Pennsbury High School on Saturday, March 3rd.
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Blue Ridge TV13: Odyssey of the Mind at Pocono Mountain West – March 19, 2018

Area school students are harnessing their creativity to find innovative ways to solve problems. It’s all part of an exercise called the “Odyssey of the Mind.” More than seven hundred students from 40 area schools competed in the Northeast Regional Competition Saturday at Pocono Mountain West High School.
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